SFC: Na Fianna edge Curraha in hard fought game
August 13, 2018
Na Fianna's Shane Walsh
Na Fianna 0-15 Curraha 1-09
Na Fianna overcame an understrength Curraha side in Simonstown on Friday night to keep their SFC qualification hopes alive with a second win.
Na Fianna started brightly, quickly assuming control to lead by 0-4 to 0-1 inside ten minutes. Ethan Devine, Oran Smullen and Shane Walsh all put points on the board but Curraha responded with a goal and a point which sparked them into life and they finished the first half the stronger team. Na Fianna led by 0-11 to 1-05 at the break.
Curraha came back out fighting in the second half, taking the game to Na Fianna who struggled to find their rhythm. Na Fianna mustered only four second half points and repelled numerous long balls into their box courtesy of goalkeeper Shane Geraghty who was dominant in the air.
Na Fianna were indebted to Shane Walsh who hit two late points to see off the gutsy challenge from Curraha and give Na Fianna a chance at qualification should they defeat Summerhill in their round 5 showdown.
Na Fianna: Shane Geraghty; John Baldwin, Evan Mullally, Daniel Devine; Oran Smullen (0-1), Anthony Neary, Andy Glynn; Ethan Devine (0-3), Owen McDonnell; Conor Downey (0-2), Daniel Queeney (0-1), Michael Collins (0-2); Damien Downey, Shane Walsh (0-6, 2f), Sean Martin.
Subs used: Sean Rafferty & Peter Slevin.
Curraha Report
Curraha 1-09 Na Fianna 0-15
Curraha were very unlucky to come up short in their quest for that first ever Senior Championship win when they lost out to Na Fianna by three points at the weekend.
It was the experienced side who started the better and were three [points up before a fine left footed effort from Jack O'Connor had Curraha on the scoreboard. This came after some missed opportunities and after this frees were traded with Niall Moriarty getting his sides second of the game. Na Fianna were more clinical in the opening third and had raced into a four-point lead before David Coyle added his first of four points from play. Some dropped short efforts and wides allowed Na Fianna race into a six-point lead before Cotyle raided the green flag with a fine finish off the woodwork. Points were traded between the sides before the break with Na Fianna holding a three-point lead.
Curraha started the second half the better and opened the scoring with an O'Connor score but again they wasted some nice scoring opportunities which gave Na Fianna confidence and they scored two unanswered points before Coyle added a point from an acute angle. O'Connor got his fourth of the game to bring it back to a two-point game and his side were in the ascendancy but they failed to get any closer and one would have felt if they got it too the minimum they may have gone on and won the game. Na Fianna responded with two scores before Coyle finished off the game with a late point.
Curraha: L. Hogan, S. Hogan, P. Dowling, M. Jackson, M. Phelan, N. Shortall, A. Coyle, B. Joyce, N. McLarnon, A. Battersby, G. Coyle, J. O'Connor 0-04, D. Coyle 1-04, S. Keogh, N. Moriarty 0-1. Subs: S. O'Hanrahan for A. Coyle (Inj), P. O'Hanrahan for Moriarty, E. McGovern for Keogh (Inj), C. O'Farrell for G. Coyle, C. Joyce for Joyce.
