McGeeney shines brightest

If the gods aren't willing to intervene, then it is best not to rely on them at all.

Dublin champions Na Fianna could have concluded that fate wasn't on their side at the half-time interval of the AIB Leinster club football final at Pairc Tailteann in Navan yesterday which saw them lead by just two points, having played with the wind, and also witnessed the woodwork rescue Kildare's Sarsfields on two occasions.

But a supreme second-half performance, with Kieran McGeeney, two days after collecting his first All Star award, making a huge contribution, ensured that the Dublin champions took things very much into their own hands to become the fourth different club from the capital to capture the provincial title in the 1990s.

Na Fianna could have had the match out of reach by the break but were thwarted by some weak finishing (they ran up seven wides in that period) and also some ill luck, with Ian Foley twice denied by the frame of the goal: once the crossbar, the second time an upright.

Indeed, it was a measure of Na Fianna's considerable depth that they could afford to leave Jason Sherlock on the bench until the 39th minute, when the two teams were actually level, and his arrival coincided with a spurt that enabled them to pull clear.

The main problem for Sarsfields was that too much was required to go through Niall Buckley. He had a very fine game, but asking one man to turn a match is asking a lot at this level. In contrast, Na Fianna had a number of able playmakers.

One facet of the Na Fianna game that was most impressive was an ability to play the ball out of defence and deliver good ball into their forwards. They didn't always maximise such good supply, but they had so many chances that things had to come good eventually - and Aaron Shearer's goal in the 55th minute came at just about the right time to get their considerable support singing.

Things hadn't seemed so comfortable as half-time approached. Although Sarsfields only led once in the match - when Buckley kicked a 14th minute free - Na Fianna weren't making the most of their opportunities and also appeared to be frustrated by referee Seamus McCormack's interpretations which resulted in a two-to-one free rate in Sarsfields' favour in that first-half.

Na Fianna had had three clearcut goal chances: Mick Galvin drove one shot low and wide of the post, and Foley was blocked by the woodwork in the 11th and 26th minutes. Given the chances which the forwards failed to grasp, it was slightly ironic that wing back Stephen McGlinchey, who midway through the half was given the task of policing Buckley, kicked two excellent points that handed them their 0-5 to 0-3 half-time advantage.

Sarsfields enjoyed their best period of the game in the first 10 minutes of the second-half and two frees, one a massive effort from Buckley from all of 55 yards and another from Pauric Brennan, brought them level. However, Na Fianna then upped the tempo. Sherlock's introduction was a factor, but a bigger reason was McGeeney's increased involvement.

Na Fianna regained the lead in the 43rd minute when Shearer, all alone in front of an open goal, scooped the ball over the bar rather than under it. It was the springboard for a four-point unanswered haul in a four-minute spell which featured some of the game's best scores: two were memorable.

A five-man move that involved McGlinchey, Galvin, McGeeney and Sherlock finished with Shearer pointing and shortly later Pat McCarthy broke up a Sarsfields move. The ball was passed at speed from the Na Fianna full-back line and finished only when Senan Connell, who had raced 100 yards to get into the thick of the action, pointed to give them a four-point lead.

Sarsfields' response came from Ray Coleman who kicked a fine point with 10 minutes remaining and, then, after Liam Sex demonstrated the art of blocking not once but twice at Shearer's expense, they broke upfield where Pauric Brennan pointed a free.

However, McGeeney was never far from the action. Apart from winning possession around midfield, he also assisted in attack and his fisted point in the 54th minute returned the margin to three points. A minute later, a high ball in from Karl Donnelly on the wing found Shearer and he fired home.

A couple of tit-for-tat points followed and a mini-brawl in injury time added some spice to it all.

Na Fianna: S Grey; P McCarthy, B Quinn, T Lynch; S McGlinchey (0-2), M Foley, S Connell (0-1); S Forde, K McGeeney (0-2); K Donnelly (0-2), D Farrell, M Galvin; I Foley (0-1, free), D Mackin, A Shearer (1-3). Subs: J Sherlock for I Foley (39 mins); N Murphy for Quinn (53 mins); D Keegan for Shearer (59 mins).

SARSFIELDS: K Nolan; J O'Malley, T Gorman, M McIntyre; N Hedderman, L Sex, B Moylan; Dermot Earley, J Whelan; P Brennan (0-2, frees), N Buckley (0-5, three frees), L Brennan; K Horgan, David Earley, R Cunningham. Subs: R Coleman (0-1) for Cunningham (7 mins); M Malone and B Nolan for Horgan and L Brennan (58 mins).

Referee: S McCormack (Meath).