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PTSB Dublin LGFA Junior B Club Championship Final
St Finians Swords 2-08 Na Fianna B 1-05
Report by Cóilín Duffy
Twelve months after losing last year’s decider St Finians Swords bounced back to claim PTSB Dublin LGFA Junior B Club Championship honours, despite a late Na Fianna charge at St. Margaret’s GAA Club on Wednesday night.
Goals from Layla Mai McNeill and Dublin Senior player Annabelle Timothy did the decisive damage although Elaine Kenny’s late strike gave Na Fianna brief hope of a comeback.
The sides drew in the group stages at Mobhí Road earlier in the Championship, and another keenly contested decider was in prospect.
Finians began brightly, although two early wides delayed their opening score. Aimee Timothy eventually pointed from play in the third minute, while Na Fianna struggled to turn possession into chances at the other end. Annabelle Timothy doubled the lead from a free after 14 minutes, and McNeill struck the first goal two minutes later.
The goal left Na Fianna with a difficult task, but they continued to work for an opening. Síomha Ní Dhonnchadha had an effort fall short before Shauna Halpin converted a free in the 24th minute to register their first score. PTSB Player of the Match Annabelle Timothy answered with another free for Finians.
Na Fianna goalkeeper Anna Smith then saved an effort from Annabelle Timothy, but the Finians forward found the net moments later. Her goal, in the 28th minute, sent St Finians into the break leading 2-3 to 0-1. Na Fianna had been held to a single shot that scored in the opening half and needed a strong response after the restart.
They introduced Deirdre Gallagher and Cara Reynolds at half-time. Finians, however, were first to score again, Annabelle Timothy landing her third free. Halpin replied with a free for Na Fianna, but two points from play by Annabelle Timothy pushed the leaders further ahead.
Halpin added another placed-ball point in the 47th minute. Each time Na Fianna threatened to make progress, Finians found an answer: Annabelle Timothy scored from play again, followed shortly afterwards by Aimee Timothy. At that stage, Finians had stretched their lead to 2-8 to 0-3.
Na Fianna kept pressing. Ní Dhonnchadha supplied their first point from play with six minutes of normal time remaining, and Halpin subsequently sent a penalty wide. McNeill made way for Emily Jane Fallon as Finians tried to see out the closing stages.
Kenny finally broke through for a Na Fianna goal in the 60th minute, cutting the deficit to seven points. Halpin followed with her fourth free, but there was too little time left for another goal. Finians finished six points clear.
Annabelle Timothy was the leading scorer with 1-6, including three frees. McNeill added 1-0 and Aimee Timothy scored twice from play. Halpin’s four frees led Na Fianna’s scoring, alongside Kenny’s goal and Ní Dhonnchadha’s point.
Finians had established the winning margin before half-time. Na Fianna improved after the interval and scored 1-4 in the second half, but they could not undo the damage caused by the two early goals.
After the game Dublin LGFA Chairman Joe Keane presented the cup to St. Finian’s Swords captain Ciara Buchanan.
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