Sport

Leinster victory arrives at long last for Ballyboden St Enda's

Donegal 'keeper Paul Durcan pulled off a stunning save to help Ballyboden St Enda's to their first ever Leinster SFC title on Sunday  
Donegal 'keeper Paul Durcan pulled off a stunning save to help Ballyboden St Enda's to their first ever Leinster SFC title on Sunday   Donegal 'keeper Paul Durcan pulled off a stunning save to help Ballyboden St Enda's to their first ever Leinster SFC title on Sunday  

AIB Leinster Club Senior Football Championship final: 


Ballyboden St Enda's (Dublin) 2-9 Portlaoise (Laois) 1-11

AS THE biggest sports club in Europe, perhaps the real story is that it took this long for Dublin super-club Ballyboden St Enda's to be crowned kings of Leinster football.

With more than 100 teams being put out in four different codes -­ Gaelic football, hurling, camogie and ladies' football -­ club officials believe they are the largest sporting club in Europe - and possibly even the world.

Still, nobody at the Firhouse Road outfit was taking anything for granted about their breakthrough triumph, which arrived in quite dramatic circumstances at Tullamore's O'Connor Park. With half of the three minutes allotted for injury-time gone, seven-time champions Portlaoise were handed a routine 13-metre free to force extra-time.

Considering they'd led at various stages in both halves and forced a stunning save from 'Boden's iconic Donegal goalkeeper Paul Durcan in the 50th minute, it was the least they deserved. But in what can only be described as an aberration from 26-year old former Laois forward Paul Cahillane, the one-time Glasgow Celtic youth player sliced his kick high and agonisingly left of the upright.

Conor Boyle had a half-chance to equalise later on from long range, but it's Cahillane who will unfortunately be forever remembered for spurning his opportunity.

The bottom line is that Aran Waters, a 42nd minute substitute for Ballyboden, will go down as the game breaker with his 60th minute point proving to be the winner.

St Enda's reward is a February 13 All-Ireland semi-final clash with London's Tír Chonaill Gaels or Munster champions Clonmel Commercials.