Little room for error for Na Fianna on two fronts
November 27, 2010It will be recalled that the hurlers lost their first three games in the 2009 senior championship, leading to concerns that they would end up in another battle for survival, but when the pressure was on they pulled off a shock win over Kiltale and then defeated Boardsmill to secure their status.
Killian Farrell from Edenderry was their coach then and he was still in the hot seat this year, assisted by Tony Healy and Martin Hanley. Na Fianna were drawn in a championship section which also included three recent winners of the Jubilee Cup - Rathmolyon (2006), Kiltale (2007) and Kilmessan (2008) - as well as Gaeil Colmcille and Trim.
Barry Slevin is a key player for Na Fianna and the ace attacker contributed a dozen points when they got their championship campaign off to a great start with a 1-13 to 0-7 victory over Rathmolyon at Longwood. They held a slender 0-5 to 0-4 lead at the interval and after the Village drew level on the restart, the Baconstown/Enfield combination gained control. Anthony Boggan scored their goal, but they also had David Kirby sent off.
Kiltale gained revenge for that 2009 defeat when they met Na Fianna in the second round at Boardsmill, winning by 2-9 to 1-9 thanks to a James Kelly goal three minutes into injury time. But this was a match which under strength Na Fianna looked likely to win for long stages.
They were totally dominant in the first half and boosted by a fortunate goal from Slevin they led by 1-6 to 0-1 at one stage and by 1-7 to 0-5 at the break. Kiltale outscored them by 2-4 to 0-2 in the second period, but the game looked likely to finish in stalemate until Kelly's late intervention.
Longwood was the venue for a third round meeting with Gaeil Colmcille and a strong finish did the trick for Na Fianna as they won by 1-14 to 1-10. They appeared to be in trouble at half-time when behind by 0-4 to 1-6 and things looked even worse when the north Meath men pushed further ahead.
But most of the drama was packed into the closing stages. Gaeil Colmcille were clinging onto a 1-9 to 0-11 advantage with a minute of normal time to play when Slevin equalised with a superb point. Charlie Usher edged the Kells team ahead again, but a David Kirby point, a goal from Donal Curran and another point from Diarmuid Bailey left Na Fianna four clear at the end.
Na Fianna had four points in the bag from three games and faced a huge obstacle in the next round against Kilmessan at Trim. The task proved beyond them and Kilmessan won comfortably by 3-9 to 0-4 to leave Farrell's team needing a victory over Trim in the last round to book a quarter-final place.
A Neil Heffernan goal helped Trim lead by double scores (1-7 to 0-5) at the interval, but Na Fianna had cut the deficit to the minimum at 0-10 to 1-8 approaching the three-quarter stage. Joey Toole got a second goal for the town side, but Na Fianna battled away and when Slevin found the net on 59 minutes they were level (1-14 to 2-11).
As the excitement intensified the teams traded points, but Trim produced a strong finish just when it was required to earn a ticket to the quarter-finals. The score which really killed off the Na Fianna challenge was an injury time goal from Diarmuid Higgins as Trim won by 3-13 to 1-15.
Tony Healy has been playing adult hurling since he was 18 and the 35 year-old opted for the junior grade this year. He also acted as a senior selector.
"We started the championship very well with a win over Rathmolyon," he said. "Barry Slevin was very good that day. He scored 12 points. It was a good positive start. For the game against Kiltale we were without David Kirby who was suspended and our centre-back Niall Reilly who broke his wrist in the league against Rathmolyon.
"They were big losses, but the lads we brought in played well and we built up a good lead. But they caught us with a goal at the end. It was a game we left behind and it cost us in the end.
"We beat Gaeil Colmcille in the third round. We were totally static in the first half and they really put it up to us. We played better in the second half and got 1-2 late in the game to win it.
"Kilmessan beat us easily. There was a gale force wind that day and we didn't perform. David Kirby had pulled a calf muscle before the game. We started him, but had to take him off."
Na Fianna knew what was required when they faced up to Trim, but the outcome was a huge disappointment.
"The concession of three goals against Trim was very costly," Tony added. "We were behind by five points at half-time. We weren't performing in certain areas and made switches. They worked and we got level, but Trim got their second goal against the run of play.
"We got level again, but they got 1-1 in injury time to win it. Our regular goalkeeper Mark Coffey missed that game with an injury and we brought Shane Greaney in. That was unsettling. The lads were gutted afterwards. They knew they were capable of beating Trim.
"But we're looking forward to next year. We have a young team and have made progress in getting out of relegation situations. We're not up with the likes of Kildalkey or Kilmessan. You would need a stronger panel for that, but we're not fearing anyone else."
Na Fianna competed in the Leinster Hurling League Division 4 and reached the final where missed chances proved costly as they lost to Kilkenny's Clara at O'Moore Park, Portlaoise, in July.
They had to play 40 minutes with 14 players following the sending off of Donal Curran and that, coupled with 17 wides, undermined their prospects. But it was still a game they might well have won and they were well in the hunt at the change of ends when Clara led by 0-8 to 0-7.
Diarmuid Bailey, Shane Burke and David Kirby all scored two points in the first half, with Slevin getting one, and when Slevin blasted a free to the net a minute after the restart they were ahead. But they managed only a point subsequently despite enjoying a huge amount of possession and Clara scored 1-5 in the second period to win by 1-13 to 1-8.
"It was a very good experience," was Tony Healy's reaction to the Leinster League. "We felt we weren't getting enough competitive games during the year, so we decided to enter it. It gave us competitive games going into the championship.
"We got to the final, but we had 17 costly wides. David Kirby came back for that game, but he wasn't 100 per cent. We also had Donal Curran sent off. He was a loss for the Trim game."
The Na Fianna team was - M Coffey; M Burke, S Griffin, N Reilly; D Lyons, D Gleeson, S Greaney; S Burke, C Cosgrave; D Bailey, D Kirby, M Hanley; B Slevin, D Curran, E Reilly. Subs - B Cullen for Reilly, P Hanley for M Hanley.
Footballers lose just once but fail to progress
Graham Geraghty was again at the helm of the Na Fianna football team in 2010, but despite losing only once in the qualification campaign they failed to reach the knockout stages. It was the same story last year when they went into their last game against St Michael's requiring only a draw, but conceded the final seven points and were beaten.
This year their opponents in group B again included St Michael's, as well as Syddan, last year's junior champions Longwood and Castletown and an opening round meeting with Castletown at Dunderry appeared to afford them the opportunity to get off to a winning start.
Instead, they had to settle for a draw in a thrilling match and it might well have been a defeat. Castletown led by 0-8 to 0-7 at the interval and pushed six points clear with as many minutes remaining, but Na Fianna produced a strong recovery and were boosted by a Daniel Queeney goal. However, in the end it took a brace of points from substitute Harrison Silke to snatch a share of the spoils (1-9 to 0-12).
With that sickening defeat to the same opposition last year still fresh in the memory, Na Fianna had revenge on their minds when they travelled to Athboy to meet St Michael's and with Ollie Lewis in inspirational form they recorded a 1-16 to 1-13 victory which really ignited their qualification push.
The points flowed freely in the first half and Na Fianna led by 0-9 to 0-8 at the interval, but they suffered a big blow when Jamie Queeney was stretchered off on 48 minutes with a leg injury. Conor Downey had goaled at the start of the second half and they led by 1-12 to 0-9 during the third quarter, but the loss of Queeney clearly unsettled them.
St Michael's battled back to level terms, but Na Fianna rallied to edge ahead and Daniel Queeney's two injury time points secured a brilliant victory which seemed to set them up nicely for a tough third round assignment against high-flying Longwood at Trim.
Jamie Queeney started at full-forward and scored a first half goal, but Longwood finished the period well to lead by 0-8 to 1-4 at the break. They outscored Na Fianna by 0-7 to 0-4 subsequently to make it three championship wins from as many outings as it finished 0-15 to 1-8.
Na Fianna looked to be in real trouble when they trailed by 0-2 to 1-4 at the interval and by six points early in the second half against Syddan at Walterstown, but goals from Dalton McDonagh and Daniel Queeney proved vital in a strong recovery which yielded a 2-7 to 1-8 victory.
That game concluded Na Fianna's group campaign and when St Michael's later finished their qualification programme with a 1-16 to 0-6 win over Longwood Geraghty's team knew they had missed out narrowly again. Michael's went directly into the semi-finals and Longwood qualified for the quarter-finals. They had both finished on six points, one more than Na Fianna.
JHC 2 final replay: Na Fianna repel Trim rally
Fourteen-man Na Fianna repelled a late Trim rally to claim the David Grey Catering sponsored JHC 2 title with a narrow 2-12 to 1-13 win over the town side in the replayed decider at St Loman's Park.
The Baconstown-Enfield outfit looked home and hosed with leading by doubles scores, 2-12 to 0-9 at the three-quarter stage.
John Andrews' men posted 1-4 without reply in the latter stages to set up a grandstand finish that kept the sizeable crowd engrossed to the end.
The introduction of Andrew O'Brien added impetus to the Trim attack and the number 19 ignited the rally with a point within a minute of his arrival.
Two minutes later he fired to the net from close range and the gap was down to five points. O'Brien then provided the assist for Sean McGee to send over.
When O'Brien was fouled, Mark McCormack's fifth pointed free of the hour left just a goal between the teams with 52 minutes gone.
Trim continued to press forward in the time remaining but managed one further score, a McGee effort from play.
The team in red and white were left to rue not sealing the deal in the drawn encounter when they wasted a string of scoring chances before being reeled in by a brace of Daniel Queeney points.
Na Fianna - with player-manager Anthony Kirby between the posts - fell behind to an early McCormack pointed free before pouncing twice for vital scores around the fifth minute.
Davy Reilly's goal earned them a lead they didn't cash in. Then their position was enhanced when David Coffey goaled from close range and it was 2-0 to 0-1.
When the game's top scorer Davy Reilly posted his only point from play the board read 2-3 to 0-3 coming to the end of the opening quarter.
Na Fianna suffered a hammer blow with their main marksman's dismissal on a straight red card shortly after following an off-the-ball incident that was noticed by referee Ronan Garry.
Despite their numerical predicament, Na Fianna remained in front and were 2-6 to 0-7 ahead at the interval.
In Reilly's absence, Daniel Queeney took on free-taking duties, finding the range with two efforts in the third quarter as Na Fianna's second string side put a significant deposit on the title much to the delight of their large band of supporters.
Na Fianna - A. Kirby; T. Healy, M. Dixon, D. Gorman; M. Kelly, P. Coffey, N. Burke; D. Henrick (0-1), O. Lewis; J. O'Lone (0-2), D. Queeney (0-5, 3 fs), A. Doherty; D. Reilly (1-3, 0-2 fs), F. Fagan (0-1), D. Coffey (1-0). Subs - G. Gorman for Doherty (41), M. Hanley for Dixon (59), P. Hogan for O'Lone (60).
U12 final: Na Fianna take Div 2 spoils against Ballivor
Na Fianna and Ballivor played out a thrilling U12 Division 2 league final at Enfield with na Fianna coming out winners on a score line of 1-11 to 1-9 after extra time.
Played in glorious sunshine this game produced some excellent passages of play with superb scores from both teams which kept the large crowd enthralled right to the end.
Ballivor started the game brightly and had 1-1 on the score board before Na Fianna replied with an Eoin McDonnell point.
Na Fianna then took over and added a further 1-4 without reply before half time to lead by 1-5 to 1-1 with points from McDonnell, Luke McNally and Jack McNally and a goal from Luke McNally following a goalmouth scramble.
Ballivor opened the second half with three points on the trot to reduce the deficit to the minimum before Na Fianna added a point from Will Flynn.
Ballivor then added a further two points to draw level and the teams then traded two points with the Na Fianna scores coming from Ronan Byrne and Ciaran Holton.
The referee then blew the full time whistle with the teams tied at 1-8 each which then required extra time to decide a winner.
Na Fianna piled on the pressure in extra time and points from McDonnell, Byrne and Tiernan McCloskey sealed a great win on a scoreline of 1-11 to 1-9 and resulted in jubilant scenes from the Na Fianna supporters at the final whistle.
In what was a great team performance Na Fianna had excellent players in Shane Walsh, Sean Martin, Cian Slattery, Ethan Devine, Ronan Byrne, Eoin McDonnell, Luke McNally, Ciaran Holton and man of the match Sean Rafferty.
After the final whistle the Division 2 trophy was presented to Na Fianna captain Ethan Devine by Meath juvenile board secretary John Kavanagh.
Na Fianna - Shane Walsh, Sean Rafferty, Cian Slattery, Sean Coffey, Ronan Byrne 0-2, Sean Martin, Daniel Devine, Ethan Devine, Matthew Connolly, Luke McNally 1-2, Eoin McDonnell 0-3, Jack McNally 0-1, Will Flynn 0-1, Ciaran Holton 0-1, Adam Hyland. Subs - Tiernan McCloskey 0-1, Cian O'Hare, Bobby Massey.
U11HC B: Title
for Na Fianna in extra time
Friday the 11th June 2010 will go down in the memories of the Na Fianna's under 11 hurling team as one of the best days in their lives. Narrowly beating Navan O'Mahony's after extra time in the "B" hurling final this epic battle put parents, mentors and supporters through agony and ecstasy in equal proportions.
Anyone who witnessed the scenes of sheer joy from Na Fianna and utter devastation from O'Mahony's knew how much this title meant to both sets of players.
Rathmoylon was the venue for this extraordinary encounter which witnessed some magnificent hurling and at time breathtaking bravery. It was a low scoring game with Navan O'Mahony's leading 1 - 1 to 0 - 1 at half time and well into the second half O'Mahony's lead by six points with only minutes to go. It was the nature of the finish that made this game special, with Na Fianna scoring two goals in the space of four minutes to draw level and they were, in some minds, unlucky not to win it in normal time. But that would have been too cruel to an O'Mahony's team who played beautiful hurling and were led from the back with some magnificent goal keeping.
Extra time saw Na Fianna take control of the match and in the end run out comfortable winners but one never knows which way under age matches will go making this the classic encounter it was. Final Score after extra time was Na Fianna 3-4 with Navan O' Mahony's 2-3.
It is hard to single out any one player for more praise over another but it would be remiss not to mention one or two.
Cian Flynn and Sean Martin were giants of men and when called upon to step up to the mark, showing skill and determination way beyond their tender years.
Sean Coffey and Daniel Devine showed great commitment and leadership working tirelessly in midfield and must have covered marathon distances between them.
The only lady on the pitch Marie Kirby was in incredible form and gave a lesson in first touch hurling, courage and skill.
Shane Walsh, Kevin Coffey and Stephen Slevin defied wave after wave of O'Mahony attack in defence of their goals and Luke and Jack Kelly were inspiring with their work rate.
There were fantastic performances on the day from Dara Slattery, Andrew Holton, Shane Boggle, Adam Farrell and last but not least Oisin Coffey. On the subs bench Na Fianna had Owen Steward, Dara Flynn, Ryan McLoughlin and Sean Leddan any one of which was willing to join the field of play if called upon.
Ladies: Na Fianna claim U16 Division 2
The Na Fianna girls U16 team won the division two championship when they held off the challenge of a skilful Simonstown side by 2-9 to 1-4 to claim the honours in Kells.
Na Fianna were rocked by an early goal from the Navan side but once they got into the game they were well in control. Rebecca Smullen quickly grabbed a goal for Na Fianna in reply in the sixth minute and this was closely followed by another goal from Shauna Ennis. Na Fianna dominated most of the rest of the first half as Smullen added three more points along with one each from Sarah Kelly and Sarah Leddin.
Deirdre Moroney was a constant attacking threat from centre half back for Na Fianna and she was involved in setting up many attacks. Aine Kirby and Hannah Cullen held sway at midfield and Kelly, Smullen and Ennis were in good form up front. Na Fianna were good value for their 2-05 to 1-01 lead at half time.
Simonstown started the second half with another goal to put pressure on the South Meath side but Sarah Kelly soon replied with a fine point, followed by a free from Smullen, another point from Kelly and a point from Smullen again in the tenth minute.
This point however turned out to be Na Fianna's last score. Simonstown netted on the twelfth minute and followed up with another ten minutes later as they came within two of Na Fianna. Some resolute defending from the South Meath side all over the field helped them to hold off a mighty fight back and claim the honours much to the pleasure of their large number of supporters.
Captain Shauna Ennis accepted the cup on behalf of a jubilant Na Fianna team and mentors Colette Moroney, Michael Keogh, John Ennis and Ger Smullen.
Na Fianna: Niamh Geraghty, Kelly Greville, Katie Queeney, Sophie Hunt, Aoife Grogan, Deirdre Moroney, Maedbh Downey, Hannah Cullen, Aine Kirby, Sarah Kelly (0-3), Shauna Ennis (1-0), Sarah Leddin (0-1), Caroline Brilly, Rebecca Smullen (1-05), Becky Keating. Subs: Sarah Scully, Chloe Silke, Eimear Keogh, Niamh Flynn.
Camogie: Intermediate honours for Na Fianna
Na Fianna camogie team recorded an excellent victory in the Intermediate Final in a blustery Trim in mid-November as they defeated Donaghmore/Ashbourne by 2-5 to 1-3. Having won the Junior Championship last year, the Na Fianna girls now join their Hurling and Ladies Football colleagues in playing in the Senior Championship in 2011.
The strong cross field breeze and the cold conditions meant the game started off at a relatively slow pace. However when Shauna Ennis scored the opening point on 10 minutes the Na Fianna girls entered a purple patch when Emma Coffey, the youngest player on the field, goaled. This was followed by three excellent points from 'Player of the Match' Aine Kirby and a Claire Coffey '65'. Na Fianna's cause was greatly helped by some excellent goalkeeping by Niamh Kirby. Donaghmore/Asbhourne raised their game towards the end of the half to record three points leaving the half time score Na Fianna 1-5 to 0-3
The second half was full of effort as Donaghmore/Ashbourne increased the pressure and scored a goal mid way through the half to leave two points between the teams. However, excellent play from Liz Flynn, Claire Coffey, Therese Cosgrove and Lorraine Boggan kept the attackers at bay. Another goal by Emma Coffey with five minutes to go relieved the pressure and the Na Fianna girls ran out worthy winners to leave their large band of supporters happy.
Na Fianna: Niamh Kirby; Claire Reynolds; Lorraine Boggan (Capt); Catherine Neary; Michelle O'Malley; Therese Cosgrove; Annette Parkes; Liz Flynn; Claire Coffey(0-1); Shauna Ennis (0-1); Claire Flynn; Aine Kirby (0-3); Caroline Walsh; Nikki Doherty; Emma Coffey (2-0). Subs: Mary Reilly for Annette Parkes.
Na Fianna
ladies GAA
Na Fianna Ladies were competing in the senior championship for the first time in the history of the club. This was going to be a challenging and interesting time for both the team and mentors.
The Senior Ladies had a slow start with their Division 1 League campaign suffering many losses. However it was Round 1 of the championship in their first game against Donaghmore/Ashboure when the ladies started to play as a Team with the determination that had been lacking in the League campaign and secured a victory in Round 1 followed by two further impressive displays against Dunboyne and Royal Gaels the Ladies then secured a semi final spot against St.Ultan's.
Na Fianna started strong against St Ultan's in the semi final but could not maintain the pace against a well drilled experienced St Ultan's , who went on to beat Senchalstown in the final. However the Seniors did cap fine year by winning the shield final with 5 points to spare over Boardsmill.
The Junior Team unlike the Senior's had a better league campaign and were victorious in many of the games, booking themselves into the League Final , but unfortunately on the day lady luck was not with the Team and they went down to a stronger Wolfe Tones outfit.
The Junior Team also made the Semi - Final of their Championship game but were up against a very strong St Colmcilles but played excellent on the day and were very unfortunate to lose out by the narrowest of margins by a point conceded in the final minutes of the game.
The Under 16 Team went one step further than the Senior's and Juniors when they won the Championship Final against Simonstown.
The Club was also represented well at county level with Claire Coffe, Deirdre Flynn, Michelle O'Malley and Terease Cosgrave with Meath Seniors and Deirdre Moroney and Shauna Ennis at Under 16 level.
In summary it was a successful year for Ladies Football within the Club and this success is down to the work and effort by the mentors and management teams.
(Senior) John Ennis, Ger Smullen, Seani Kirby, Christy Colgan, (Junior) Michael Keogh, Lar Wall (Under 16), Michael Keogh, Collette Moroney
Club camogie
So far 2010 has been a great year for Na Fianna camogie team. In 2008 their first year of existence they were runners up in the junior final which they went on to win in 2009. Their success is down to the manager Matt Coffey with the aid of Meath Hurler Mickey Cole, Na Fianna Camogie Chairman and Meath Hurling selector Anthony Kirby. This year has been a particularly long season for the Intermediate Camogie players but due to the team and management's determination they hope it will be a fruitful year. The Intermediate team has three county representatives, Claire Coffey on the Meath Senior panel and Meath Junior team. Niamh Kirby played on the Meath Minors, Juniors and on the Senior panel. Aine Kirby younger sister of Niamh played on the Meath Camogie U16's. Claire Coffey also played in the 2010 Ireland Shinty in Ratoath on Saturday 30th October. This was a huge achievement for Claire and Na Fianna camogie. Claire is a dual player, playing both Senior County football and Junior Camogie. This is huge dedication and is admired by all her team mates.
The year started off on 31st of January when the first League game was played.
All Intermediate Championship games had a home and away fixture.
The first round of the Intermediate Camogie Championship for Na Fianna was played against Ratoath in Ratoath on 21st April. This was a hugely entertaining game for both teams and could have gone either way but Na Fianna were determined to start the year well and did so to win by one point on a final scoreline of Na Fianna 1-2, Ratoath 0-4.
The second round of the Intermediate Championship saw Na Fianna beat Dunderry in Dunderry on 2nd May on a final scoreline of Na Fianna 6-4 Dunderry 2-5.
The third round of the Intermediate Championship saw Na Fianna play Kilmessan in Kilmessan on 18th May. The proved to be a difficult game for Na Fianna and they did not play to their full potential which allowed Kilmessan win this game. The final score was Kilmessan 3-3 Na Fianna 1-5. This was the first loss Na Fianna had in their championship campaign.
The fourth Round of the Intermediate Championship saw Na Fianna play Donaghmore Ashbourne in Baconstown on 23rd June. This was a tough game from start to finish. Na Fianna thought they had this game in the bag until Donaghmore Ashbourne scored a goal to have them leading by two points with three minutes to go. Claire Flynn's determination saw her score a goal in the last minute of the game which which left Na Fianna winners on this occasion. There was relief for all Na Fianna players and management as this game could have gone either way. The final score was Na Fianna 3-5 Donaghmore Ashbourne 2-6.
The fifth round of the intermediate championship saw Na Fianna up their game to beat Kilmessan 5-4 to 2-6 in Baconstown on 18th August. Kilmessan had been the only team to beat Na Fianna at this stage so it was important for Na Fianna to get this win.
The sixth round of the intermediate championship was the game Na Fianna would like to forget. This game was played against Donaghmore Ashbourne in Ashbourne on 25th August. Donaghmore Ashbourne were by far the superior team in the first half. Na Fianna seemed lethargic in the game however, Na Fianna in the second half came out a different team and worked hard to reduce the margin but it was a little too late as Donaghmore Ashbourne were worthy winners on a scoreline of 3-5 to 2-3.
The seventh round and last game would see Na Fianna straight through to the Intermediate Championship Final. This game was played against Ratoath in Baconstown on 28th August. Na Fianna were determined not to go the play off route to the final. They wanted the straight, direct route which they achieved by beating Ratoath 5-4 to 0-5.
Manager Matt Coffey has also put together an U21 team and are currently in the middle of their Championship season. Best of luck on the rest of the year's games. Hopefully it will be a successful year.
The underage structure for all age groups is looked after by Claire Flynn, Ken Forde, Elizabeth Flynn, Mary Reilly, Claire Reynolds, Jackie Byrne, Fiona Slattery, Geraldine Geraghty and Matt Coffey. A huge thanks to these people mentioned as the training they provide is the future for Camogie in the club. A lot of time and dedication goes into underage teams and it is hugely appreciated by players, parents and club.
The Club organised ABC Nursery Training for year olds up to 7 year olds on Saturday mornings in Enfield. This was a huge success as both hurling/Camogie were part of the training.
Off the field, the Camogie is well looked after by secretary Geraldine Geraghty whom ensures we follow all fixtures and guidelines by the Meath County Board. Geraldine also organises team gear which requires a lot of time and effort. Ann Coffey is always there to lend a hand whatever the need is and our Committee Camogie Representative Maura Kirby attends the committee meetings to keep the Camogie informed and updated on events etc within the club.
The very best of luck to Na Fianna Camogie and all other codes within the Na Fianna club to finish out 2010 on a high. Hopefully 2011 will bring Na Fianna some more success.
U16 footballers take Division 2 honours
The Na Fianna club is clearly producing the type of young footballers who will help to strengthen their adult teams in future years. That was the message which came over loud and clear from their very accomplished performance against Summerhill in the Under-16 FL Division 2 final played at Trim back in late May.
There was no denying Na Fianna's superiority in a one sided game as they won by all of 14 points on a 3-11 to 0-6 score line thanks to a strong overall performance which had them in a position of control for the vast majority of the contest. Amazingly, all of their 14 scores came from open play which went to demonstrate the sort of form their forwards were in on the big day.
Na Fianna's first goal arrived after 15 minutes when their right corner forward Lee Kearney found the net and from that stage on there appeared to be only one likely outcome as they stamped their authority on the final and restricted the 'Hill to only the occasional score.
The Enfield and Baconstown combination did the brunt of their scoring in that opening period and they were well on the way to the title when they held a commanding 10 point lead at the change of ends, 2-8 to 0-4.
Scores were far less plentiful in the second half, by which stage Na Fianna had done more than enough to safeguard themselves against a potential Summerhill revival. The winners added just 1-3 to their tally and defended very well to restrict the opposition to only two further points.
Overall, this was a very solid team performance by the Na Fianna lads, but Michael Farley and Anthony Neary were particularly impressive and half forward Farley put his name to one of their goals. Full-forward Stuart Lumb notched the other goal and also rowed in with a point.
Na Fianna's leading marksman was their other corner forward Michael Hughes who made a fine personal contribution of six points to a victory which was as clear cut as it was impressive.
The Na Fianna team and scorers in the final were - S Ryan; D Ryan, A Neary, D McDonagh; R White, P Geraghty, J Devine; J McCormack (0-1), G Reynolds; M Farley (1-0), A Farrell (0-2), L Hyland; L Kearney (1-1), S Lumb (1-1), M Hughes (0-6). Subs - P McCarthy, E Boylan, O Dixon, B Knock, E Mullally.
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