MFC final: Goals deliver title to Ratoath
October 29, 2017
Ratoath's Cian Rogers with Oran Smullen Na Fianna during the Meath MFC Division 1 final at Pairc Tailteann.
Goals proved central to Ratoath's MFC final win over Na Fianna at Pairc Tailteann on Sunday.
Ratoath ......... 2-12
Na Fianna ...... 0-12
Sunday's curtain raiser wasn't ultimately decided until the 60th minute when Ratoath sub Sean Johnson fired low to the net at the old swimming pool end.
The impressive Tom Fadden was in assistance for the score that left seven points between the sides, the widest margin between the teams over the course of the hour.
Na Fianna's Kean Flynn closed the scoring, but it was scant consolation to the side that were runners-up in this championship for the second year running.
Ratoath put a big deposit on the Delany Cup in opening 26 minutes, opening up a 1-8 to 0-4 advantage.
The team in royal blue jerseys might have had three more goals in the first half. Na Fianna 'keeper Conor Heffernan intervened twice while another attempt skied over.
At the end of a low scoring third quarter, Na Fianna had the deficit down to three points, 0-9 to 1-9. Then Ratoath passed up another green flag chance when the otherwise prolific Cian Rogers was low and wide.
Then in the 47th minute Na Fianna full-back Sean Rafferty cleared a adden goal attempt off the line to keep his side in contention.
Ratoath managed to keep Na Fianna at arms' length over the remainder of the hour before settled matters with Johnson's goal.
Ratoath responded well to the concession of the opening score to Na Fianna's Shane Walsh after 40 seconds. By the time the Enfield-Baconstown-Rathmolyon side posted their second score, Ratoath had moved onto 1-3.
Team captain Ryan Kelly finished a fine move with his side's goal in the sixth minute. Na Fianna got to within a goal of Ratoath on two occasions before the end of the opening quarter.
Ratoath might have got in for a second goal in the 14th minute but Rogers blazed over at the town end. However, by the break the Ratoath number 12 had five points to his credit.
His points boosted Ratoath to a 1-8 to 0-4 lead by the 26th minute. The team in fetching royal blue jerseys with white numbers were denied a goal when Na Fianna 'keeper Conor Heffernan smothered Simon Barry's close range effort.
Points from Shane Walsh (free) and Jack McNally soffened Na Fianna's deficit as they trailed by five points, 0-6 to 1-8, at the break.
Ratoath - Daragh McPartlin; Ryan Kelly (C) (1-0), Ben Wyer, Simon Barry; Luke Newe, Cormac Butler,Padraic Byrne; Daithi McGowan (0-2), Andrew Gerrard; Leigh Sullivan, Nathan Dunne (0-1), Cian Rogers (0-7, 4fs); Conal Aherne, Tom Fadden (0-1), Peter Barry. Subs - John Walsh for Dunne (ht), Sean Johnson (1-1) for Byrne (40), Tiarnan Aherne for Barry (49).
Na Fianna - Conor Heffernan; Sean Coffey, Sean Rafferty, Stephen Slevin; Luke Kelly, Oran Smullen, Oisin McCloskey; Daniel Devine, Sean Martin (C) (0-1); Kean Flynn (0-1), Jack McNally (0-3, 1f), Kevin Coffey (0-1); David Maher, Shane Walsh (0-6, 3fs), Colm Flynn. Subs - Luke McNally for Maher (39), Daniel Ferguson for K Coffey (49).
Refereee - Paul Mooney (Syddan)
