O’Gara leads Synger into the quarter-finals

TEMPLEOGUE SYNGE STREET 2-9 NA FIANNA 0-14

Two first half goals did the trick for Templeogue Synge St as they held off a battling Na Fianna in Friday night's Dublin SFC second round encounter at Parnell Park.

Both goals came in the last ten minutes of the opening half as Synger recovered from a slow start to lead 2-5 to 0-6 at the interval.

The St Mobhi Road side had opened up a 0-3 to 0-1 lead inside ten minutes through points from Adam Caffrey (two, one free) and a fine individual effort from Conor McHugh.

However, points from Declan Treanor and the influential Eoghan O'Gara, who scored 1-4, had the southside men on level terms before Denis Bastick clinically despatched a 20th minute penalty past replacement goalkeeper Conor McCarville after Ryan O'Flaherty was black-carded following the concession of the spot-kick.

McHugh responded for Na Fianna but Synger really came to life approaching the interval with points from Tommy Coyle and a great score from Bastick.

O'Gara almost grabbed a goal but his thunderbolt cannoned off an upright after he was through one-on-one against McCarville.

But before the break he did raise a green flag to help his side to a five-point half-time lead.

Six minutes into the second half David Quinn was denied from close range by Synger keeper Philip Collie and it was not the only occasion in the second half when last-ditch heroics were called for to keep their goal intact.

With 17 minutes remaining a Ger Vickery point following excellent approach play by Niall Scully established a six-point lead for Synger, 2-8 to 0-8.

But Na Fianna then enjoyed their most productive spell as Carl O'Connor came into the game at midfield and sub Eoghan Neville carried the fight to their opponents.

Points form Jack Caffrey (free), Neville, Adam Caffrey (free) and Quinn cut the deficit to just two points.

Crucially though O'Gara scored the next point of this duel to stall Na Fianna's momentum.

Inside the last five minutes Neville went very close to rattling the net - his shot beat keeper Collie but centre-back Niall O'Sullivan got back on the line in the nick of time to save his goal bound effort.

The game concluded with Na Fianna tagging on points from Adam Caffrey and McHugh but they ran out of time as Synger advanced to the quarter-finals.

SCORERS - Templeogue Synge St: E O'Gara 1-4, D Bastick 1-1 (1-0 pen), T Coyle, C O'Gara, G Vickery, DTreanor 0-1 each. Na Fianna: A Caffrey 0-5 (0-3f), C McHugh 0-4, E Neville, J Caffrey (0-1f) 0-2 each, D Quinn 0-1. 

TEMPLEOGUE SYNGE ST: P Collie; B Fitzgerald, M Treanor, R Power; B Bentley, N O'Sullivan, M Swaine; D Bastick, C McKiernan; N Scully, G Vickery, T Coyle; C O'Gara, E O'Gara, D Treanor. Subs: R O'Donnell for Fitzgerald (40), J Swaine for C O'Gara (46), C O'Reilly for Bentley (49), K Devine for Vickery (55), M Hiney for M Treanor (56).

NA FIANNA: R O'Flaherty; N McGovern, N Cooper, J Kelly; S Coughlan, T Brady, E Mullan; JJ Martin, C O'Connor; P Quinn, A Caffrey, J Caffrey; C McHugh, O O Maoileidigh, D Quinn. Subs: C McCarville for O'Flaherty (19, black card), E Neville for O Maoileidigh (29).

REF: D Ashton (Nh Mearnog).