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NA FIANNA 2-26
ST JUDE’S 1-19
Na Fianna opened up the title defence of their Go-Ahead Ireland Dublin Senior 1 Hurling Championship with an unconvincing win over a battling St Jude’s in their Group 2 encounter at Parnell Park on Saturday afternoon.
An 8th minute goal from Dublin Under 20 attacker Callum Graham helped settle St Jude’s but a goal seven minutes later by Seán Currie helped Na Fianna build a 1-14 to 1-11 lead at half-time.
The holders, understandably not at the pitch of earlier in the year, were buoyed by a 37thminute goal from wing-back Liam Stacey and had enough to pull away in the final quarter to ease home with a fair degree of comfort.
It was the All-Ireland champions that started on the front foot as Colin Currie opened their account with a free inside forty seconds with St Jude’s levelling matters soon after through Declan O’Connor.
Na Fianna looked to be finding their groove as Jack Meagher and Colin Currie added points from play but their initial efforts lacked its customary fluency, allowing their opponents to gain a foothold in proceedings.
A Conor Nolan free halved the St Jude’s deficit in the 7th minute and within a minute, they pounced for the game’s opening goal as Graham gathered possession in splendid isolationbehind the Na Fianna defence and calmly slotted home past Jonno Tracey.
A brace of Colin Currie frees were cancelled out by points at the opposite end from Graham and Diarmaid McLoughlin before Na Fianna restored parity at the end of the first quarter as Dónal Burke raced through to find Seán Currie, who shot low across the helpless Ross O’Reilly.
The contest remained refreshingly open from that point with scores coming freely from both sides as Meagher caught the eye with another couple of scores emanating from his driving runs from midfield.
Joe McManus was similarly effective at the church end for St Jude’s as he chipped in with three points from play in the second quarter, leaving his side well in contention, albeit having played with the breeze.
However, it was Na Fianna that finished the half strongly as points from Seán Currie and Brian Ryan edged them three points clear by the interval.
The holders put further distance between the teams in the early stages of the second-half with Meagher and Colin Currie adding to their individual tallies.
While Nolan replied with two frees for St Jude’s, their task became trickier as they conceded a second goal in the 37th minute as Liam Stacey burst through, possibly overcarrying in the process, and finished impeccably past O’Reilly.
Far from building on that score, Na Fianna looked vulnerable on occasion as McLoughlin burst through firing over the crossbar while his midfield partner Eoin Dolan also added his second point of the contest.
However, St Jude’s were unable to generate many chances in the final quarter as Colin Currie continued to make hay from placed balls with the late dismissal of Jude’s substitute Oisín Costello a disappointing footnote on which to end proceedings.
Scorers – Na Fianna: C Currie 0-11 (9f); J Meagher 0-6; S Currie 1-1; L Stacey 1-0; B Ryan, D Burke 0-2 each; C Stacey, AJ Murphy, S Barrett, D Meagher 0-1 apiece. St Jude’s: C Nolan 0-6 (5f); C Graham 1-2; D McLoughlin 0-4; J McManuis 0-3; E Dolan 0-2; D O’Connor, J Carty 0-1 apiece.
Na Fianna: J Tracey; W Wheatley, S Burke, P O’Dea; L Stacey, P Feeney, D Clerkin; B Ryan, J Meagher; C McCarthy, D Burke, C Stacey; C Currie, S Currie, AJ Murphy. Subs: G King for McCarthy (44), S Barrett for S Currie (47), D Meagher for Murphy (55), G Spollen for Ryan (56), T Gleeson for Clerkin (58).
St Jude’s: R O’Reilly; C Mangan, G McManus, C Langan; S Wiley, C Hogan, P Fitzgerald; E Dolan, D McLoughlin; C Nolan, D O’Connor, J McManus; J Carty, P McNally, C Graham. Subs: F Wardick for McNally (half-time), C McLoughlin for Wiley (38), O Costello for Wardick (51).
Referee: Rory Hanley (St Brigid’s).