NA FIANNA INTER CHAMPS
Glasnevin men defeat St Jude’s
DUBLIN IFC FINAL
NA FIANNA………………………………………….2-13
ST JUDE’S…………………………………………..1-11
Daire Walsh
A STRONG second-half display paid dividends for Na Fianna at Abbotstown on Friday evening, when the Glasnevin club secured their maiden Dublin Intermediate Football Championship title with a five-point victory over St Jude’s.
Na Fianna had booked their spot in this decider with an impressive 3-10 to 1-7 win against Thomas Davis on October 15, while their southside counterparts claimed a narrow semi-final success (1-14 to 3-6) at the expense of Kilmacud Crokes two weeks later. Jude’s were beaten by St Brigid’s in the 2005 intermediate final, but they enjoyed a dream opening to the action in the National Sports Campus.
Midfielder Tom Devlin finished brilliantly to the back of the Na Fianna net after being released by Joey Donnelly, and thanks to points from Darren Gallagher (free) and Donnelly either side of a Sean Caffrey score at the opposite end, they were four points to the good. Yet, with Ciaran Hoolihan and Caffrey providing a sustained threat on the inside line, Na Fianna started to grow in confidence.
The clinical duo raised white flags at the end of incisive moves, and after Gallagher converted another placed-ball, Hoolihan brought his side on level terms with a superb three-pointer. Gallagher appeared to settle Jude’s down with his third score, before Caffrey coolly fired home from close-range at the end of a fast-paced attack in the 24th-minute.
This edged Na Fianna in front for the first time, and even though a Tom O’Connell free was cancelled out by Donnelly, Aidan Downes’ side entered the interval with a 2-4 to 1-5 lead. There was considerable life left in the Jude’s challenge, though, and Hoolihan and O’Connell points for Na Fianna were matched by Devlin and Brendan Lynskey during the early stages of the second-half.
Na Fianna attempted to create daylight between the teams with back-to-back efforts from Caffrey and Cathal Doran, but Jude’s registered two unanswered points of their own through Gallagher and Brendan McManamon (brother of Dublin star Kevin). This kept the tie in the melting pot, but further points by O’Connell and the exceptional Caffrey offered some leeway to Na Fianna inside the final-quarter.
A fourth Gallagher free cut the gap to three points (2-10 to 1-10), but Jude’s suffered another set-back when Devlin was dismissed for a second yellow-card offence on 52 minutes.
This left them with too much ground to make up, and prior to Gallagher’s sixth point in stoppage-time, consecutive points via substitute Gareth Ryan (two) and Doran ensured it was a night to remember for Na Fianna.
MATCH FILE
Scorers – Na Fianna: S Caffrey 1-4, C Hoolihan 1-2, T O’Connell 0-3 (3f), C Doran, G Ryan 0-2 each. St Jude’s: D Gallagher 0-6 (4f), T Devlin 1-1, J Donnelly 0-2, B Lynskey, B McManamon 0-1 each.
NA FIANNA: S Murray; S Dunne, J Ward, P Wade; C Ryan, F Aughney, N Mulhern; M Cooper, E McHugh; T Kenny, C Doran, T O’Connell; B Downes, S Caffrey, C Hoolihan.
Subs: C Dolan for T Kenny (h-t), G Ryan for Dolan (34), P Collins for Cooper (52), S Cloherty for Downes (52-54, blood), J McGuirk for McHugh (59), M O’Dea for Mulhern (62).
ST JUDE’S: R Hyland; S Kavanagh, C McBride, F O’Brien; D Walsh, L Joyce, A Fitzmaurice; D Gallagher, T Devlin; D Kavanagh, J Donnelly, B Lynskey; B McManamon, C Barden, P Maguire.
Subs: B Fitzgerald for Donnelly (50), R Wallace for Lynskey (55), A Blake for Barden (56), A Kenny for McManamon (59), S Guckian for S Kavanagh (60).
MENTORS – Na Fianna: A Downes, I Foley, S Connell, J Gray, S Potts, R Kinsella, I McGowan. St Jude’s: K Hayes.
Referee: PJ Murray (St Finian’s, Swords).
WIDES – Na Fianna: 3 (2+1). St Jude’s: 5 (3+2).
CONDITIONS: Dry but cold conditions.
PLAYER OF THE MATCH: Sean Caffrey (Na Fianna).