Lucan Sarsfields Stage Late Comeback to Claim Victory Over Na Fianna

Pic Courtesy of Sportsfile 

LUCAN SARSFIELDS 1-28 

NA FIANNA 3-21

John Bellew proved the hero for Lucan Sarsfields with his incredible late goal sealing a thrilling one-point victory over Na Fianna in their Go-Ahead Ireland Dublin Senior 1 Hurling Championship Group 1 clash at Parnell Park on Saturday evening.

Ben Coffey was the shining light in the first-half with his eight-point tally shared evenly between frees and open play but a Joe Kavanagh goal in injury time saw Lucan’s lead trimmed to 0-14 to 1-10 by half-time.

Goals in the early stages of the second-half by Colin Currie and Kavanagh looked to have swung the tie back in Na Fianna’s favour but Bellew was to have the final word deep into added time as he ran through from deep before calmly slipping the ball past Jonno Tracey.

There was little to separate the teams initially as Paul Crummey opened the scoring inside fourteen seconds while Colin Currie restored parity from a 5^th minute free.

Charlie Keher and Brian Ryan exchanged excellent points soon after and the deadlock was maintained as Chris Crummey and Kavanagh did likewise to keep the contest delicately poised.

Another Currie free in the 11^th minute saw the holders take the lead for the first time but Lucan began to dictate, thanks largely to their dominant half-back line of Chris Crummey, John Bellew and Matt McCaffrey.

Their influence prompted a purple patch that yielded points from Coffey, Colm Walsh and McCaffrey while a quickfire brace from the lively Coffey left Sarsfields leading by double scores by the end of the first quarter.

Further points by Kevin Fitzgerald and Coffey (free) pushed their string of unanswered points to seven before a Currie free and a fine AJ Murphy point in the 20^th minute allowed Na Fianna to regroup.

Lucan were suffering a barren period of their own at this stage as points by Eoin O’Dea and Dónal Burke trimmed their lead even further before Coffey converted a 28^th minute free to push his side three points clear.

Playing at full-forward, Coffey was finding space all too readily and his fourth point from play reflected his threat and while Dónal Burke and Gavin king responded for Na Fianna, a brace of frees by Coffey left Sarsfields well placed approaching the break.

However, much of their good work was undone in a moment of defensive hesitancy as Kavanagh fired low past Cillian Murray from twelve yards in the fourth minute of added time to leave the holders trailing by just a solitary point by the interval.

While well held in the opening-half, Ciarán Dowling broke the shackles with two classy points in the early stages of the restart but those scores proved academic as their opponents pounced for two cracking goals.

The first saw Colin Currie lash home across Murray following an audacious over the shoulder pass from Dónal Burke and in the 35^th minute, Kavanagh left Murray helpless with King providing the exquisite assist on this occasion.

Suddenly facing a five-point deficit, Lucan replied impressively through a Coffey brace and a Paul Crummey point and while Colin Currie popped over a brace of his own, Sarsfields refused to buckle thanks to scores from Dowling and John Bellew.

Further points by Paul Crummey and Chris Crummey saw Lucan restore parity and another well-taken Dowling effort helped his side regain the lead by the 51^st minute.

However, the momentum in this topsy-turvy encounter drifted back in Na Fianna’s favour as points from play by Peter Feeney and Murphy were augmented by a brace of Currie frees and a sideline ball from King in the 58^th minute extended their lead to four points.

Coffey replied with two further frees but they looked to be of mere consolation value until Bellew exchanged passes with Matt Coogan and the classy centre-back did the necessary from eight yards.

Scorers – Lucan Sarsfields: B Coffey 0-14 (9f); J Bellew 1-1; C Dowling 0-4; P Crummey 0-3; C Crummey 0-2; M McCaffrey, C Walsh, K Fitzgerald, C Keher 0-1 apiece. Na Fianna: C Currie 1-9 (0-8f); J Kavanagh 2-1; D Burke 0-4; G King (1 sideline), AJ Murphy 0-2 each; P O’Dea, B Ryan, P Feeney 0-1 apiece.

Lucan Sarsfields: C Murray; S Coffey, P Rigney, L Walsh; C Crummey, J Bellew, M McCaffrey; R Smith, C Walsh; P Crummey, K Fitzgerald; J Behan; C Keher, B Coffey, C Dowling. Subs: S Harkness for Fitzgerald (39), C Kennedy for S Coffey (47), D Flannery for Behan (48), R Ward for McCaffrey (49), M Coogan for P Crummey (56).

Na Fianna: J Tracey; S Burke, C McHugh, D Clerkin; P O’Dea, L Rushe, K Burke; B Ryan, P Feeney; J Kavanagh, C Currie, C Stacey; AJ Murphy, D Burke, G King. Subs: S Currie for Stacey (half-time), G Spollen for Feeney (52), F Breathnach for S Burke (53), S Ryan for Kavanagh (61).

Referee: Seán Stack (Parnell’s).