Final Score:
St.Sylvesters 1-9
Ballyboden St.Endas 0-15
This encounter saw a tense and gritty affair between Syls and Boden, with both sides battling hard for dominance throughout the match. The first half was a tight contest, with Syls narrowly edging it by a single point.
Syls started brightly, with Alex Wright hitting the post early on in the first five minutes, but Syls managed to recover and secure a point off the rebound from Niall Guidan. Syls then missed a free in the 10th minute but quickly redeemed themselves with a successful free on the 11th minute. Boden responded with 3 points of their own before Andrew Cunningham levelled in the 16th minute to make the score 3-3.
Syls restored their lead with a free from in front of goal shortly after. However, both teams were wasteful with their chances. A missed free on 21 minutes gave Boden an opportunity to level again on 23 minutes. Syls nudged ahead once more on 24 minutes with a well-taken free off the ground, but Boden squandered a clear goal opportunity in the 25th minute. The half ended with a series of wides from both teams, with Syls leading 5 points to 4.
The second half resumed with Boden benefiting from a strong wind, which tested the resolve of the Syls defence. Boden started poorly with a wide on 32 minutes but quickly levelled the game at 5 points apiece with a point on 33 minutes.
From that point onwards, it was a closely contested second half, with both teams trading points in an exciting back-and-forth battle. Syls seized the initiative with a crucial goal from Alex Wright that developed with some super support play with Dylan Connolly, to put Syls two points ahead. However, Boden responded immediately with the next score and made excellent use of the wind advantage, regularly shooting from distance and adding points to their tally to keep themselves firmly in the contest.
Syls had several chances to extend their lead further, with a second goal attempt in the latter stages being brilliantly saved by the Boden goalkeeper. They also won a penalty but could only convert the saved rebound over the bar for a point when three points were needed.
In the end, Boden's shooting accuracy and use of the wind advantage carried them to a victory, finishing with a scoreline of 0-15 to Syls’ 1-9. Syls will rue their missed goal chances, particularly as their overall performance might have merited a win. However, Boden’s clinical finishing and super performance by their goalkeeper ensured they came out on top in this thrilling contest.
