Boyle blitz clamps down Clann

Boyle……………………………….1-11

Clann na nGael…………………2-4

Hodson Bay Hotel Senior Football Championship Quarter-Final 

Boyle’s rehabilitation appears to be complete.

From the horror of conceding six first-half goals against Roscommon Gaels in August, Cian Smith’s side’s powerful performance in the third quarter at a rain-lashed Enfield on Sunday afternoon represented a timely reminder that last season’s beaten finalists haven’t gone away.

Whatever remaining hangover that was lingering from last year’s heartbreaking county final reversal has well and truly been eradicated from the system. During Sunday’s blitzkrieg, where they hit an unanswered 1-8 inside the first 18 minutes of the second half, they looked unstoppable to leave Clann na nGael nursing a severe headache.

It was a spectacular turnaround as a four-point half-time deficit was wiped out by a Boyle side in their pomp. When they matched and subsequently surpassed Clann for hunger and an appetite for hard work, their marquee players took over and demolished their opponents very quickly.

Those 18 minutes were a microcosm of Boyle at their brilliant best. Granted they had the elements in their favour, but their ability to dismantle Clann around the middle allowed them to build up a head of steam by mixing their game superbly. Sometimes, the option was strong running up the middle. At other times, it was going direct into the full-forward line where Enda Smith dovetailed brilliantly with his brother Donie.

In the end, Clann simply couldn’t live with such a vicious onslaught.

As they were in Kiltoom earlier in the day, conditions were testing, although the rain relented early on before making a spectacular return in the final quarter, which may explain why Boyle’s scoring resources went dry in the final 13 minutes.

Early on, the winners also looked the part. They were content to protect the ball, and even when Clann had possession they were comfortable in their own skin by filing players into defence who were always on the lookout for a timely turnover.

That’s the way the opening ten minutes panned out. Two early frees by Cian McKeon and Donie Smith were followed Roch Hanmore taking advantage of a loose David McManus handpass before the ball was worked in a flash to Donie Smith who pointed off his right foot.

Finally, Clann began to see some possession and Ciarán Lennon got his side up and running from a 12th minute free. A pass from Paddy Gavin towards Lennon in space was overhit, but Clann soon unlocked the Boyle defence.

Possession was worked from right to left, with the supporting Dylan Sumner making the vital incision before squaring the ball for Josh Lennon who palmed it into the net after 18 minutes.

The Clann juggernaut was humming now and Emmet Kelly showcased his side’s increasing confidence by splitting the posts to the right of goal. The one-way traffic continued and a David McManus free was followed by a point from play by Fearghus Lennon to give the South Roscommon men a 1-4 to 0-3 lead at half time.

The strength of the wind suggest that Clann’s lead would be in second-half jeopardy, but a saturated Enfield surface meant that Boyle would have to work extremely hard to claw back the deficit.

But how they rose to the challenge. From the opening whistle, they simply tore into Clann with a couple of early frees from McKeon settling them.

Clann were struggling to get the ball beyond midfield, and a point from Donie Smith was quickly followed by an effort from 45 metres by the impressive Cathal Feeley, who was at the heart of his side’s resurgence, to tie up the contest by the 37th minute.

Boyle just kept coming. This time it was Killian Cox’s raid from deep that did the damage and when he shovelled possession to the supporting McKeon, the roar that greeted Boyle’s lead score left no one in any doubt that the game’s trajectory had been utterly transformed.

In the 42nd minute, a slide rule pass by Enda Smith was gobbled up by Donie who pointed with aplomb. Two minutes later, Niall O’Donnell gathered possession, and his long raking pass was superbly gathered by Enda Smith who slid the ball under David Finneran’s for a brilliant goal.

Feeley stretched the gap out to six points with his second point of the half before Donie Smith, who had tried to chip Finneran from distance moments earlier, grabbed his fifth point of the game, and fourth from play.

Clann were visibly stunned. They were constantly turned over in the tackle as Boyle clogged up any direct route towards goal.

There was some consolation when Ciarán Lennon stoked home a penalty in injury time after substitute Shane Galvin was fouled, but the ship to the last four had long since sailed.

Boyle, after navigating choppy waters, had put their own indomitable stamp on proceedings.