A STIRRING SECOND HALF performance from St Naul’s sealed victory over Gaeil Fhánada in the County Division 2 Under-16 League final in Convoy this evening.
St Naul’s 1-10 Gaeil Fhánada 0-8
Having been three points down at the break, St Naul’s got back to level at 0-7 apiece by the 50th minute and managed to maintain their positive momentum to go three in front.
A goal from Darragh Griffin with two minutes to go, when he took on a pass from Daniel Gallagher, who had made a break from centre-field, sealed the deal.
Just to confirm the victory, St Naul’s goalkeeper Enda O’Hagan made a top-class save from Mark McAteer to preserve the cushion in injury time.
In tricky conditions at St Mary’s Park in Convoy, it was the side from the peninsula who made the most of the elements in the first half, following which they led 0-6 to 0-3.
A fantastic score from an angle from John Friel concluded the first half scoring, although St Naul’s were very much still in the contest.
It was the side from Mountcharles who opened the scoring courtesy of a point from Ian Campbell. That, though, was merely a prelude to four successive scores from Gaeil Fhánada, with Friel, Eoghan McGranaghan, Bernard McGettigan and Shaun Kerr on the mark by the 17th minute.
Daniel Gallagher replied for St Naul’s and Campbell scored his second of the half. It was Hughie Shiels’ Gaeil Fhánada who saw out the half with three to spare following McAteer’s free and the aforementioned point from Friel.
Gaeil Fhánada had run out winners of the Northern Regional Board final, courtesy of a 2-17 to 3-9 win over Termon and then went onto overcome Naomh Muire 2-14 to 1-7 in the All-County semi-final.
For their part, St Naul’s – under the joint management of Stephen Griffin and Shaun Campbell – had a 4-11 to 2-3 success over Termon in the last four.
The wind in Convoy was almost diagonal but St Naul’s knew that it might have been something they could depend on in the second half.
Daniel Meehan brought St Naul’s level at 0-6 to 0-6 by the 37th minute with three frees from almost the same square yard of turf.
Points were then traded by Gaeil Fhánada and St Naul’s James McBrearty, evening it up at 0-7 to 0-7. St Naul’s managed to tag on three more points, through Meehan, Michael Coughlan and Ryan Coyle to move three in front before Darragh Griffin’s goal ended all doubt.
St Naul’s: Enda O’Hagan; Dillion McGroarty, Jamie Burke, Patrick Breslin; Cathal McGlynn, Ryan Coyle (0-1), Charlie Campbell; Ian Campbell (0-2, 1f), Michael Coughlan (0-1); James McBrearty (0-1), Daniel Gallagher (0-1,1f), Ryan McBrearty; Darragh Griffin (1-0), Daniel Meehan (0-4, 3fs), Kyle Campbell. Subs: Ryan Coughlan, Nathan McBrearty, Patrick Lynch.
Gaeil Fhánada: Eoin McGonigle; James Sweeney, Michael Sweeney, Shaun Sweeney; Brandon McClafferty, Darren McElwaine, Jonathan Gallagher; Fergus Friel, Bernard McGettigan (0-1,1f); Kieran Coyle, John Friel (0-2), Matthew Gallagher; Eoghan McGranaghan (0-1), Mark McAteer (0-3, 3fs), Shaun Kerr (0-1). Subs: Casey Poole.
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