Na Fianna GAA Club Notes

G.A.A CLUB NOTES

DATE: 15 SEPTEMBER  2014

MINOR FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

Na Fianna Minor Footballers hopes of progressing in the Championship will have to depend on other results going in their favour as they went down to their first defeat in their final group match against Ballycumber/Tubber last Saturday afternoon in Ballycumber on a scoreline of 2-11 to 1-09. Na Fianna had the advantage of the breeze in the first half and at the break they trailed by just 1 point 1-05 to 1-04 with the Na Fianna goal finished to the net by full forward Shane Dolan. In the second half Na Fianna kept in touch throughout and with 5 mins to go there was just 2 points in it when 2 moments proved decisive, the first Na Fianna were awarded a 20m free which if put over would have left just the minimum between them but the shot went just wide then just afterwards Ballycumber / Tubber broke through to score their second goal to wrap it up.

NA FIANNA: James Boland, John Cummins, Kevin Beirne, Jamie Conroy, Ben Dunne, Colm McDermott (0-01), Mark Garry, James Lalor, Niall Lynch, John Tobin (0-01), Liam Langton (0-01), Jack O’Brien (0-02), Dylan Hyland (0-02), Shane Dolan (1-02), Kevin Kinahan.

SUBS: Cathal Curran (for Jamie Conroy), John Ridgeway (for Ben Dunne), David Buckley (for John Tobin).

U14 FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP QUARTER FINAL

Na Fianna U14 Footballers breezed into the Semi Finals of the Championship as they brushed aside the challenge of neighbours St Vincents in their Quarter Final encounter last Sunday morning in Mucklagh on a scoreline of 5-18 to 2-06 with a brillant second half display. Both sides got off the mark with a point apiece before Na Fianna got in for 2 goals both from high balls into the square in the 4th and 5th mins, the first Mark Dillon’s shot caught by Ger Plunkett and shot into the net, the second Ger Plunkett’s shot caught by Lee Mulpeter and blasted into the net. This fired St Vincents into action and they responded first with 2 points followed by 2 goals in the 10th and 13th mins to take the lead. Na Fianna then came back first with a point midway through the half followed by their 3rd goal 3 mins later similar tactic to the first 2 Ger Plunkett again the provider to Shane O’Rourke who slotted it home. Both sides then finished out the half with 2 points each and so at the break Na Fianna led only just by 3-04 to 2-05. Na Fianna got off to a blistering start to the second half to kill off St Vincents challenge as they registered 2-02 inside the first 5 mins, the first goal Cathal Brady’s shot was blocked by the keeper but Ger Plunkett took it and blasted it to the net, the second Sean Beatty forced his way through the middle before firing the ball to the net when he got into the square. St Vincents did score next with a pointed free but this would prove to be their final score and there after their challenge wilted  as Na Fianna wrapped up the win in style scoring 12 points in a row over the last 20+ mins. Na Fianna now await the draw for the Semi Finals to see who they will be facing.

NA FIANNA: Ryan Kinahan, Ross Colton, Glen Hassett, Shane Finneran, Anthony Malone, Brian Keogh, Eoin Corcoran, Sean Beatty (1-01), Conor McGuinness (0-02), Craig Strong (0-06), Mark Dillon, Shane O’Rourke (1-00), Aiden Pierce, Ger Plunkett (2-06), Lee Mulpeter (1-00).

SUBS: David Boland (for Ross Colton), C J Murphy (for Shane Finneran), James Bryan (for Conor McGuinness), Fintan Hinch (for Shane O’Rourke), Sean Cleary (for Lee Mulpeter), Cathal Brady (0-03) (for David Boland)

U16 FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP SEMI FINAL REPLAY

Na Fianna U16 Footballers are through to the County Final after they came out on top of a dramatic and highly entertaining Semi Final Replay against Ferbane / Belmont after extra time last Monday night on a final scoreline of 4-14 to 4-13. Na Fianna opened the scoring with a point  but F/B then got off the mark with their first goal direct from a lineball in the 3rd min. F/B added 4 points along with their 2nd goal in the 14th min with Na Fianna just keeping in touch with 2 points but a min later Na Fianna struck for their first goal when David Buckley’s 30m free was kept in on the endline and knocked across goal where it was tapped into the net by Conor Langton. A point apiece followed before F/B got in to score their 3rd goal in the 22nd min but this was wiped out as Na Fianna added 3 more points before the end of the half and so at the break F/B led by 4 points 3-05 to 1-07 which was 6 within 2 mins of the restart as F/B put over the first 2 points of the second half. Na Fianna then got going as they tagged on 4 points to F/B 1 before Kaelyn Thompson set up David Buckley to blast in Na Fianna’s 2nd goal on 19 mins to draw it level. The remainder of the half saw both sides add 3 more points apiece including a superb equaliser from Na Fianna super sub Joey Keenahanin in the last min which was followed by a great chance for F/B to steal when a shot looked like it was going all the way over but Na Fianna keeper Shane Gorry made a super leap in the air to take it out of the sky and clear it which left it Na Fianna 2-14 F/B 3-11 at full time. This necessitated extra time and Na Fianna got the dream start to the first period as Ray Daly got the final touch in a goalmouth scramble to fire in goal no 3 on 2 mins and this was followed in the 5th min by Na Fianna’s 4th goal when Conor Langton was on hand to knock in David Buckley’s 45 to the net. F/B were not giving up and came back with a pointed free followed by their 4th goal in the last min of the first period and so at the break  of extra time Na Fianna led by 2 4-14 to 4-12. F/B cut it to the minimum with a point inside the 1st min of the second period. Incredibly this would prove to be the final score of the game as despite play being end to end neither side could add to their tally and after nearly 3 excruciating mins of injury time the final whistle was blown to scenes of great delight from the Na Fianna players, mentors and supporters.

NA FIANNA: Shane Gorry, Aaron McKenna, Adam Kelly, Jamie Ballesty, Reece Seery, Cathal Curran, Peter Walsh, Colin Keogh, John Ridgeway, Stephen Pierce, Ray Daly (1-03), David Buckley (1-08), John Paul Casey, Conor Langton (2-01), Ian Buckley (0-01).

SUBS: Joey Keenahan (0-01) (for Jamie Ballesty), Kaelyn Thompson (for Stephen Pierce), Craig Strong (for Ian Buckley), Jamie Ballesty (for Peter Walsh), Brian Keogh (for Colin Keogh), Eoin Corcoran, Conor Brophill, Eoin Garry, Sam Burns, Lee Mulpeter, Mikey Buckley.

U16 FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL

All Roads lead to O’Connor Park, Tullamore this Saturday morning (27 Sept) for the entire Killeigh parish as the Na Fianna U16 Footballers bid for Championship glory when they take on Clara in the U16A Championship FINAL @ 11:30am. This is the first Na Fianna Football side to reach a County A Championship Final and they have done themselves extremely proud by exceeding all expectations in getting this far. We would encourage as many locals as possible to come along to help try and cheer the lads on to success. The very Best of Luck to all the Na Fianna Players & Management.