Na Fianna win Junior C title

Na Fianna won the curtainraiser at Páirc Táilteann this afternoon when they took the Junior C title with a 2-24 to 0-7 victory over Dunsany in what was a one-sided decider.

A strong Na Fianna team dictated the opening exchanges and were ahead by four points at the end of the first-quarter as Dunsany laboured to make any impact.

Points from Paul Kennedy,former senior captain Michael Foley, Ciaran Gilna, Damien Downey (free) and Andrew Glynn eased Na Fianna into a comfort zone and all Dunsany could muster was a fifth minute Ger O'Neill point.

A disputed Downey goal gave Na Fianna a boost they hardly needed, but there was no doubt about Padraig Hogan's goal soon after that helped the Baconstown / Enfield combinaton to a 2-8 to to 0-2 interval advantage.

Foley, Downey and Kennedy added the Na Fianna points in that opening half while Dunsany's Andrew Duffy split the posts in the 29th minute for what was really only a consolation score.

Na Fianna totally dominated the second-half and added 16 points without any great difficulty although they also failed to convert a penalty when Dunsany goalie Ciaran Flynn, who had an excellent game, saved from Foley nine minutes from time.

Na Fianna picked off points in that second-half from Foley (six), Den Hendrick (three), Damien Downey (two), Padraig Hogan (two), Eoin Downey, Donal Curran and Glen McDonnell.

Dunsany kept battling, but were completely out-classed and managed points from Jake Harlin (three frees), Christopher Smyth and Danny Thynne.

Na Fianna - Sean Coyle; Rob Walsh, David Kirby, Owen McDonnell; Evan Mullally, Thomas Cosgrave, Ciaran Gilna (0-1); Dean Hendrick (0-3), Evan Hendrick; Lee Hyland, Michael Foley (0-8 three frees), Damien Downey (1-4 three frees); Padraig Hogan (1-2), Paul Kennedy (0-2), Andrew Glynn (0-1). Subs - Eoin Downey (0-1) for Mullally half-time, Paddy Haslam for E Hendrick 40 mins, Donal Curran (0-1)for Kennedy 45m, Glen McDonnell (0-1) for Glynn and Rob White for O McDonnell both 50m, Josh Devine for Hogan 52m.

Dunsany - Ciaran Flynn; Patrick Dunne, Mark Munnelly, Fionn Maguire; Martin Horan, Paul O'Brien, Jake Harlin (0-3 frees); Karl Duffy, Brian Flaherty; Fareth Rooney, Ger O'Neill (0-1), Danny Thynne (0-1); Christopher Smyth (0-1 free), Andrew Duffy (0-1), Steven Clynch. Subs - Charlie Keena for Rooney 18 mins, Darren Maguire for O'Brien 26m, Gary Leddy for Clynch half-time, Darren Reilly for K Duffy 43m, Darren Brennan for Smyth 45m, Niall Thynne for O'Neill 52m.

Referee - Martin Dawson (St Michael's).