The Senior Hurlers recorded a brilliant victory against five-in-a-row county champions Ballyboden St.Endas on a scoreline of 1-19 to 3-9 in an epic encounter which had everyone on the edge of their seats. This means Cuala have now topped their group and go forward to the quarter finals of the Dublin Senior Hurling Championship.
Below is a Match Report courtesy of the Evening Herald and Niall Scully.
CUALA………………………….1-19
BALLYBODEN ST ENDA’S……3-9
A GLORIOUS chapter closed last night. Ballyboden’s brave climb to where no club had gone before ended in the evening shadows of Donnycarney.
They had equalled the Dublin SHC five-in-a-row feats of Garda and Commercials, and this season they were hoping that their great adventure would end with their own name up there in the brightest lights of all.
The scoreline sent the texting fingers into overdrive. A shock result certainly. But a deserved one at the same time.
It was Boden’s second defeat in Group C. They lost to Lucan in the rain and then to Cuala in the sun.
The champions couldn’t seem to find that old familiar zip this season. And that was again evident here. They tried hard. No doubt about that. But they weren’t able to create that passage of confidence that could have seen them pull away. Cuala were always there with the blocks, and the hooks, and they were usually first to the breaking ball.
Even when Boden edged a point ahead on 46 minutes after trailing since midway through the opening period, they hit three quick, scorable wides. On another day, and in another time, it was then that they would have put the tie to bed.
Instead, it’s Cuala who progress to the quarter-final. It’s their first time in the knock-out stages in six years. If the great Bill McLaren was on duty in Parnell Park, he would have been declaring: ‘And they’ll be dancing on the streets of Dalkey tonight.’
“This means the world to us,” stated Cuala chief, Harry Roberts. “It has been such a topsy-turvy group. We were brilliant against Lucan and diabolical against Vincent’s.
“The lads really wanted to win. They showed marvellous desire out there. I think we got the tactics right. Sean Barron was outstanding sweeping around the half-back line. He was cleaning up everything. He was our man-of-the-match.
“It was a fabulous game. That’s what championship hurling is all about. No quarter given and none expected,” said Harry, who paid tribute to the Kings of Dublin Hurling.
“Boden are the bench-mark. In terms of attitude, skill, organisation…….everything, they have been the role models for us all. They are the team that has got Dublin Hurling to where it is.”
Conditions were ideal except for the blinding glare. The audience was small, but the hour generated a cracking atmosphere.
Cuala went three points up in the first four minutes as they attacked the score-board end. Simon Lambert drilled in a Boden goal in the 11th minute, but they were behind at the break, 0-11 to 1-3.
Mark Schutte hit a couple of gorgeous points, while Barry Connolly was accurate off the tee. Yet when Conal Keaney nudged in a close-in goal for Boden three minutes into the second half, the Firhouse revival looked on.
Yet all through, Cuala were able to stage a quick response. On this occasion, it was 1-2, with Connolly striking a classy goal. When Ryan’s blistering free roared to the roof to put Boden one ahead, 3-9 to 1-14, many felt the holders would now just sprint for home.
“What pleased me most was that although, after leading for such a long time, we fell behind to, above all teams, Boden, we hung in there and won by four points in the end,” reflected Harry Roberts.
The match-winning points, five without reply, came from Cian Waldron, Schutte, Brian Fitzgerald and Connolly (2). In injury-time, when Cuala led by three points, Emmet Carroll managed to fire in a low shot but Fintan O’Brien was equal to it.
And so the People’s Champions bowed out. Hogan’s Heroes were Simply The Best. They’ll be missed.
SCORERS – Cuala: B Connolly 1-9 (0-8f), M Schutte 0-5, D Treacy 0-2 , C Waldron 0-1 , S Barron 0-1 , B Fitzgerald 0-1. Ballyboden St Enda’s: P Ryan 1-3 (all f’s), S Lambert 1-1, C Keaney 1-0, N McMorrow 0-2, C McCormack, S Nagle, S Durkin 0-1 each.
CUALA: F O’Brien; A Hudson, S Kiely, S Timlin; C Gough, O Gough, S McGee; B Browne, S Stapleton; B Connolly, D Cunningham, M Schutte; C Waldron, D Treacy, S Barron. Subs: B Fitzgerald for Cunningham (50); D Keating for Browne (51).
BALLYBODEN ST ENDA’S: G Maguire; D Sweeney, T Sweeney, S Nagle; C Moffat, S Hiney, D Curran; S Durkin, S O’Connor; D O’Connor, S Lambert, N McMorrow; P Ryan, C McCormack, C Keaney. Subs: P Buckeridge for Curran (ht); D Curtin for Moffat (ht); E Carroll for Nagle (45).
REFEREE: Fergus McGreevy (St Oliver Plunkett’s/ER)
| Team | Played | Won | Lost | Drawn | Points For | Points Against | Points Diff | Points |
| Cuala | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 57 | 57 | 0 | 4 |
| Lucan Sarsfields | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 49 | 49 | 0 | 4 |
| St Vincents | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 53 | 50 | 3 | 2 |
| Ballyboden St Endas | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 45 | 48 | -3 | 2 |
Pictures from the match courtesy of Stephen Findlater here
