St. Michaels got their minor campaign of to a winning start and were fully deserving of their 9 point victory over Na Fianna in a very entertaining match played in ideal conditions in Carlanstown last evening.

Superbly led by Matthew Halpin and Thomas O'Brien at centre-field, St. Michaels showed great team-work throughout the game and never panicked when the much stronger looking visitors took the game to them.

The opening half proved to be an extremely tight affair with the sides level at 2-3 apiece when Patrick Neilis blew the half time whistle. St. Michaels opened with a point in the second minute but Na Fianna struck for their opening goal 4 minutes later but their lead was short lived as 2 minutes later great work between Ray Reilly and Christopher Drew saw the latter break through for the opening goal for St. Michaels. An Oran Meehan effort from play put two points between the sides but as the half wore on Na Fianna came more and more into the game and they fired over two points in as many minutes to level the match and by the 19th minute they had gone 2-3 to 1-2 in front after they finished to the net for the second time at the end of the first quarter. For the last 10 minutes of the half St. Michaels were in control at the back with Mickey Dunne, Luke Moran, Christopher Drew and Adam O'Brien prominent, however their forward division were wasteful in front of the posts and a barren 20 minute spell was only broken with a fine point from play from Matthew Halpin which was followed two minutes later by a goal when a flowing move initiated from deep provided Ray Reilly with a goal scoring chance but his effort from 20 metres came back off the crossbar into the waiting hands of Craig McGivern who buried it in the back of the net to level the match at 2-3 apiece on the stroke of half time.

Both sides exchanged 2 points apiece in the opening 10 minutes of the second half with Oran Meehan sending over two from play for the home side, Na Fianna went one up on 42 minutes but then another effort, this time from Ben Tobin came off the cross-bar again and this time was latched on to by the alert Matthew Halpin who drove it low to the back of the net for a 3-5 to 2-6 lead with 10 minutes remaining on the clock. Two more points from Meehan stretched the lead to 4 points, the visitors pulled one back, but two goals in a two minute spell, the first from that young man Halpin again and the second from substitute Shane McDonnell killed off the Na Fianna challenge and although they added a further point on 57 minutes it was left to Ben Tobin to complete the scoring for St. Michaels with a point with virtually the last kick of the ball.
Along with aforementioned others to play well for St. Michaels were Shane McCormack, Alan Reilly, Stephen Dolan, Lee Morris and Caolan McConnell.

St. Michaels team and scorers:
Shane McCormack, Mickey Dunne, Luke Moran, Alan Reilly, Stephen Dolan, Christopher Drew 1-0, Adam O'Brien, Matthew Halpin 2-1, Thomas O'Brien, Ben Tobin 0-1, Oran Meehan 0-6, Caolan McConnell, Ray Reilly, Lee Morris, Craig McGivern 1-0.
Subs: Shane McDonnell 1-0 for Ray Reilly, Rory O'Driscoll for Caolan McConnell, Stephen Monaghan for Shane McCormack.

Referee: Patrick Neilis.

Report and photo Pascal Reilly.

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