Na Gaeil 0-14 Finuge 0-9

Na Gaeil entertained Finuge in Killeen in Round 5 of the County League on Saturday afternoon last.  Playing with the aid of a strong breeze, Na Gaeil was first off the mark with points from Mike Griffin and Eoin O’Neill.  Finuge scored their first point on ten minutes from the boot of Mike Conway.  Na Gaeil scored the next two points through Seamie O’Neill and a Mike Griffin free.  Finuge’s Raymond Galvin fired over a point on the quarter hour mark to leave the score:  Na Gaeil 0-04 Finuge 0-02.  Na Gaeil took control of the game for the next ten minutes with good scores coming from Eoin O’Neill, Mike Griffin, Jack Carmody, Kieran Dineen and Andrew Barry.  Finuge’s  Maurice Corridan scored two points from frees in the 29^th and 30^th minute of the half to leave five between the sides going in at the break. 

Half time score Na Gaeil 0-09 Finuge 0-04.

Finuge had the advantage of the strong breeze in the second half, but it was the impressive Andrew Barry for Na Gaeil that put over the first point after a great run through the centre. Finuge’s Darren O’Sullivan cancelled this out with a good score from play, followed by another good point from their full forward Mike Conway.  Mike Griffin pulled one back for Na Gaeil and Maurice Corridan pointed a free for Finuge.  On 22 minutes, Finuge’s Mike Conway won a poor Na Gaeil kick out and was straight through on goal, but his point-blank shot was brilliantly parried over the bar by Na Gaeil’s net minder, Tadhg O’Neill.  Na Gaeil were three points up when impressive corner back Eoghain Sheehy made it four with a great point from the right wing.  Finuge’s full back was on the end of a great move to fire one over and bring it back to a three point game with three minutes of normal time remaining. Then came the defining moment.  Finuge’s Jason Wallace was pulled down in the small square and a penalty was awarded.  Maurice Corridan struck low and hard to the bottom right hand corner, but it was brilliantly saved by Tadhg O’Neill in the Na Gaeil goal.  A goal would have drawn the game and put Finuge in the driving seat, but the save spurred on the home team and they scored the last two points of the half through Andrew Barry and Seamie O’Neill to run out five point winners. 

Andrew Barry was a colossus for Na Gaeil all through and was ably assisted by David Culloty and Eoghain Sheehy in defence.  Dan O’ Connor and Eoin O’Neill were solid at midfield and up front, Mike Griffin, Jamie Lowham and Jack Carmody were impressive.

For Finuge:  Jeremy McKenna and Maurice Corridan were solid in defence. Pat Corridan and John McCarthy played well at midfield, while up front, Jason Wallace and Mike Conway were a constant threat.  However, man of the match has to go to Na Gaeil’s goalkeeper Tadhg O’Neill for making three point blank saves, including the penalty save to ensure that the two points went to the home side.

Na Gaeil: Tadhg O’Neill, Eoghain Sheehy, Kieran Dineen, Dylan Brazil, Colm Lyons,David Culloty, Kieran Donovan, Dan O’Connor, Eoin O’Neill. Jack Carmody, Andrew Barry, Seamie O’Neill, Mike Griffin, Jamie Lowham, Diarmaid Herlihy. Subs: Jordan Murphy for Diarmaid Herlihy; Ger O’Connor for Jamie Lowham.

 Finuge: Gary Hogan, Tom Foley, Declan Moriarty, Jeremy McKenna, Dara Shanahan, Maurice Corridan, Brian McAulliffe, Pat Corridan, John McCarthy, Colin Sheehy, Jason Wallace, John Buckley, Raymond Galvin, Mike Conway, Ricky Heffernan.