Round Up: Go-Ahead AFL 3 & AFL 4- March 2nd & 3rd

Naomh Fionnbarra recovered from a sloppy opening half to eventually get the better of St Patrick’s Palmerstown by 3-5 to 0-7 in their Go-Ahead Dublin Adult Football League Division 3 encounter at Broombridge on Sunday morning.

The hosts trailed by 0-4 to 0-1 at the break but they burst into life upon the restart, thanks largely to a Karl Grimes goal.

They maintained that momentum to added further goals through Tommy O’Neill and Lee Cooney while Ger Dodrill and Cooney added two points apiece as the contest evolved.

The strong running of Josh Turner and Clayton Farrell was instrumental in the Fionnbarra win, as was the defensive excellent of Jack Gunnery.

On Friday night, Ballymun Kickhams proved too strong for Castleknock, with two goals from Philly McMahon pivotal in their 2-13 to 1-5 victory at Páirc Ciceam.

The foundation for their victory was provided at the back with goalkeeper Elliott Reilly and Zack Farrell, Cian Egan and Jason Welby in the home defence all impressing while further up the field, Jason Whelan kicked three points from play.

It proved far tighter in Rush on Saturday afternoon as St Margaret’s got the better of St Maur’s by the narrowest of margins (1-13 to 2-9).

Leon McGuinness (1-2) pounced for the Maggies goal with Conor Sutton (0-3) and Brian Shanahan (0-2) also to the fore up front for the visitors.

At the opposite end, Jack Murphy, Dan Lynch and Niall Kennedy offered great protection to Conor Shanahan in goal while further scores by Scott Kennedy, Ciaran Bruton, Jimmy Hempenstall, David Smyth and Rory Dwyer were worth their weight in gold by full-time.

The remaining three fixtures saw St Sylvester’s, Trinity Gaels and Clanna Gael Fontenoy enjoy comfortable wins over Cuala, St Anne’s and Clann Mhuire respectively.

Go-Ahead AFL3: Castleknock 1-5 Ballymun Kickhams 2-13; Naomh Fionnbarra 3-5 St Patrick’s Palmerstown 0-7; Templeogue Synge Street v St Jude’s OFF; Trinity Gaels 2-15 St Anne’s 1-9; Clann Mhuire 0-9 Clanna Gael Fontenoy 3-11; Ballyboden St Enda’s v Na Fianna OFF; St Sylvester’s 3-8 Cuala 0-10; St Margaret’s 1-13 St Maur’s 2-9.

In Go-Ahead AFL Division 4, Thomas Davis got up and running with a high-scoring 6-12 to 1-11 victory over Skerries Harps at Kiltipper Road.

Jamie Palmer was immense in the home defence, ably supported as he was by David Horan while Rory Forbes worked tirelessly around the middle third.

Their influence allowed the Thomas Davis attack to shine with Sean Reilly, Mark Leigh and Anthony Barrett to the fore and substitute Robbie Sharkey was hugely influential when introduced after the break.

There was another home win at Ballinteer Community School as Ballinteer St John’s left if late to edge St Peregrine’s by 1-13 to 1-10.

The excellence of Caelum Moriarty saw the visitors more than hold their own with the talented full-forward finishing the game with 1-8 to his name.

However, with Joey Quirke, Eoghan Seoige and John Clair all scoring three points and Sam Tully and Jack Long adding a brace apiece, it was left to Quirke to score the all-decisive goal which settled the issue in injury time.

Half the fixtures were postponed but of what remained, O’Toole’s beat St Oliver Plunkett’s Eoghan Ruadh by 0-14 to 1-8 with Luke Gifford, David Mooney and Josh Fitzpatrick in fine form while St Finian’s Swords edged O’Dwyer’s by 1-10 to 0-12 in Balbriggan.

Go-Ahead AFL4: Thomas Davis 6-12 Skerries Harps 1-11; St Mark’s v Good Counsel/Liffey Gaels OFF; St Oliver Plunkett’s/ER 1-8 O’Toole’s 0-14; Ballinteer St John’s 1-13 St Peregrine’s 1-10; Kilmacud Crokes v Geraldine P Moran OFF; Fingal Ravens v Clontarf OFF; St Finian’s Newcastle v Lucan Sarsfields OFF; O’Dwyer’s 0-12 St Finian’s Swords 1-10.