Late Lacey goal sees Na Fianna secure MFC ‘A’ title

Na Fianna added the Dublin MFC 'A' title to the MHC equivalent they secured seven days previous when defeating Thomas Davis 1-8 to 1-7 in a well-contested duel at O'Toole Park on Sunday afternoon.

The game concluded in a welter of drama with the St Mobhi Road side coming from four points in arrears with five minutes of normal time remaining to secure victory in the final minutes.

Thomas Davis led 1-7 to 0-6 in the 55th minute, with David Keogh hitting their goal in the last minute of the opening half, however, Na Fianna summoned a late scoring surge that snatched victory from the jaws of defeat.

Eoin O'Dea's 55th minute point ignited the charge with David Lacey converting a free before the same player grabbed a 58th minute goal with an excellent side-footed finish off his left foot to the net, following good approach play by midfielder Donal Ryan, to secure victory.

The Kiltipper Road lads kept battling to the finish but were met with some stern resistance by a Na Fianna defence where the likes of Ruadhán Byrnon, Michael Murphy, Kevin Burke and Fiachra Potts helped to stem the tide - Burke putting in one stunning dispossession late on when a goal would probably have sealed the deal for Davis.

In the opening half Na Fianna, playing into the pitch and putt end, started well with two James Doran points and a free each from Lacey and John Foley while Seán Currie got through a lot of work.

However, Thomas Davis improved as the half progressed with Adam Fitzpatrick finding the range to telling effect.

Davis' struck for the only goal of the opening half in its final minute when David Keogh finished a move, that he had originally instigated from centerfield, to the net to give his side a 1-5 to 0-5 interval advantage.

In the curtain-raiser a Seán Lambe inspired St Vincent's defeated St Mary's, Saggart 2-16 to 2-8 in the Dublin MFC 'B' decider. 

SCORERS - Na Fianna: D Lacey 1-2 (0-2f), J Doran 0-3, E O’Dea, J Foley (0-1f), S Currie 0-1. Thomas Davis: A Fitzpatrick 0-4 (0-2f), D Keogh 1-0, C Melligan, E Conroy, M Nolan 0-1 each.

NA FIANNA: D O’Hanlon; M Murphy, R Byron, A Rafter; F Potts, K Burke, E O’Dea; D Ryan, T Regan; S Currie, B O’Leary, S O’Gorman; D Lacey, J Foley, J Doran. Subs: P Gleeson for Foley (inj, 33); R Mackey for O’Gorman (40); S O’Leary for Regan (53).

THOMAS DAVIS: D Caffrey; J Landers, K Winders, R Lynch; C Melligan, S Kennedy, J Lambert; M Nolan, E Conroy; E Lambert, D Keogh, S Farrelly; A Fitzpatrick, S O’Byrne-Brayden, M Keddy. Subs: D Hennessy for Farrelly (25); N Farrelly for Lynch (42); T Byrne for O’Byrne-Brayden (64).

REF: D Sweeney (St Oliver Plunkett/ER).