Na Fianna GAA Club news

U16 FOOTBALL LEAGUE

Na Fianna U16 Footballers got their 2013 playing campaign off to a winning start as they came out on top against neighbours St Broughans in Round 1 of the League last Monday week in Geashill on a scoreline of 4-13 to 3-10. St Broughans playing with the strong wind in the first half made good use of it as they opened up an early lead of 1-05 to 0-02 midway through the first half. Na Fianna started the fightback on 19 mins with their first goal when from a St Broughans kickout the ball was won by Liam Langton who made a solo run in from the wing before blasting the ball to the net. Na Fianna then added 4 points before David Buckley struck for their second goal on the stroke of half time which left Na Fianna leading at the break 2-06 to 1-05. St Broughans were first off the mark in the second half when they got in for their second goal on 2 mins.Na Fianna added 3 points to St Broughans 2 midway through the half. Then on 18 mins Na Fianna edged clear with their 3rd goal when super sub Stephen Pierce caught the ball in the square before rounding the keeper and firing it to the net but St Broughans were not giving up and over the next 5 mins they added 1-02 to Na Fianna’s 4 points. Na Fianna clinched it with their 4th goal 3 mins from the end when a high ball was blocked down by the keeper into the path of Stephen pierce who punched it to the net for his second goal. St Broughans completed the scoring with a pointed free in injury time but it was too little too late and Na Fianna held on for the win.

NA FIANNA: James Boland, Adam Kelly, Samuel Byrne, Ray Daly, Peter Walsh, Colm McDermott, Dylan Hyland, Kevin Kinahan (0-05), Colin Keogh, Liam Langton (1-05), Sean Rigney, David Buckley (1-02), Jack O’Brien, Colm Corcoran (0-01), Cathal Curran.

SUBS: John Paul Casey (for Sean Rigney), Stephen Pierce (2-00) (for Jack O’Brien).

MINOR FOOTBALL LEAGUE

Na Fianna Minor Footballers got their first win on board as they got the better of Ballinamere/ Durrow in Round 2 of the Spring League last Wednesday evening in Geashill on a scoreline of 3-12 to 3-06. Na Fianna opened the scoring with the first 2 points before B/D got off the mark with their first 4 points followed by another Na Fianna point. Then just before the midpoint of the half B/D surged ahead as within the space of a minute they got in to score 2 goals but Na Fianna hit back immediately to score their first goal when Liam Langton’s shot dipped in under the crossbar to the top corner of the net. The remainder of the half saw Na Fianna add another 3 points to 1 for B/D and so at the break B/D led by 2-05 to 1-06. Na Fianna playing with the wind cut the defecit to a point early in the second half before taking the lead on 8 mins with their second goal when a kickout was sent straight back into the square and in a goalmouth scramble Mark Garry got the finishing touch to put it into the net. Na Fianna then pulled clear over the next 10 mins adding 4 points without reply. Then with just over 5 mins remaining  B/D with their first break upfield in the second half struck their 3rd goal followed by a point to leave just 2 in it. In the final minute the win was secured as Na Fianna dispatched their 3rd goal when a quckly taken free near the 45m line was sent in to Liam Langton clear in the box who buried it past the keeper to the net and Shane Dolan wrapped it for Na Fianna with a pointed free in stoppage time.

NA FIANNA: Fintan Pierce, Mikey Pender, Kevin Beirne, Ryan Guinan, Ben Dunne, Niall Lynch, Jamie Conroy, Shane Hyland, Aaron Pierce, Mark McNally (0-01), Barry Daly (0-01), Liam Langton (2-01), Colin McDermott (0-01), Mark Garry (1-00), Shane Dolan (0-08).

CONGRATULATIONS

Na Fianna GAA Club would like to Congratulate our club players Declan Byrne, James Lalor, Mikey Keogh, Jason Dunne and Fergus Flood along with our Selector JJ Malone and the rest of the Offaly Minor Footballers who all put in an Amazing and Extraordinary second half performance in the Leinster Minor Football Championship 1st Round against Meath in Navan last Saturday when they turned a 9 point defecit into a 11 point Win as they came back from 2-06 to 0-03 down to win by 6-10 to 3-08.