Na Fianna claim valuable win over Raheny in the PTSB Dublin SFC 1

PTSB Dublin Senior 1 Football Championship, Group 3, Round 2

NA FIANNA 0-16

RAHENY 0-11

Dual star Conor McHugh led the line again for Na Fianna who are up and running in the PTSB Dublin Senior 1 Football Championship after an impressive win at St Margaret's.

Beaten by Thomas Davis in Round 1, 2025 finalists Na Fianna responded with a powerful performance to belatedly ignite their campaign.

The Mobhi Road men slipped a couple of points behind early on after Brian Howard's 14th minute two-pointer for Raheny.

But when McHugh struck back-to-back points to put Na Fianna ahead in the 21st minute, they didn't look back and remained in pole position from there until full-time.

In fact, Na Fianna went a long way to securing the win they needed when they dominated the second quarter and outscored Raheny by 0-8 to 0-1 in that period.

The rain fell heavily in the lead up to half time but Na Fianna were on a roll with county hurling defender McHugh, who previously operated in attack for the Dublin footballers, curling over a sumptuous two-pointer.

There were powerful Na Fianna displays too from Brian O'Leary and David Quinn, both of whom struck four points overall from play.

And the five-times county champions will be happy to have conceded just 0-11 over the hour, 0-3 of which Mayo man Rob Hennelly registered for Raheny in second-half stoppage time.

Howard and former Dublin midfielder Brian Fenton had their moments for Raheny but the 2023 semi-finalists were ultimately powerless to prevent back-to-back defeats in Group 3.

Raheny were beaten by Skerries Harps in Round 1 and, initially, hinted at something special in this second outing of the campaign.

Between Adam McAweeney, Fenton and two-point scorer Howard, they nudged their team into a 0-4 to 0-2 lead.

Raheny were largely restricted to scoring opportunities off slow, set attacks in the opening half while Na Fianna had more joy with speedy bursts forward.

McHugh was excellent at the point of Na Fianna's attack, registering scores off either foot on a terrific pitch.

His 23rd minute two-pointer from a free was well taken but also owed plenty to Ciarán Reddin who forced Raheny into an overcarry with a huge challenge.

O'Leary and Quinn concluded the first-half scoring for Na Fianna with singles, leaving the Glasnevin side sitting pretty with a 0-10 to 0-5 advantage.

Na Fianna were more than happy to play keep ball for the first couple of minutes of the second half and when a two-pointer materialised at the end of it, from substitute Séamus Smith, they stretched their lead to seven.

Raheny needed something to get them going and when Howard fed Fenton in the 37th minute, he clipped a tidy score.

But for every positive Raheny action, there always seemed to be a strong Na Fianna response and O'Leary and McHugh both hit back with points.

Howard was fed by Ryan Coyne for a Raheny goal chance in the 52nd minute but it just about summed up their evening when he struck into the side netting.

He was operating on an advantage call from the referee so at least got a point from the converted free but it was all too little, 0-14 to 0-7.

O'Leary and Quinn re-established a double scores, 0-16 to 0-8, advantage for Na Fianna approaching the hour and that seemed to be pretty much that.

Raheny's cause wasn't helped by the departure midway through the second half of Dublin defender Sean MacMahon, who had returned to the lineup after missing the Round 1 tie.

Hennelly, an All-Ireland medallist with Mayo last month, whipped over a point from a free and then, six minutes into stoppage time, nailed a two-point from a free on the edge of the arc.

The late scores lent some gloss to the scoreline but there was no mistaking the better team on the evening as Na Fianna secured the win they craved.

Scorers - Na Fianna: C McHugh 0-5 (1 tpf); B O'Leary, D Quinn, 0-4 each; S Smith 0-2 (1 tp); C Reddin 0-1. Raheny: R Hennelly 0-4 (1 tpf, 1 45); B Howard (1 tpf, 1f), B Fenton 0-3 each; A McAweeney 0-1.

Na Fianna: S Murray; O Donohoe, A Rafter, F Potts; C Baxter, N McGovern, E O'Dea; J Doran, D Clerkin; C Early, B O'Leary, V Flynn; C McHugh, C Reddin, D Quinn.

Subs: S Smith for Early (HT), A Neville for O'Dea (46), D Ryan for Flynn (48), F Costello for Baxter (59), D Lacey for Potts (59).

Raheny: R Hennelly; A Kinsella, S MacMahon, B Dunne; C Baldwin, D Byrne, R Coyne; B Fenton, S O'Leary; J Lunney, B Howard, A McAweeney; D Lunney, C Ivers, C McAweeney.

Subs: T Hurley for D Lunney (35), E Smyth for C McAweeney (42), C Hehir for MacMahon (46), F Brassil for Ivers (49), K McGuirk for A McAweeney (59), S Magann for McGuirk (64-FT).

Referee: Barry Tiernan (O'Dwyers).