Jordan Walshe, Clough-Ballacolla, and Colin Currie, Na Fianna, in AIB Leinster Club SHC action. Photo by Stephen Marken/Sportsfile
AIB Leinster Club SHC Quarter-Final
Na Fianna 3-20 Clough-Ballacolla 1-15
By Paul Keane at Parnell Park
Beaten narrowly in last year's AIB Leinster club SHC final, Dublin champions Na Fianna are doing their very best to make amends.
With new Dublin manager Niall O Ceallachain on the sideline, the Glasnevin side finished strongly at Parnell Park to run out 11-point provincial quarter-final winners - securing their return to the last four where they will play St Martins of Wexford next weekend.
Just five points separated the sides with 55 minutes played but late goals from AJ Murphy, who top scored with 1-4, and goalkeeper Jonathan Tracey from a penalty, set the seal on a double digit winning margin.
Dublin star Donal Burke was on the mark with two points also while free-taker Colin Currie helped himself to 0-7 in wet and miserable conditions.
The result means that having contested their first ever Dublin SHC final only four years ago, back-to-back Leinster final appearances are now within touching distance for Na Fianna.
Visiting Clough Ballacolla hadn't played a game in six weeks since beating Rathdowney Errill by six points to claim their seventh county title.
Maybe that lack of match sharpness was a factor in the defeat - their sixth ever in the province - though initially at least, they looked more fresh than fatigued.
Stephen 'Picky' Maher, who hit 1-14 in that county decider and 2-40 in the Laois championship, scored two points as Willie Hyland's side moved 0-3 to 0-1 clear.
Maher then brought his own personal tally to 1-3 in the 10th minute when he capitalised on a mistake in the Na Fianna defence for a goal.
Willie Dunphy drove a hopeful ball in from the left wing and when Na Fianna defender Paul O'Dea slipped, Maher had the opening he needed to seize possession and rifle to the net - suggesting a potential upset result.
Now Clough Ballacolla had a commanding 1-4 to 0-3 lead but, surprisingly, they only added another three points in the half as Na Fianna finally found their range.
The Glasnevin outfit outscored the 2021 provincial finalists by 1-9 to 0-3 in the half after that Maher goal and never really looked back after that.
Na Fianna were entirely dominant around the pitch in the second quarter and when Ciaran Stacey pointed in the 23rd minute from a turnover deep in the Clough Ballacolla defence, it told a tale of how the game had turned.
Na Fianna reeled off six points in a row at one stage during the blitz and took command of the game when Stacey slammed in a terrific goal in the 29th minute.
He made space for himself with a searing run up the left wing and finished superbly, rifling beyond goalkeeper Cathal Dunne to the far top corner.
That propelled Na Fianna to a 1-12 to 1-7 half-time lead and with five first-half wides, three point attempts that dropped short, a shot off the post and another Stacey goal chance that was saved, they were full value for their advantage.
There wasn't much to report in the third quarter which played out as a score-for-score back and forth - which suited Na Fianna just fine.
The intensity wasn't off the charts but Na Fianna were happy enough to hit the final 10 minutes with their five-point lead still intact, 1-18 to 1-13.
Perhaps it was a dangerous game to toy with a side of Clough Ballacolla's calibre but Na Fianna weren't made to pay and finished the game with a burst of scores to seal the deal.
Murphy hit 1-1, his goal coming from a great Ciaran Stacey run through the centre, before sub Sean Ryan was fouled for a penalty that goalkeeper Jonathan Stacey converted.
Another Na Fianna substitute, Diarmuid Clerkin, rounded off the scoring as they waltzed through to Leinster's last four.
Scorers for Na Fianna: AJ Murphy 1-4, Colin Currie 0-7 (4fs, 2 65s), Ciaran Stacey 1-1, Jonathan Stacey 1-0, (pen) Donal Burke 0-2, Jack Meagher 0-2, Sean Currie 0-1, Brian Ryan 0-1, Paul O'Dea 0-1, Diarmuid Clerkin 0-1.
Scorers for Clough Ballacolla: Stephen Maher 1-9 (7fs), Cillian Dunne 0-2, Stephen Bergin 0-1, Kevin Mulhall 0-1, Aidan Corby 0-1, Robbie Phelan 0-1.
Na Fianna: Jonathan Tracey; Kevin Burke, Conor McHugh, Sean Burke; Paul O'Dea, Liam Rushe, Peter Feeney; Brian Ryan, Sean Currie; Jack Meagher, Colin Currie, Donal Burke; Gavin King, AJ Murphy, Ciaran Stacey.
Subs: Diarmuid Clerkin for King 46, Sean Ryan for Brian Ryan 52, Joe Kavanagh for Donal Burke 56, Donal Ryan for O'Dea 59, Gerry Spollen for Colin Currie 60.
Clough Ballacolla: Cathal Dunne; Cormac Hogan, Darren Maher, Joe Corby; Diarmaid Conway, Lee Cleere, Jordan Walshe; Aidan Corby, Kevin Mulhall; Robbie Phelan, Willie Dunphy, Cillian Dunne; Stephen Bergin, Mark Hennessy, Stephen Maher.
Subs: Joe Pearson for Darren Maher 42, Padraig Brennan for Hennessy 51, Sean Corby for Cillian Dunne 59.
Referee: Eamonn Furlong (Wexford).
