Na Fianna Crowned Leinster Champions With Victory Over Kilcormac Killoughey

Image courtesy Paul Barrett 

NA FIANNA 2-22 

KILCORMAC KILLOUGHEY 2-16 

Na Fianna delivered an exceptional team performance as they accounted for Kilcormac Killoughey by six points in their AIB Leinster Club Senior Hurling Championship decider at Croke Park on Saturday night.

After the heartbreak of their loss to O’Loughlin Gaels at the corresponding stage last year, the Dublin champions made no mistake on this occasion with captain Dónal Burke delivering his best performance of the year as he clipped over seven key points from play.

Na Fianna assumed control from the opening whistle with five points from play by a rejuvenated Dónal Burke and Seán Currie’s 26^th minute goal helping build a 1-13 to 0-11 advantage by the turnaround.

A Conor Mahon goal in the 39^th minute brought fresh hope to the Offaly holders but that hope was extinguished in an instant as AJ Murphy netted at the opposite end to restore his team’s buffer.

An early Jack Meagher point set the tone for Na Fianna who pushed three points clear by the 5^th minute thanks to a brace of frees by Colin Currie.

Adam Screeney replied for Kilcormac as he opened their account in the 7th minute but Na Fianna looked far sharper in the initial stages as they pulled further clear courtesy of scores by Dónal Burke and AJ Murphy.

Burke and Screeney exchanged points from play as the half evolved but there was no questioning the Glasnevin’s side dominance as they opened up a five-point buffer by the 13^th minute through Burke and Meagher.

A brace of Screeney frees kept Kilcormac in the hunt but Colin Currie and Burke kept the Na Fianna scoreboard ticking over as the locals gained tangible reward for their supremacy.

Burke’s fourth point of the half preceded the pivotal moment of the half in the 26th minute as Seán Currie jinked inside the Offaly outfit’s defence before planting an unstoppable finish beyond Conor Slevin from ten yards.

An exceptional point from Burke followed soon after and while Kilcormac Killoughey replied through Conor Mahon and Colin Spain, a late Currie free pushed Na Fianna five points to the good by the interval.

The second-half resumed with a glut of scores as Screeney added a cracking point from play to augment a brace of frees with Na Fianna maintaining a degree of control with scores at the opposite end from Brian Ryan and Colin Currie.

However, their healthy lead was short-lived as Kilcormac pounced for a goal of their own in the 39^th minute as Mahon reacted quickest to fire home after a Screeney ‘65’ had rebounded off the upright.

Na Fianna’s response to this setback was as impressive as it was instant as Ciaran Stacey raced through down the middle before finding Murphy for an angled finish past the helpless Slevin from close range.

After the feast of scores, a famine of ten scoreless minutes ensued before another Colin Currie pushed Na Fianna five points clear by the 50^th minute.

Stacey and Burke pushed Na Fianna into a relative degree of comfort and while Screeney netted in added time, it never looked likely to spare Kilcormac their fate.

Scorers – Na Fianna: C Currie 0-8 (7f); D Burke 0-7; AJ Murphy 1-2; S Currie 1-0; J Meagher, B Ryan 0-2 each; C Stacey 0-1. Kilcormac Killoughey: A Screeney 1-8 (0-6f); C Mahon 1-2; C Mitchell 0-3; C Slevin 0-2 (2f); C Spain 0-1.

Na Fianna: J Tracey; S Burke, C McHugh, K Burke; D Ryan, L Rushe, P Feeney; B Ryan, S Currie; G King, C Currie, J Meagher; C Stacey, AJ Murphy, D Burke. Subs: S Ryan for King (half-time), D Clerkin for Rushe (48-50), S Barrett for Meagher (58).

Kilcormac Killoughey: C Slevin; T Spain, O Mahon, J Mahon; J Quinn, B Kavanagh, E Grogan; C Spain, D Kilmartin; J Screeney, C Mahon, L Kavanagh; D Hand, C Mitchell, A Screeney. Subs: Cillian Kiely for Grogan (39), J Gorman for Hand (42), P Geraghty for J Screeney (45), Cathal Kiely for L Kavanagh (56), A Kavanagh for Kilmartin (59).

Referee: Pádraig Dunne (Laois).