Wonderful Woods keeps the Barr high
Naomh Fionnbarra 2-8 Cooley Kickhams 0-13
THEY’RE well used to the William Woods show down in Ballygassan at this stage, but they never tire of a fresh rendition all the same.
The Louth attacker was at his devastating best on Sunday as Naomh Fionnbarra dumped Cooley Kickhams out of the Intermediate Championship in a well flagged ‘shock’ at St Brigid’s Park.
The Barrs are by no means a one-man show, but when you have a forward capable of scoring all bar one or two of your tally in nearly every game, it makes sense to play to his strengths.
On this occasion the full forward bagged 1-7 of the Barrs two goals and eight points and he also set up Conor Osborne for the his side’s crucial second major.
But while Woods racked up, his partner-in-crime in the top line, Adam Hanratty, was arguably equally effective as the deadly duo ran the Cooley full-back line ragged from start to finish.
It was a mystery that Kickhams didn’t offer their last line more protection, particularly in the second period, albeit during a spell when they also had to chase the game.
The writing has been on the wall for the former county kingpins since a feeble final group display against Oliver Plunketts and once Finbarrs got their noses in front midway through the opening half, it was difficult to envisage anything other than a second semi-final appearance in a row for Paddy White’s side
Cooley started the brighter with points from Emmet Rogan and the lively Michael Carron, but Woods latched onto a Darren McConnon delivery to fire past county teammate Neil Gallagher in the eighth minute.
Cooley stayed in the ascendency, however, and the scores started to flow from some unlikely sources as Conor McGuinness bagged a brace and James O’Reilly kicked a peach of a point.
But the Barrs slowly got to grips with Carron and they also started to dominate at midfield as McConnon and John Doyle got on top of Richie Brenna and Fearghal Malone.
That provided the platform for more concerted attacks and Woods, Hanratty and Bernard Osborne all forced the Cooley defence into fouling errors - meat and drink to Woods!
By then 23rd minute the Barrs had opened a 1-5 to 0-6 lead, but Cooley managed to get back on terms before the break with a Fearghal Malone ‘45’ and a second point from the impressive James O’Reilly.
The Barrs left Cooley waiting prior to the re-start, and they certainly caught their opponents cold when the action resumed as Woods kicked a super pooint off his left and then claimed a Bernard Osborne delivery to set up Conor Osborne for the second goal, making it 2-6 to 0-8.
But as crucial as that second goal would prove to be, it was the Barrs organisation in defence that prevented Cooley from opening their second-half account until the 51st minute.
They did come with a late rally, but a booming Woods free from all of 55 metres kept them at bay and the goal they so badly needed never looked likely.
NAOMH FIONNBARRA: Andy McCann; Hugh McGrane, Kieran Lenehan, James Butterly; Niall Woods, Hugh Osborne, Bryan Sharkey; Darren McConnon, John Doyle; Bernard Osborne 0-1, Conor Osborne 1-0, Máirtín Murphy; Nicholas Butterly, William Woods 1-7 (6f), Adam Hanratty. Subs: Jack Butterly for N Butterly, Óisín McGee for B Osborne,
COOLEY KICKHAMS: Neil Gallagher; Dean McGreehan, James O’Reilly 0-3, Paddy Hanlon; Conor McGuinness 0-2, Darren Marks, Gerry Malone; Richard Brennan, Fearghal Malone 0-1 ‘45’; Emmet Rogan 0-1f, Brian White 0-3 (2f), Michael Rafferty 0-1; Aoghain McGuinness, Michael Carron 0-2, Ciarán Sheelan. Subs: Peter Thornton for Rogan, Keith White for Malone, Conor Kenny for McGuinness (black card), Alan Page for Brennan.
REFEREE: Des McDonnell.