A coming force
November 30, 2009
Na Fianna went for a high profile football manager in 2009 when former county star Graham Geraghty took over from Kit Henry, but their Intermediate Championship campaign ended in bitter disappointment when they were just edged out of a qualification place. By Paul Clarke.
Gaeil Colmcille are proving something of a bogey team for the Enfield/Baconstown combination and after eliminating them from the championship at the quarter-final stage following extra-time last year, this time a minimum-margin reversal to the same opposition in the opening round of group matches eventually proved very damaging.
With Geraghty on board and a panel in place which included such talented young players as Jamie Queeney, Harrison Silke and Ailbhe Mahon, to name but a few, Na Fianna could justifiably have hoped to make further progress this year, but that opening loss to the Kells men and a reversal against St Michael's in the last round meant they didn't get to taste knockout action.
Na Fianna were drawn in group A of the Intermediate Championship which also included Dunderry, Drumconrath and Carnaross, and Boardsmill was the venue for that opener against Gaeil Colmcille which they lost by 2-11 to 3-9. They made a bad start and fell behind by 0-2 to 2-1, but produced a fine recovery to be ahead at the break, 2-6 to 2-2, after Dan Queeney and Silke had goaled.
When Gaeil Colmcille scored their third goal late on they were two points ahead, but Silke and Jamie Queeney split the uprights to tie the scores. Na Fianna looked likely to get something out of the game, but up stepped experienced substitute Tom Shine to send over the winning point for the Kells side.
It was a sickening defeat, but Na Fianna bounced back positively when they defeated Dunderry by 1-7 to 0-8 at Dunshaughlin. They led by 1-3 to 0-1 after 16 minutes, but failed to score again in the first half as their advantage was cut to 1-3 to 0-5 at the interval. The second period was close, before a brace of points from Jamie Queeney sealed the win.
An easy victory followed against Drumconrath at Dunderry. Jamie and Brian Queeney gave Na Fianna a solid platform at midfield and a Dean Hendrick goal helped them lead by 1-7 to 0-3 at half-time. The same player found the net in the second period and that helped secure a 2-12 to 0-5 success.
Na Fianna made it three wins on the trot and really ignited their qualification bid when they defeated Carnaross by 1-9 to 0-10 at Simonstown, but a Daithi Regan-inspired St Michael's nipped past them in the race for the third quarter-final spot when winning by 2-13 to 2-9 next time out at Athboy.
Na Fianna needed only a draw to advance, but with Regan registering 1-9 the Carlanstown/Kilbeg combination had a match-winner. Geraghty's team led by 2-5 to 1-5 at the change of ends and by 2-9 to 2-6 late in the third quarter, but St Michael's reeled off seven unanswered points to triumph.
Dunderry and Gaeil Colmcille filled the top two positions in the section on eight points, followed by Na Fianna and Michael's on six. The result of that last group match came into play and Na Fianna were out.
The Queeney brothers are vital to the Na Fianna cause and one of them is Brian who has been playing adult football with the club for eight years. He was highly impressed by Graham Geraghty's first year in charge.
"Graham was brilliant," Brian said. "He brought new drills, new impetus. He had the respect of us all. We knew he had done it all. You would follow him into a brick wall, do anything for him. Thankfully, he's staying on. He thinks we can win the championship. Selectors Jim Barrett and David Killoran did great work too.
"It was just a pity we didn't do better. We're just not consistent enough. Gaeil Colmcille beat us by a point in the first round of the championship. They are a bogey team for us. They beat us by a point after extra-time in the quarter-final last year and also beat us very narrowly the year before.
"We were very down over the way we lost to them this year. We were four or five points up at half-time, but we never played in the second half. They clawed their way back into it and Tom Shine won it for them with a late point. You can't allow teams like Kells to come at you. Our performance in the first half was our best in five years, but we didn't maintain it.
"We responded well to that defeat to beat Dunderry. The way we responded, I thought this might be our year. But we didn't get carried away. We beat Drumconrath after that, but then there was a long break in the championship. Graham brought us to the beach for a week of training. It was a good move because 12 weeks away from championship football is a long time.
"When the championship resumed we beat Carnaross, but I think we had gone off the boil at that stage. We weren't performing in the league either. Losing to St Michael's was a big disappointment. We were flying in the first half when Harry Silke was great. St Michael's weren't at full strength and we were four points up with 10 minutes to go. Daithi Regan was brilliant and they got seven unanswered points in the closing stages."
Na Fianna were out of the championship and it hurt. But Brian is hopeful for 2010 with a generally young team.
"We are a young side," he added. "Ollie Lewis and David McCormack are our oldest players in their late 20s. Five minors started in the forward line against Gaeil Colmcille. A lot of minors came in this year. Next year it's a case of getting the team organised. Graham organised things so well this year."
HURLERS FIND FORM TO
STAVE OFF THREAT
The threat of another battle for survival in the top flight for the Na Fianna hurlers loomed large after they lost their first three matches in group A of the Senior Championship, but two victories followed which helped them leap to safety.
Killian Farrell from Edenderry was the Na Fianna coach this year and their qualification group included three of last year's semi-finalists, Dunboyne, Kildalkey and Kiltale, as well as Boardsmill and Killyon.
Na Fianna secured their survival last year when they beat Boardsmill in a relegation play-off, but they endured another losing run in the 2009 championship with heavy defeats against Killyon, Kildalkey and Dunboyne. Things got a lot better when they pulled off something of a shock victory over Kiltale and then defeated Boardsmill again.
Longwood was the venue for their first round meeting with Killyon and the danger signs were there when Na Fianna failed to score in the opening half and trailed by 0-0 to 0-8 at the interval. They managed three points in the second period, but the Hill of Down men won by 0-13 to 0-3.
Champions to be Kildalkey inflicted another 10-point beating in the second round at Ashbourne, leading by 1-9 to 2-4 at the break before coasting away to win by 2-16 to 2-6. It got even worse after the lengthy break while Meath participated in the Nicky Rackard Cup, (during the final of which David Kirby was awarded the man-of-the-match award) but then things improved significantly.
Barry Slevin opened the scoring after 90 seconds against Dunboyne at Boardsmill, but Na Fianna were adrift by 0-6 to 2-11 at half-time. The St Peter's men pushed ahead by 4-12 to 0-7 and goals from Slevin and Eoin Murray were merely consolations as it finished 4-21 to 2-11.
Some people were turning over for a second sleep when Na Fianna and Kiltale commenced battle at 10.30 am in Ratoath, but Farrell's players were obviously in bed early the night before because they produced a much improved display to win by 2-14 to 2-12. A David Lyons goal helped open up a 1-8 to 0-5 interval advantage and when Slevin netted five minutes into the second period the lead stood at 2-10 to 0-6.
Na Fianna conceded two goals subsequently to leave it tight at the finish, but they still won by two points, with Slevin contributing 1-7. A 1-12 to 1-5 victory followed in the last round against Boardsmill at Longwood and with four points in the bag safety was secured, with the pointless 'Mill occupying bottom spot.
After losing so heavily in their opening three matches, Na Fianna demonstrated great character to bounce back so well and they deserve plenty of credit for that. Indeed, they weren't a million miles away from a quarter-final place in the end, with Kiltale, who also had four points, getting through. The concession of so many scores in the earlier games proved very costly.
PERSEVERANCE PAYS OFF FOR
LADY FOOTBALLERS
Having lost the previous three finals, Na Fianna were rewarded for their perseverance when they claimed the Ladies' IFC title this year with a 2-12 to 2-3 victory over Duleek/Bellewstown in the final at Batterstown.
John Ennis' team set about making amends for so much disappointment when they dominated the first half with the aid of the wind. They led by 0-5 to 0-0 at the end of the first quarter and goals from Marie Healy and Aisling Ennis helped them to lead by 2-9 to 0-0 at the break.
Na Fianna scored the first two points of the second half and Duleek/Bellewstown made some inroads into the deficit subsequently, but they were never going to catch the impressive winners who had already beaten them earlier in this competition, as well as in the Division 2 League final.
The Na Fianna team in the IFC final was: N Boggan; L Boggan, A Healy, C Walsh; A Smith, C Coffey, T Cosgrave; M Dixon, M O'Malley; D Flynn (0-4), C Boggan, A Colgan (0-5); A Ennis (1-1), M Healy (1-2), S Ennis. Subs - D Moroney for Walsh, S Kirby for S Ennis, Y Slevin for Dixon, S Gillespie for A Ennis.
Most Read Stories