Na Fianna back in Leinster hurling final after tense victory over St Martin's
Fianna Burke Na Of Sam With Barnes/sportsfile By Supporters Photo Donal Celebrates
It wasn't that long ago that Na Fianna struggled to gain any sort of foothold in Dublin, let alone Leinster, but the Glasnevin outfit are preparing now for back-to-back provincial final appearances.
Three late points in a row from Donal Burke and top scorer Colin Currie eventually separated the Glasnevin outfit, who only contested their first Dublin final four years ago, from a determined St Martin's at Parnell Park.
Currie finished with nine points while substitute Sean Ryan struck the 54th minute goal which was also highly significant in the four-point win.
The cold and windy conditions, and heavy sod, mitigated against a classic encounter unfolding but it was still a gripping semi-final, particularly in the closing quarter hour or so.
St Martin's had fought from four points down at half-time to level terms and then briefly moved ahead before Ryan struck that goal.
The unflinching visitors refused to yield even after that and got it back to a one-point game before those three points in a row from Mobhi Road side Na Fianna.
They will return to Croke Park next Saturday evening to play Kilcormac-Killoughey of Offaly having lost last year's final there by a point to O'Loughlin Gaels.
St Martin's may feel they let slip a great opportunity to reach the final themselves.
A lengthy delay between the county final and the provincial championship has affected Wexford teams in the past.
This year's final was earlier this month and St Martin's took that momentum with them into last weekend's Leinster quarter-final win over Naas.
But they only got going in fits and bursts this time and fell into Na Fianna's slipstream straight away, trailing by four points after 15 minutes.
Currie struck three Na Fianna points in that period as the hosts opened up a 0-5 to 0-1 lead.
They retained that four-point lead at the interval, 0-10 to 0-6, and must have been content with the defensive job they did on Daithi Hayes' St Martin's who were held to just two points from play.
Wexford star Rory O'Connor was man-marked by Conor McHugh, the Na Fianna full-back who in another life was a Dublin football attacker and a former All-Ireland U-21 Footballer of the Year.
Liam Rushe, the former Dublin centre-back, picked up Rory's brother, Jack, another player with plenty of inter-county experience. Meanwhile, Dublin star and Na Fianna Donal Burke was tracked by Joe Barrett.
It was tight and tense and the yellow card shown to Na Fianna manager Niall O Ceallachain, the new Dublin boss, summed up the mood.
St Martin's got a head of steam going and outscored Na Fianna 0-4 to 0-1 between the 16th and 26th minutes. Two of those points were Rory O'Connor frees and each of them was greeted with a fist pump from the St Martin's management.
The second-half was even more fire and brimstone. St Martin's dominated the third quarter, reeling in the deficit to draw level at 0-11 apiece in the 47th minute. They struck four points in a row at one stage in that period, giving their vocal travelling fans plenty to cheer about.
They were level twice more at 0-12 and 0-13 apiece. Barry O'Connor came strongly into the game for St Martin's, as did half-back Daithi Waters who was involved in two huge plays, the first a brilliant high catch and the second a dispossession that led to a David Codd point.
Barry O'Connor moved them 0-14 to 0-13 ahead before the Na Fianna goal, a delivery from the left wing going through the hands of Ciaran Stacey and AJ Murphy being played to Ryan.
Rory O'Connor reduced the gap to the minimum for St Martin's soon after but Na Fianna kicked strongly for home with three late points in a row from Burke, his first of the game, and then two converted Currie frees.
Colin Currie 0-9 (0-8f), Sean Ryan 1-0, Gavin King 0-2 (0-1 s/l), Jack Meagher 0-2, Ciaran Stacey 0-1, AJ Murphy 0-1, Donal Burke 0-1.
Rory O'Connor 0-8 (0-7f), David Codd 0-2, Darren Codd 0-1, Jack O'Connor 0-1, Ben Stafford 0-1, Joe O'Connor 0-1, Barry O'Connor 0-1.
Na Fianna: Jonathan Tracey; Conor McHugh, Sean Burke, Paul O'Dea; Kevin Burke, Liam Rushe, Peter Feeney; Brian Ryan, Sean Currie; Jack Meagher, Donal Burke, Ciaran Stacey; Colin Currie, AJ Murphy, Gavin King.
Subs: Donal Ryan for O'Dea h/t, Sean Ryan for Brian Ryan 43, Diarmuid Clerkin for King 46.
St Martin's: Dylan Byrne; Paddy O'Connor, Conor Firman, Eoin O'Leary; Philip Dempsey, Joe Barrett, Daithi Waters; David Codd, Joe O'Connor; Darren Codd, Jack O'Connor, Jack Devereux; Barry O'Connor, Kyle Firman, Rory O'Connor.
Subs: Luke Kavanagh for Devereux 36, Ben Stafford for Kyle Firman 43, Sam Audsley for Paddy O'Connor 54.
Referee: Sean Cleere (Kilkenny).