Naomh Mearnóg beat Clanna Gael Fontenoy to claim Go-Ahead Ireland Intermediate Football title

Image courtesy Paul Barrett 

NAOMH MEARNÓG 2-9 

CLANNA GAEL FONTENOY 0-6 

Naomh Mearnóg dominated from start to finish as they eased to a comfortable nine-point victory over Clanna Gael Fontenoy in their Go-Ahead Ireland Intermediate Club Football Championship final at Parnell Park on Saturday afternoon.

A brace of first-half goals from Karl Lynch Bissett proved pivotal on an afternoon where Mearnóg held all the aces in terms of experience and quality, with the final margin adequately reflecting their superiority over the hour.

Naomh Mearnóg could not have wished for a better start as Karl Lynch Bissett seized on a misplaced clearance in the 2^nd minute as he coolly sidestepped Jason Redmond before crashing home from eight yards.

The resultant kick-out caused further consternation in the Clanna Gael defence but Redmond redeemed himself with a superb sprawling save to deny Jamie Walsh’s goal bound shot.

The Portmarnock outfit could and should have increased their lead as the first quarter evolved but were guilty of some poor shot selection as their opponents opened their own account through a well-taken David McMahon point in the 5^th minute.

Sean Hawkshaw was performing well in the Mearnóg midfield and it was he that finally ended a scoreless period of eleven minutes when splitting the uprights at the start of the second quarter.

Clanna Gael replied through an excellent individual score from full-back Brian McKenna in the 18^th minute but their title ambitions were dealt another significant blow within sixty seconds.

There seemed little danger as Lynch Bissett’s speculative attempt cannoned to apparent safety off the upright but Redmond was dispossessed twenty-five metres from goal with Lynch Bissett powering a sublime strike with the outside of the boot into the roof of the net beyond the retreating defence.

Naomh Mearnóg continued to control matters for the remainder of the half with points from Shane Kavanagh (free) and Cian Madden pushing them seven points clear by the interval.

Clanna Gael made three switches at the break and there were signs of improvement in the early stages of the second-half as Colm O’Connell pointed in the 32^nd minute.

That renewed optimism was all too brief however as Mearnóg added to their lead through points in quick succession from the increasingly lively Kavanagh and Lynch Bissett

The introduction of Shane Carthy enhanced Mearnóg’s dominance and while the indutrious Killian Pugh kicked a deserved score for Clanna Gael in the 41^st minute, they were unable to place concerted pressure up front throughout.

At the opposite end of the field, Kavanagh, Walsh and Harry Collier all tapped over in the early stages of the final quarter and while they failed to score in the final thirteen minutes, it mattered little in overall terms as they eased home with a great degree of comfort.

Scorers – Naomh Mearnóg: K Lynch Bissett 2-2 (0-1f); S Kavanagh 0-3 (1f); S Hawkshaw, C Madden, J Walsh, H Collier 0-1 apiece. Clanna Gael Fontenoy: B McKenna, C O’Connell, K Pugh, D McMahon, T McGowan (f), A Duffy 0-1 apiece.

Naomh Mearnóg: M O’Connor; G Nangle, R O’Loughlin, D Byrne; F O’Connor, C Archer, T Cosgrove; S Hawkshaw, C Madden; S Kavanagh, K Lynch Bissett, A Fee; J Walsh, M Gibbs, H Collier. Subs: S Carthy for Fee (40), E Kelly for F O’Connor (41), F Doyle for Hawkshaw (51), O Taylor for Collier (51), S Archer for C Archer (55).

Clanna Gael Fontenoy: J Redmond; J O’Donnell, M McKenna, M O’Connor; T Costigan, D Holmes, C O’Connell; A Dodd, T Cody; K Pugh, P Ruddy, J Flanagan; D McMahon, R Tobin, C Nannery. Subs: A Duffy for McMahon (half-time), R Wherity for Nannery (half-time), K Morgan for Holmes (half-time), T McGowan for Costigan (43), M Stafford for O’Connell (54), D Meenan for O’Connor (Temp Sub, 59).

Referee: Paul Faughnan (St Pat’s Palmerstown).