AFL1: Na Fianna and Tones draw
July 23, 2014
Cian Ward Wolfe Tones
Na Fianna 2-11
Wolfe Tones 2-11
Na Fianna and Wolfe Tones played out an entertaining draw in Round 10 of Division 1A before a sizable crowd on a dry, warm Tuesday evening.
Both teams opened with pointed frees, Cian Ward for Wolfe Tones which was immediately cancelled out by a Jamie Queeney point for the hosts. Na Fianna had a good opening quarter and added further points by Daniel Queeney 2(1f),a Shane Barrett free and a Conor Downey point following a good solo run to lead 0-5 to 0-1 after 15 minutes.
The Tones replied with 3 points from Mark Coleman and Alan Callaghan and Niall McLoughlin before former county panelist Jamie Queeney and Cian Ward exchanged long range points from play.
Daniel Queeney pointed following a quickly take free to leave the score 0-7 to 0-5 with 25 minutes gone. A Shane Barrett sideline kick was superbly caught and dispatched to the visitors net by Jamie Queeney and this was followed by another pointed free by brother Daniel.
Cian Ward pointed two frees late in the half to leave the half time score Na Fianna 1-8 Wolfe Tones 0-7.
The half time break was to prove a pivotal period as Wolfe Tones played all the football in the opening 10 minutes of the second half and added 3 points from Cian Ward, Sean Moriarty and Niall O' Reilly to trail by just one point at this stage.
A pointed free by Daniel Queeney after 13 minutes was followed immediately by a Shane Barrett free to increase the South Meath side's lead and another point from play by Daniel in the 21 minute restored Na Fianna lead to the half time margin of 4 points and it looked like they had weathered the Tones storm.
However the visitors from Kilberry were not finished yet and during the 23rd minute of the second half scored 2 goals. Cian Ward found the net with a sublime left-footed strike before the same player fed substitute Thomas O' Reilly who finished neatly to push the Tones into a 2 point lead with 5 minutes to play.
Indeed when Cian Ward scored another point to put the visitors 3 points up with 3 minutes left it looked like Na Fianna were going to suffer their first home defeat of this year's league campaign.
However, in a last gasp attempt to earn a share of the spoils, Daniel Queeney floated a free kick into the small square where Shane Barrett got up among a mass of Tones defenders to palm the ball to the net from close range to earn a draw.
Best for Na Fianna were Daniel and Jamie Queeney especially in the first half and Conor Downey, but overall this was a disjointed display by Na Fianna who can still qualify for the Div 1A league Final as they are only one point behind joint leader Dunboyne and Dunshaughlin with 2 rounds of matches left to play including the final round against Dunsahughin.
Na Fianna: Shane Geraghty; Christy Cosgrave; Brian Queeney; Johnny Baldwin; Anthony Neary; Tommy Cosgrave ;Damien Downey; Ollie Lewis; Ailbhe Mahon; Daniel Queeney(0-6);Conor Downey(0-1); Evan Henricks; Barry Slevin; Jamie Queeney(1-2);Shane Barrett(1-2);Subs Andrew Glynn for Slevin; Dean Henricks for Evan Henricks
Wolfe Tones: David Nolan, Sean Moriarty (0-1), Stephen Sheppard, David Coleman; Eanna Harrington, Shane Glynn, Mark Coleman (0-1); Stephen Corrigan, Alan Callaghan (0-1); Niall McLoughlin (0-1), Cian Ward (1-6), Niall O' Reilly (0-1); Ciaran McLoughlin, Fiachra Ward, Brughach O' Fionnagain.
Subs: Alan Fox for Brughach O' Fionnagain (25), Thomas O' Reilly (1-0) for Stephen Sheppard (50)
Ref-Brendan Darby (Ballinabrackey)
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