Naomh Mearnog vs Fingal Ravens Senior football round 3 report

On Saturday evening last our senior footballers had a comprehensive 3-13 to 0-8 victory over Fingal Ravens. Played in humid conditions, the lads led from start to finish and recovered from a disappointing display against St Brigids last time out. Fingal Ravens headed into the game as slight favorites after dismantling Brigids last time out. Our boys had to win to reach the quarter finals and from an early stage the hunger and will was there for all to see. The workrate and running off the ball paid dividends and after a couple of early frees from Shane Kavanagh, Sean Hawkshaw crashed a rocket to the back of the net. With only 13 minutes gone Ravens were struggling to cope with the intensity of the Mearnog boys. Centre half back Gavin Nangle drove the team forward at every opportunity and his pace caused the Fingal half back line problems time and time again. Shane Carty at mid-field was winning a lot of possession and with that spaces were appearing even at this early stage. 20 minutes in and after some sharp passing from back to front Sean Hawkshaw hit a beauty from the right hand side. This was followed up by Carty shooting  over an angled shot from 30 meters. All Ravens could muster up in the first half was a mere 2 points and try as the might space and time was at a premium. The half time score read Naomh Mearnog 1-6 to Fingal Ravens 0-2. To be guaranteed a spot our boys had to remain focused and could not afford for complacency to set in. The early stages of the 2nd half had followed a similar pattern, with Mearnogs dictating most of the play. Mearnogs landed the opening 3 scores of the 2nd half to open up a 10 point advantage. Ravens replied with 2 scores themselves, before a great from Shane Kavanagh was ball played into corner forward Mark Phelan, which  was dispatched to the net leaving our boys firmly in the driving seat. The scoreline read 2-11 to 0-5. You could tell at this stage Mearnogs were tiring and as a result Ravens landed a couple of points on the trot. Oisin Taylor was introduced and had an immediate impact. He was played through by Niall Murphy and his goalbound effort was brilliantly saved by the Ravens keeper, only for Taylor to follow in the rebound to the net. Niall Murphy landed a cracking effort, before Shane Carty landed the final score of the game. The game finished 3-13 to 0-8 which did not flatter our boys whatsoever. Ravens despite beating Brigids exited the championship and will feel as though they left a quarter final behind them. Mearnogs with the mix of the experienced Frank Doyle at full back, Shane Carty at mid-field along with the youth of Gavin Nangle, Eoin Kelly, Karl- Lynch Bissett and Sean Hawkshaw, will fancy their chances of going far in this championship. Up next for our boys is Trinity Gaels at home and with a vocal supporting team on the line, the boys have all the elements to really go hell for leather in the next game. We shall wait and see. Exciting times ahead.