Na Fianna claim PTSB Dublin Intermediate All-County Football title after dramatic victory over Cuala

NA FIANNA 1-14 

CUALA 1-12

A string of three unanswered points in injury time proved pivotal as Na Fianna edged Cualaby two points in their entertaining PTSB Dublin Intermediate All County Football Championship final at O’Toole Park on Saturday afternoon. 

A Cuán Nugent score looked to have handed Cuala a decisive lead late in the contest but Cathal Hickey replied with a superb brace before another substitute, John Foley, added an insurance score in the closing moments. 

The success was a poignant one for the Glasnevin side after the tragic death of their centre-forward Ben Kane back in June with his Number 11 jersey retired as a mark of respect. 

Kane would have appreciated the opening score from lively corner-forward Donogh Fay in the 3rd minute but it was Cuala that made the brighter start as they pounced for the game’s opening goal two minutes later. 

Cathal Ó Giolláin, who was excellent throughout, made the initial incision before passing to Peter Jackson, who rendered Ciarán McHugh helpless with a cracking finish from eight yards. 

Ó Giolláin extended the Cuala lead in an instant before their opponents replied in kind courtesy of Conor Dolan and the latter could well have raised a green flag of his own but screwed his shot wide from an acute angle. 

Fay and his direct marker Ruairí Sheanon traded points as the contest evolved and Cuala’stwo-point lead was preserved with Na Fianna’s Mark Cooper and Cuala’s Mark Smith kicking fine scores from distance by the end of the first quarter. 

The Dalkey outfit were more fluid at this point with Ó Giolláin doubling his team’s advantage with two points in as many minutes and a free by Smith pushed Cuala five points clear by the 20th minute. 

Crucially, Na Fianna stemmed the flow towards their own goal thanks to a two-pointed free by Tomas Connell and a Ben O’Connell ‘45’ before a Smith free handed Cuala a deserved a 1-7 to 0-7 interval lead. 

Connell reduced his team’s deficit when converting a free within a minute of the resumption and further points by Dolan and Dan Morley saw the sides back on level terms by the 35thminute. 

Their comeback gained further momentum a minute later as a defensive slip-up allowed O’Connell sufficient time and space to place the ball beyond Shane Foley in the Cuala goal. 

Cuala were reeling at this stage but the trusty figure of Ó Giolláin helped settle matters with his fourth point from play while Connell added another free by way of riposte to restore Na Fianna’s three-point buffer.

A black card for Jackson in the 41st minute should have given Na Fianna a decisive edge but they failed to benefit from their numerical advantage with some poor decisions and errant shooting. 

Indeed, Cuala managed to trim their arrears through Ó Giolláin and with the contest reaching fever pitch, they drew level in a dramatic fashion as Paul James kicked an inspirational two-pointer from the right flank in the 56th minute. 

The momentum was flowing Cuala’s way at this stage and classy point by substitute Nugent in the 61st minute appeared destined to be the winning score. 

However, Na Fianna’s desire to honour Kane in the best possible way saw them finish the game on the front foot and after Hickey had shown great composure to kick a levelling score, his blistering pace was seen to telling effect as he raced through before fisting over the crossbar. 

It was left to Foley to have the final word with a point on the counter-attack with Cuala’shope extinguished as Darragh McAdam’s two-pointed free dropped just short, prompting the final whistle.     

Scorers – Na Fianna: T Connell 0-4 (1 F2, 2f); B O’Connell 1-1 (0-1 ’45); D Fay, C Dolan, C Hickey 0-2 each; N Cooper, D Morley, J Foley 0-1 apiece. Cuala: C Ó Giolláin 0-5; P Jackson 1-0; P James 0-3 (1 P2, 1f); M Smith 0-2 (1f); R Sheanon, C Nugent 0-1 apiece. 

Na Fianna: C McHugh; H Bryce, S Hayes, J Egan; P Smith, E killarney, L Fay; J Lacey, J Kearney; N Cooper, C Dolan, D Morley; D Fay, T Connell, B O’Connell. Subs: C Grew for Lacey (37), C Hickey for Copper (39), H Caffrey for Smith (47), D Day for L Fay (50), J Foley for Connell (60). 

Cuala: S Foley; A Carey, E O’Driscoll, R Sheanon; C Ó Floinn, T Magee, J O’Sullivan; S Mangan, B Ó Rathallaigh; M Smith, E Gleeson, D McAdam; C Ó Giolláin, P James, P Jackson. Subs: B Smith for Gleeson (39), S Ó Rathallaigh for Carey (43), C Nugent for Jackson (50).  

Referee: Jim Hussey (Good Counsel/Liffey Gaels).