Four from four for the Finbarrs

NH FIONNBARRA 2-8 O’CONNELLS 0-7

THE Finbarrs made it four wins from four played in the Division 2 league with a seven point victory over the O’Connells at Ballygassan on Saturday evening.

The home team, playing with the wind, got off to a great start when Jack Butterly rounded his man along the end line and hand passed to Gary Matthews who calmly palmed the ball to the net.

Woods pointed an excellent 45 and a minute later followed by his second goal of the game. The same man was proving to be a thorn in O’Connells side as he landed another point to leave the score 2-3 to 0-0 after 18 minutes.

The visitors finally got on the score board with a point from a free by Niall Conlon and a minute later got their second point well taken by Dean Corrigan. Darren McConnon put the Barr’s further ahead with a point and the sides shared the last two points of the half to leave the score at the break 2-5 to 0-3 to the home team.

The visitors had the wind at their backs for the second half but you would hardly know it as they failed to take any advantage with it. Gary Matthews increased the home team’s lead with a fisted point while the O’Connells missed the chance to force their way back into the game with a series of wides.

Scores were hard to come by in this half but two frees from that man Woods against the wind in the 48th and 54th minutes left the score 2-8 to 0-3 with five minutes to go. O’Connells got the last four points of the game three coming from the boot of Dean Corrigan and the other from Conlon.

NH FIONNBARRA: Andy McCann; Hugh McGrane, Kieran Lenihan, Patrick McGrane; Chris McGlynn, Óisin McGee, Bryan Sharkey; John Doyle, Darren McConnon 0-1; Máirtín Murphy, Conor Osborne, Padraig Butterly; Jack Butterly, Gary Matthews 1-1, William Woods 1-6. Subs Padraic Murphy for Gary Matthews, Hugh Osborne for C Osborne, Martin O’Neill for M Murphy, Daithi Woods for J Butterly.

O’CONNELLS: Stuart Reynolds; Salem Rifaie, Dean Stanfield, David Hoey; Liam Kiernan, Jackie Agnew, PJ Tuite; Sean Cairns, Ciaran O’Brien; Stuart Osborne, Andrew Sharkey, Niall Conlon 0-3(2f); James Clarkin, Conor McGill, Dean Corrigan 0-4. Subs Conor Culligan for L Kiernan, Conor Kiernan for D Stanfield, Micheal Cairns for PJ Tuite.