Naas 3-15
Maynooth 0-16
Naas' dominance over Kildare hurling continues after they defeated Maynooth to claim their seventh successive title this afternoon at Cedral St Conleths Park.
Although a young Maynooth side gave it their all, and got considerably closer than when the two teams met in last year’s final and there were 17 points between them, there was never a period in the game where anything other than a Naas win looked likely.
Jack Sheridan’s game ended prematurely when he picked up a second yellow card in injury time after a clash with Ciaran Dunne, which also saw the Maynooth man booked, but by then he had already done enough damage on the scoreboard. Even though the Maynooth defence did a good job to nullify his chances of a goal, he still finished with eight points including a couple of spectacular long range points.
Oran Byrne had opened the scoring for Maynooth, the only time they led in the game, before Sheridan levelled things up with a free from near his own 45.
The writing was on the wall for Maynooth when Killian Harrington scored the first Naas goal with four minutes on the clock after he had been picked out by Liam O’Reilly.
To their credit, Maynooth didn’t capitulate after that and with 18-year-old free taker Tom Power proving unerringly accurate in front of the posts they kept on coattails of Naas.
It was just that Harrington goal separating the teams with five minutes left in the half but Ferran O’Sullivan’s 27th minute goal was part of a scoring burst that saw Naas lead 2-09 to 0-06 at the break.
They had the ball in the net 50 seconds after the restart but Cathal Dowling’s effort was ruled out for a square ball.
They didn’t have to wait long for their third goal however, and it arrived in the 39th minute when man of the match Cian Boran rifled home.
Maynooth kept battling but were denied a late consolation goal when Cormac Nolan’s effort was ruled out due to a square ball.
On a weekend that the club’s camogie team won their fourth senior title in a row, and a week before their footballers look to add their fifth successive crown, the Naas juggernaut shows no sign of slowing down. .
They now move on to face Carlow champions Mount Leinster Rangers in the opening round of Leinster, a club which current Naas manager Tom Mullally led to an All-Ireland senior final in the 2013-14 season.
Naas: Cormac Gallagher; Liam O’Reilly, Peter O’Donoghue, Simon Leacy (0-01), Rian Boran, Ross Kelly, Daire Guerin; Cian Boran (1-00), Evan O’Briain; Cathal Dowling (0-01), Brian Byrne (0-02), Liam Walsh, Killian Harrington (1-01), Jack Sheridan (0-08, 5f, 1 '65), Ferran O’Sullivan (1-01).
Subs: Mac Dara Moore for Harrington, 47; Fionn Maher for Walsh, 53; Kevin Whelan for O’Briain, 59; Charlie Sheridan (0-01, 1f) for Byrne, 60; Richie Hogan for O’Sullivan, 60+4
Maynooth: Sean Bean; Matt Eustace, Martin Quilty, Conor O’Grady, Ronan Dunne, Cian Forde, Daniel O’Meara; Cathal McCabe (0-01), Oran Byrne (0-02); Ciaran Dunne (0-01), Ciaran Flanagan (0-01), Kevin Dunne, Tom Power (0-08, 8f), Tadhg Forde, Cormac Nolan (0-02).
Subs: Adam Jordan (0-01) for T Forde, 39; Conall Knox for O’Grady, 44; Kevin Carroll for C Forde, 46.
Referee: Matthew Redmond.
Meanwhile, Middletown made it seven titles on the trot in Armagh following a hard-fought 0-21 to 0-19 win over perennial rivals Keady.
For so long, the Na Fianna's recent dominance in the Orchard County looked like it was coming to an end with Keady leading by four points at the break and a point heading into the final quarter, but with Dean Gaffney in sensational scoring form, Middletown finished strongly to claim yet another title.
