Naas (Kildare) 4-21 Shinrone (Offaly) 0-18
Naas took the step up in their stride as the reigning AIB All-Ireland intermediate club title holders cruised through to the last four of the senior provincial competition, securing a glamour Croke Park clash.
Jack Sheridan's 1-11 haul at St Conleth's Park went a long way to nailing down a 27 November semi-final clash with heavyweights Ballyhale Shamrocks or Castletown Geoghegan, who play tomorrow in their quarter-final.
It is a first ever win at this level for Naas and the giant 15-point success indicates that they are more than comfortable at the grade.
Goals from Charlie Sheridan, Kevin Aherne, James Burke and Jack Sheridan ultimately proved the difference as Naas turned up the heat in the final third of the game.
They led by just three points with 41 minutes on the clock but outscored the Offaly champions by 2-10 to 0-04 from there on to win with surprising ease.
After a 15-minute delay to throw-in, Shinrone began as narrow favourites having overcome 2012 provincial winners Kilcormac-Killoughey in the Offaly decider.
That was back on 2 October and they suffered a blow in the meantime, losing full-forward and county final Man of the Match Ciaran Cleary.
His five points from play in the county decider proved decisive that day and the visitors lacked his scoring threat this time, blasting seven wides in the first-half alone.
They were costly misses as the two Naas goals, from Charlie Sheridan and Aherne in the ninth and 25th minutes, left Tom Mullally's men in pole position.
Both of those first-half goals were set up by Cathal Dowling who, on both occasions, burst clear, the first time on the left wing and the second time on the right, before cleverly offloading.
The Charlie Sheridan goal left Naas 1-03 to 0-01 ahead and indicated that Shinrone could be in for a long afternoon in Newbridge.
A week after the Naas footballers bowed out of their provincial competition, the hurlers - with dual players James Burke and Brian Byrne in attack - brought their unique brand of hungry hurling to the contest, smothering Shinrone around the pitch and moving the ball precisely through the hands.
They led 2-07 to 0-08 at half-time and should have been further clear with seven wides costing them.
Dowling closed out the first-half scoring for Naas with a tidy score from distance.
Shinrone, making their debut in the competition as first time Offaly champions, narrowed the gap to three points on three occasions during the third quarter of the game as they upped the intensity noticeably.
But points from Byrne and free-taker Sheridan, followed by a third Naas goal in the 44th minute from Burke, swung the game and ultimately broke Shinrone's resolve.
From there on, it was all Naas and the Kildare men strode to an impressive win with Jack Sheridan's 55th minute goal a victory for hard work and persistence after his initial one-handed shot was blocked.
Naas: Cormac Gallagher; John McKeon, Ross Kelly, Peter O'Donoghue; Harry Carroll (0-01), Sean Gainey, Kevin Whelan (0-01); Rian Boran, Simon Leacy (0-02); James Burke (1-00), Brian Byrne (0-02), Kevin Aherne (1-01); Charlie Sheridan (1-00), Cathal Dowling (0-02), Jack Sheridan (1-11, 0-10f).
Subs: Conan Boran (0-01) for Whelan 43, Liam Walsh for McKeon 59, Ferran O'Sullivan for Charlie Sheridan 61, Rian Monaghan for Byrne 62, Conor Dowling for Burke 64.
Shinrone: Eamonn Cleary; Darren O'Meara, Peter Cleary, Darren Crean; Killian Sampson (0-01, 0-01 s/l), Micheal Cleary, Dara Maher (0-02); Declan Cleary (0-01), Luke Watkins (0-01); Jason Sampson (0-01), Donal Morkan (0-11, 0-11f), Adrian Cleary; Paul Cleary, Conor Doughan, Sean Cleary (0-01).
Subs: Adam Landy for Declan Cleary 47, DJ McLoughlin for Paul Cleary 55, Darragh Landy for Watkins 59.
Referee: Caymon Flynn (Westmeath).
