Athy dethrone Naas in Kildare County Final

Athy have dethroned county champions, Naas, with a fully-deserved two-point win in a mouth-watering Kildare SFC final at Cedral St Conleth's Park, Newbridge, this afternoon.

Athy looked all but home and hosed leading by six after 48 minutes but Naas refused to go away. Alex Beirne convered a two-pointer free; Athy replied with corner back, Sean Moore firing over two points.

Beirne came with another two-pointer free in the 63 minute to cut the led back to two but while Naas had two chances to level it, both went wide.

Alex Beirne opened for Naas with two brilliant two-pointers, slowly Athy came to grips and it was Barry Kelly who took the game by the scruff of the neck knocking over three excellent points but while Naas led 0-8 to 0-4 on 20 minutes, it was a goal from that man Barry Kelly who put the boys in red in the driving seat capitalising on a poor clearance with a great finish to the Naas net.

Athy were now on a roll and enjoying a purple patch, adding three points to take a 1-7 to 0-8 lead. However just before the break Ryan Sinkey got his third of the half to leave the score at the break Athy 1-7 Naas 0-9.

Seven points on the trot saw Athy lead 1-15 to 0-12; they lost Barry Kelly through injury as Naas cut the lead back to three but, pushed back out to four before Alex Beirne hit a two-ppointer free on 63 minutes.

Naas piled forward but failed to get the leveler as Athy stood firm for a fully deserved victory on a final score line of Athy 1-17 to 0-18.

Scorers: Athy, Barry Kelly 1-3, Niall Kelly 0-6 (5 frees), Cathal McCarron 0-3, Sean Moore 0-2, Kevin Feely 0-1, Brian Maher 0-2.

Naas, Alex Beirne 0-10 (2 two-pointers, 2 two-pointer free, 1 free), Ryan Sinkey 0-5, Kevin Cummins 0-1, Brian Stynes 0-1, Jack McKevitt 0-1.

ATHY: Shane Jackman; Sean Moore, Michael Spillane, Darren Lawler; Padraic Spillane, Cathal McCarron, James McGrath; Kevin Feely, David Hyland cpt.; Brian Maher, Barry Kelly, Conor Doyle; Ronan Kelly, Colm Moran, Niall Kelly. Subs: Cian Keaveney for Ronan Kelly (45 minutes); Ben Purcell for Barry Kelly (49 minutes): Mark Hyland for Colm Moran (56 minutes); Sean Bride for James McGrath (9 minutes); Paudie Behan for Conor Doyle (59 minutes).

NAAS: Luke Mullins; Mark Maguire, Brian Byrne, Rob Fitzgerald; Jack McKevitt, Eoin Doyle cpt., Paddy McDermott; Fintan Quinn, Paul McDermott; Kevin Cummins, Brian Stynes, Elliott Beirne; Darragh Kirwan, Alex Beirne, Ryan Sinkey. Subs: Cathal Daly for Fintan Quinn (43 minutes); Neil Aherne for Elliott Beirne (45 minutes); Sean Hanafin for Brian Stynes (49 minutes): Dermot Hanafin for Kevin Cummins (52 minutes).

REFEREE: Brendan Cawley.