Martin Ormand stars for Fingal in NHL3

However, their performance in the first half gave no indication of such a clearcut result. Failing to develop any momentum they could never impose themselves on the home team. Their discipline also left them down in conceding thirteen frees in the first thirty five minutes. Sligo opened the scoring with a pointed free in the third minute but two Martin Ormonde points pushed Fingal a point clear after ten minutes. The game then descended into a very stop- start affair with both sides being guilty of errors and sloppy play. In the last ten minute period of the half Fingal pushed on with three points (Ormonde 2 frees and Paul MacAllister from play) but their concession of frees gave Sligo a brace of points from their Kilkenny native free taker, Colin Herity. A slender one point lead, five to four, was probably a fair reflection of the disappointing fare provided by both teams in that period.

A refocused Fingal squad took the field for the second thirty five. Although conceding another free to Herity to level the game, the switch of McAllister to midfield was generating more play for the Fingal front six. They hit a rich vein of form with five unanswered points to lead by double scores at the three quarter mark.The consistent number 11 Ormonde added two of these points which were complimented by good scores from Colm Foley, Emmet McCabe and McAllister. Sligo then got their first score from play with a good point from corner forward Mark Gordon and another Herity brace reduced the deficit to three.

The major incident of the game arrived on the 26th minute of the half when Fingal substitute, Eanna Slattery, played a great 40m cross field pass to fellow substitute Brian McCarthy who offloaded to Dara de Burca and with a first time strike he found the Sligo net. Despite a reply from Herity with another pointed free the momentum was with Fingal and they finished out the game impressively with points from Ormonde (3) and McAllister.

Fingal are out again in six days time in the refixed game against Wicklow in Swords on Saturday at 2.30pm. If they are to overcome a Wicklow side trying to bounce straight back up to Division 3A the Fingal lads will have to produce an effort like their second half effort today for the full seventy next weekend.

Best for the Fingallians today were the youthful duo of Niall Ring and Michael Cussen in defence, the hard working Ross McGarry at midfield, and Colm Foley and Paul McAllister in attack in the second half. However the most impressive performer was Ormonde who supplemented his excellent free-taking with four great points from play.

Fingal Team and Scorers:

1    Willie Burke                St. Brigids

2    Peter Coyne                Trinity Gaels

3    David Markey              Fingallians

4    Niall Ring                    Naomh Barrog

5    Michael Cussen          St. Brigids

6    Dermot Vaughan         Fingallians

7    Brian Powell               Naomh Mearnog

8    Ross McGarry            Skerries Harps

9    Dara de Burca            Setanta                  (1-0)

10  Colm Foley                 St. Peregrines        (0-1)

11  Martin Ormonde          St. Sylvesters         (0-9 5f)

12  Paul McAllister           Naomh Maur           (0-3)

13  Emmet McCabe          Naomh Barrog        (0-2)

14  Peter Daly                  Fingallians

15  Cian O'Mahony           St. Brigids

16  Craig Harford               Naomh Maur

17  Paddy Sheridan          Naomh Maur

18  Alan Morris                St. Sylvesters

19  Eanna Slattery            Naomh Mearnog     ( for Daly)

20  Eoghan Cullen            Fingallians              ( for Vaughan inj.)

21  Brian McCarthy           Naomh Mearnog     ( for O'Mahony)

22  Matthew Lambe          Wild Geese

23  Paul Garbutt               Naomh Barrog

24  Rory Noonan               Skerries Harps

Sligo: Colin Herity 0-8f, Mark Gordon and Joe Bannerton 0-1 each