Played on a windy evening making it tough for football Naomh Fionnbarra played Dundalk Gaels in the fourth round of the Division 2 League at Dundalk Gaels pitch on Tuesday evening.  The Gaels made a brighter start to the game when playing into the elements they scored an early goal.  The Barrs too a wee while to get going however they got on the scoreboard via a nice Jack Butterly point.  They followed this up with 2 more points a long range effort from John Doyle and a point from the left wing by Pádraig Butterly.  The Gaels sscored a point of their own in reply to hold a 1 point lead.  A long ball by Óisín McGee into full forward Darren McConnon paid dividends when the caught cleanly and turned and fired a low shot into the bottom corner of the Gaels net, giving the Finbarrs the lead for the first time.  Stout defending was the order of the day at the other end as the Togher backs repelled the attacks from the Dundalk men with Osbornes, the McGranes and Conor Lenihan to the fore.  Both sides traded scores at the end of the first half, the Finbarrs point coming from a well struck Stuart Osborne long range effort.  At the end of the half the Gaels full forward was very lucky not to receive his marching orders for a strike to corner back Hugh McGrane.  Half time score: Naomh Fionnbarra 1-4(7) Dundalk Gaels 1-2(4).

The Dundalk men made the better start to the second half with a quick point straight from the throw in to reduce the lead to a single point.  This was a setback for the Barrs however they scored the next via a Benrard Osborne free.  Jack Butterly followed this up with an overhead kicked point to give the Finbarrs a 3 point lead.  The Gaels to their credit came back and scored 3 points in a row the first 2 being good long range points and the third from a free to level the game.  At this stage against the elements the Barrs were under severe pressure to keep the Dundalk men at bay.  The lads kept their composure and after some patient build up play of over 15 passes Stuart Osborne made the incisive run through the Gaels defence and kicked a ball into the square where is was fisted over the bar by Darren McConnon, giving the Togher men a one point lead going into the final stages of the game.  After an extraordinary long period of injury time the referee gave the Gaels a close in free for an alleged lift ball by one of the Finbarrs backs, which was a very dubious call.  The Gaels equalised from the free to share the spoils.  Final score: Naomh Fionnbarra 1-7(10)Dundalk Gaels 1-7(10).

Naomh Fionnbarra scorers:  Darren McConnon 1-1, Jack Butterly 0-2, Bernard Osborne 0-1, John Doyle 0-1, Pádraig Butterly 0-1 & Stuart Osborne 0-1.

Naomh Fionnbarra Team: Shane O'Brien, Hugh McGrane, Colin McGrane, Patrick McGrane, Conor Osborne,Hugh Osborne, Conor Lenihan, Kieran Lenihan, John Doyle, Bernard Osborne, Stuart Osborne, Pádraig Butterly, Andy McCann for Bryan SharkeyMáirtín Murphy for Stuart Osborne(inj).

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