Graham Tarmac JFC Semi-Final
St. Malachy’s 0-3 Na Piarsaigh 1-10
Photrographs: Bert Trowlen
Na Piarsaigh proved too good for St. Malachy’s in this Graham Tarmac JFC semi-final at Cherryvale on Saturday and now go forward to meet O’Donnell’s in the final in two weeks-time. The North Belfast men led from early in the game and were never really troubled by a St. Malachy’s side who failed to reproduce the form they had shown in the group stages.
Na Piarsaigh led 0-5 to 0-2 at the half way stage and any notions of a comeback by the Markets men in the second half were quickly dispelled as Pearses pushed on to win convincingly with St. Malachy’s only able to add one second half score.
Piaras Donaghy edged Na Piarsaigh ahead with a fine long range point with Aidan Connor levelling the contest with 7 minutes gone.
Slowly Na Piarsaigh began to take command and Stephen Fitzsimmons, Sean Moreland and Fionn Grew fired over unanswered points to move them 0-4 to 0-1 ahead going into the second quarter as Bannon and Donaghy took control at mid-field’
The final score of the half fell to the men from the Markets as Ciaran Vernon sent a ‘45’ directly between the uprights and despite a lacklustre opening 30 minutes St. Malachy’s must have felt they were still in with a fighting chance.
The Group 2 winners needed a good start to the second half but in the event it was Na Piarsaigh who started the half on the front foot and points from Stephen Fitzsimmons and the impressive Aodhan McCavanna extended their lead to five after 10 minutes.
The North Belfast side continued to move the ball around with confidence and their pace and movement was causing their opponents all sorts of problems and Stephen Fitsimmons finished to the ‘Mal’s’ net followed an impressive build up’
Last year’s beaten semi-finalists were thankful to their keeper Niall Largey who pulled off a superb save as St. Malachy’s briefly threatened but the eventual losers did follow with a point from Aidan Connor in the 18th minute but it failed to bring about the needed response.
Indeed it would be their only score of the half as Na Piarsaigh continued to call the shots and they finished on the front foot with points from a long range Fionn Grew free, a converted ‘45’ from Liam Deegan and a point from play from Nathan Gorman to book their place in this year’s final.
St. Malachy’s: 1 Sean Turley, 2 Colin Connolly, 3 Stephen Carson, 4 Caoimhin Corr, 5 Daniel Quinn, 6 Mark Connolly, 7 David Casey, 8 Anthony Dobbin, 9 Ciaran Vernon, 10 Jack McGivern, 11 Aidan Connor, 12 Ronan Maneely, 13 Paul Carlisle, 14 Karl McCavana, 15 Fra Brennan
Na Piarsaigh: 1 Niall Largey, 2 Darren O’Neill, 3 Cormac O’Neill, 4 Aidan Bannon, 5 Tom McFarlane, 6 Aodhan McCavanna, 7 Nathan Gorman, 8 Ruairi Bannon, 22 Piaras Donaghy, 10 Phil Murray, 11 Stephen Fitzsimmons, 12 Sean Moreland, 13 Fionn Grew, 14 Liam Deegan, 15 Oisin Grew
Referee: Ray Matthes (Rossa)
