A WILLIAM Woods-inspired Naomh Fionnbarra survived a late wobble in this rip-roaring mid-Louth derby at Pairc Mhuire last Saturday to book their place in the JFC decider.

The Togher outfit accounted for championship favourites St Fechin's in the quarter-finals and proved that result was no flash in the pan with another performance of substance against their neighbours.

Woods, who turned the Fechin's game on its head with a goal after coming on as a sub, was a thorn in Lannleire's side all afternoon and finished with 1-6 – all from play.

Lannleire were missing one of their free-takers for this semi-final, with Alan Murphy – top scorer in the previous round against St Kevin's – ruled out with an arm injury sustained in a league match.

Finbarrs' Bernard Osborne opened the scoring with a secondminute point after a foul on Larry McEntee, but Lannleire replied with four successive frees in the space of six minutes as they inflicted maximum punishment for some needless indiscipline.

Carlos Lambe hit three of those points, all from placed balls curled in nicely on the breeze from the stand side, while Kevin Prout accounted for the other, taken from the hands after Colin McGrane was penalised for over-carrying.

Gradually, a game of football broke out and Finbarrs' John Doyle boomed a 45-metre wind-assisted effort between the posts – the game's first score from play – in the 12th minute.

Prout immediately replied for Lannleire, also from play, only for Bernard Osborne to kick his second free, leaving the Finbarrs trailing by 0-5 to 0-3 on the quarter-hour.

Osborne wasn't so lucky with a 17th-minute '45' which drifted wide, but Mark Rath turned sharply and split the posts from the Togher side's next attack to make it a one-point game and Woods then tied the scores from some 50 metres out.

A minute later a long cross-field pass by Woods picked out Fergal Leonard unmarked. He could have gone for goal himself, but spotted McEntee in a more advanced position and the number 12 shot low past Donal Martin – 1-5 to 0-5.

After coughing up 1-3 with no reply, Darren Noone finally arrested the Lannleire slide with a good point, and Finbarrs keeper Allan Matthews then produced a fine double save to deny Paul Callan and Prout.

However, Bernard Osborne then restored Finbarrs' three-point lead from a free, and Lannleire's frustration was evident as Oisin McGee – having been substituted in first-half stoppage time – angrily swiped away a water bottle when it was thrown to him by a colleague on the sideline.

Before the break there was still time for Stuart Osborne to open his account with a fisted point from brother Bernard's delivery, and the Finbarrs turned around with a 1-7 to 0-6 advantage.

It got better for the men from Togher on the restart as Woods came out all guns blazing, starting with a point after just 25 seconds. And forty-five seconds later the Drogheda United striker out-paced Thomas Doyle and bore down on goal before lashing a super finish past Martin – 2-8 to 0-6.

Only for a goal-line clearance by Andrew Flanagan, Woods would have had another major on 33 minutes, and the corner forward then teed up Bernard Osborne whose goal-bound shot was pushed away by Martin.

Osborne then converted a free to push Finbarrs eight points clear, but successive points from John Farrelly and Lambe gave Lannleire some hope – 2-9 to 0-9 after 39 minutes.

Woods was still wreaking havoc and when he was dragged down Osborne stroked over the free, only for Callan to respond in kind after a cynical foul which prevented a goal chance.

The next three points all went to Woods, though, as he terrorised the Lannleire full back line with his pace and accuracy – and at 2-13 to 0-10 well into the final quarter the game looked to be up for the Dunleer side. Not a bit of it! On the 50-minute mark, Noone teed up Callan who blasted to the net from close range, and Lambe then kicked a simple free after Trevor Dolan was pulled up for overcarrying.

In the 53rd minute John O'Connor nearly engineered another goal chance for Lannleire, but Martin Crosbie produced a crucial interception on the edge of his own square.

Nevertheless, Finbarrs looked like they might press the selfdestruct button as Shane Fanning was penalised for fouling the ball and Prout converted the free – 2-13 to 1-12 after 55 minutes.

Woods eased his side's nerves by somehow splitting the posts when under severe pressure from corner back Bob Murphy, but Prout replied with another free and still the Finbarrs weren't quite home and hosed.

It wasn't until Bernard Osborne drew a 60th-minute foul and converted the free that Finbarrs could begin to relax and the clock had ticked into the fourth minute of stoppage time when Lambe got the Lannleire deficit back to four points with the game's final score. NAOMH FIONNBARRA: Allan Matthews; Liam McDonnell, Colin McGrane, Padraig Butterly; Oisin McGee, Trevor Dolan, Fergal Leonard; John Doyle 0-1, Nicholas Butterly; Stuart Osborne 0-1, Martin Crosbie, Larry McEntee 1-0; Bernard Osborne 0-6 (fs), Mark Rath 0-1, William Woods 1-6. Subs: Kieran Murphy for McGee (30min +2), Damien Byrne for McEntee (42min), Shane Fanning for N Butterly (46min). LANNLEIRE: Donal Martin; Bob Murphy, Paul McGeough, Thomas Doyle; Brendan McEvoy, Brian McGuinness, Andrew Flanagan; Ian Mulroy, Kevin Prout 0-5 ( 0-3f); John Farrelly 0-1, Patrick O'Connor, Carlos Lambe 0-6 (0-4f); Paul Callan 11 (0-1f), John Boylan, Darren Noone 0-1. Sub: John O'Connor for McGuinness (26min). REFEREE: Gerry Malone.

- Marcus CAVAROLI at Pairc Mhuire