FIANNA’S finest
Daire Walsh – 15 October 2013 02:30 PM
NA FIANNA 2-14 ST BRIGID’S 1-7
COLIN CURRIE and Donal Burke were to the fore in Parnell Park on Sunday afternoon, as their combined tally of 0-13 propelled Na Fianna towards victory over 13-man St Brigid’s in a fiercely competitive final.
Tiernan McGlynn’s second-half goal did reignite the challenge of the Blanchardstown side but despite briefly holding a numerical advantage – when Na Fianna half-back Sean Ronayne was given his marching orders after 46 minutes – the final-quarter dismissals of Kevin Callaghan and Jack Barr ultimately swung the contest in the direction of the Mobhi Road outfit.
Frantic
In the frantic early exchanges, corner-forward McGlynn drew first blood for Brigid’s inside the opening 60 seconds. But Na Fianna replied impressively with well-measured points from Currie (free) and wing-forward Donal Burke to take a slender lead.
Iit was clear that Burke was the go-to man for Na Fianna, and he secured his second point of the game from out on the left-wing with just eight minutes gone on the clock.
A brace of Johnny McGuirk frees helped to level matters for the 2012 All-Ireland Féile Division One champions, but Na Fianna punished their wastefulness in front of goal 18 minutes in when inside forward Peter Feeney drove a low strike to the bottom corner of Michael Courtney’s goal after Currie’s free from distance had been batted away.
A fantastic point-blank Peter Mongey stop from the influential McGuirk was another pivotal moment, and with full-forward John Lyons following up a Feeney point on the run with his team’s second goal from a seemingly innocuous attempt on the left, Na Fianna were able to bring a 2-4 to 0-4 advantage into the second period.
Brigid’s received a lifeline on 36 minutes when McGlynn finished spectacularly into the top corner of Mongey’s goal at the end of a run, and following scores exchanged by Burke and McGuirk, only four points separated the teams with 15 minutes remaining.
It was at this stage that Brigid’s were given a further boost in the form of Ronayne’s sending-off, which arose from an off-the-ball incident, but with Callaghan also being dismissed for dangerous play just a minute later, their momentum was short-lived.
Unanswered scores courtesy of Currie (two) and Burke handed Na Fianna the initiative once more, and despite cutting the deficit with a fine pointed free by half-back David McCabe, Brigid’s were left with an impossible task when Barr joined Callaghan in the dug-out with six minutes remaining for striking substitute Liam Stacey.
Na Fianna were in no mood to let up in the latter stages, though, and with Currie adding a quartet of points (bringing his final total to 0-9), they were able to secure a comprehensive, and thoroughly deserved, triumph.
MATCH FILE
Scorers – NA FIANNA: C Currie 0-9 (8f), D Burke 0-4, P Feeney 1-1, J Lyons 1-0. ST BRIGIDS: T McGlynn 1-2, J McGuirk 0-4 (4f), D McCabe 0-1 (f).
TEAM
NA FIANNA: P Mongey; C Kelly, D Ryan, S O’Brien; N O Nuallain, D McHugh, S Ronayne; S Fitzgerald, R Mackey; D Lacey, N Loftus, D Burke; P Feeney, J Lyons, C Currie. Subs: L Stacey for Lyons (44), C Watson for Lacey (61), K McKenna for O’Brien (61).
ST BRIGIDS: M Courtney; D McKenna, J Barr, A Holmes; D Hawkshaw, C O’Sullivan, D McCabe; J O’Neill, K Callaghan; J McGuirk, T O’Shea, M Donnelly; D Cullinan, D Ryan, T McGlynn. Subs: J Connolly for Cullinan (41), S Mansfield for O’Shea (43).
REFEREE: T McCarthy (St Vincent’s).
WIDES: Na Fianna: 7 (6+1). St Brigids: 12 (8+4).
MENTORS: Na Fianna: A Flaherty, D Moran, P Kelly. St Brigids: J McGuirk, K Barr, K O’Neill, J O’Shea, T O’Sullivan, R Holmes.
CONDITIONS: Mild, but dry.
PLAYER-OF-THE-MATCH: Donal Burke (Na Fianna).