Naas 3-20 Maynooth 0-13
The Naas stranglehold over the Kildare GAA landscape continues to grow stronger after they powered past Maynooth to win the senior club hurling county final on Sunday.
Just a week after their footballers became the first Kildare side in 114 years to complete a four-in-a-row in the senior championship, the Naas hurlers became the first to win a six-in-a-row in 105 years with a comprehensive dismantling of Maynooth at Cedral St Conleths Park.
Again, cousins Brian Byrne and man of the match Jack Sheridan were at the heart of the win. In last year's final win over Coill Dubh they contributed 3-10 and in this final scored 2-10 between them.
Sheridan’s goal came after just three minutes and underdogs Maynooth’s task, which was already difficult, became almost unsurmountable.
They managed to stay competitive through the first half, mainly thanks to the accurate free taking of David Qualter, but Naas always had the edge.
Qualter and Cathal McCabe successive points to get Maynooth back to within two of Naas with ten minutes left in the first half but Naas took over again after that.
Only a superb double save from Sean Bean denied Naas a goal in the 22nd when he saved from Daire Guerin first of all and then was quickly on his feet again to block from Cathal Dowling on the rebound, but Naas then scored six of the next seven points.
The writing was on the wall for Maynooth at half time when Naas led 1-13 to 0-7 and things got even worse when Sheridan set up captain Byrne for a well taken goal just three minutes after the restart.
Byrne added a point straight after that and fired a shot just the wrong side of the post in the 40th minute as he went looking for a second goal.
The Naas third goal did arrive though, and in some style, in the 44th minute. Simon Leacy’s crossfield pass picked out Cathal Dowling and he rose majestically to fetch the ball before unleashing a superb shot to the Maynooth net.
From there on, it was Naas all the way and their thoughts will now very quickly turn to a tilt at the Leinster Championship following this comprehensive win.
Naas: Cormac Gallagher; Harry Carroll, Richard Hogan, Kevin Kelleher, Conan Boran, Rian Boran (0-1), Kevin Whelan; Liam Walsh, Daire Guerin; Cathal Dowling (1-01), Brian Byrne (1-03), Simon Leacy (0-02), Cian Boran (0-03), Jack Sheridan (1-07, 6fs), Ferran O’Sullivan (0-02).
Subs: Ross Kelly for Whelan (49), James Burke for O’Sullivan (54), Killian Harrington 0-1 for Conan Boran (57), Ciaran Tobin for Cian Boran (60)
Maynooth: Sean Bean; Mark Butler, Matt Eustace, Ronan Dunne, David Eustace, Cian Forde, Dan O’Meara (0-01); Ciaran Flanagan, Harry Dunne; Cathal McCabe (0-03), Conor O’Grady, Graham Kenny, David Qualter (0-08, 5fs, 1’65), Kevin Dunne, Eoin Kelliher.
Subs: Cormac Nolan 0-1 for Butler (ht), Luke Murnane for H Dunne (43), Micheál Hogan for Kelliher (51), Mickey Gillick for O’Grady (55), Kevin Carroll for Kenny (56).
Referee: Billy O’Connell
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