02/05/2026
Some pictures from our win on Wednesday.
A hard-fought battle began with a fast start from Na Fianna, who opened their account with a brace of points. This was soon answered by a Civil Service point, followed by a goal which finished off an excellent surging run by Luke Lyons.
The half progressed with both sides trading points. Na Fianna were excellent at breaking forward at pace and were a consistent goal threat throughout the half. Civil Service can thank their lucky stars, or more aptly their star goalkeeper Cian McCarney, who pulled off a number of excellent saves to limit the number of goal chances converted to one before the break. Civil Service escaped an onslaught but still trailed by 2 at the break.
The second half represented a shift in momentum, as improved defensive organisation and pressure high up the field allowed the Service to gain a foothold in the game. A penalty around the 50-minute mark, converted by the reliable Darragh Kelliher, seemed to pave the way towards a Civil Service victory.
Na Fianna were not going down without a fight, however. A sideline ball directed in, long and high, was decisively gathered and finished by the Na Fianna full forward. Minutes later, when the Na Fianna No. 20 found himself through 1-on-1 with goal, it appeared the script had been flipped completely. It was not to be, however, as man of the match Cian McCarney pulled off an unbelievable point-blank save to keep Civil Service hopes alive. The advantage was with Na Fianna, but crucially the possession was with the home side, who battled on into the dying embers.
Patient build-up was rewarded with a free just outside the two-point arc with about 2 minutes remaining. The difficult free was taken by Eoin Monaghan. You might have assumed Eoin would be feeling the worse for wear at this point, having played 60 minutes of football during which he had to be temporarily substituted for a head injury. Well, if he was, it certainly didn’t show, as the ball struck perfectly and flew through the air, looking to still be rising as it bisected the posts.
The win was hailed by a jubilant John Gaffney as a famous victory. 2-12 2-11
