Naas ready to seek six in a row titles

Naas 3-28

Confey 0-7

Naas remained firmly on course for their sixth Kildare Senior Hurling Championship in a row with a 30-point win over Confey in their semi-final clash.

The early exchanges were all about intensity and Naas’ superior pressing of their opposition was an immediate problem. While Naas men picked up their heads to place a pass to another man in blue, Confey’s players pulling the strings had barely gathered possession before they were hunted in packs.

The best demonstration of Naas’ defensive diligence was that their opponents did not score from play at any point in this game.

Rian Boran got the game’s opening score after 10 seconds of play. The almost comically early point is not Boran’s first around this time this year, indicating that Naas have a set routine right from throw-in.

The eventual winners sometimes ease their way into game’s, but they were on it from the jump in this one. Daire Guerin and Brian Byrne knocked over two superb before Ferran O’Sullivan got his first of the afternoon.

Confey got their first point in the ninth minute and it arrived in the same fashion as all of their others, a Frank Bass free.

Naas surged again from here and it was clear that the county champions were going to take a victory home. The next thing for them became about performance and there was one glaring weakness in their altogether dominant showing, 13 first half wides, with 10 more in the second, tells its own story.

Ferran O’Sullivan’s second point and Simon Leacy’s first put Naas 0-6 to 0-1 ahead after 12 minutes.

Jack Sheridan added points from set-pieces with Cian Boran and Brian Byrne adding brilliantly from play.

The game sat at 0-11 to 0-3 when Naas grabbed their first goal. The leading side capitalised on a quick puck-out gone wrong and the ball was played into Cian Boran. The Naas centre-forward was helped to his knees by a Confey defender but, also at a terrible angle, still managed to get a shot and a brilliant one at that just inside the far post.

The remainder of the half was largely about fisticuffs with Conan Boran booked along with two Confey players on the field, one off of it and a Confey selector red carded.

Regardless, Naas led 1-12 to 0-4 at the break. The leading side’s intensity had waned slightly, but they were still taking shots at a rapid rate.

After a Jack Sheridan free, Naas added seven points in 10 minutes with all of them coming from play.

There was a slight dampener put on the Naas mood after 44 minutes when Conan Boran was sent off with a second yellow card for his role in some light wrestling with Paul Divilly. It was the kind of exchange that would look like male friendship at an Irish wedding, but it is seen as a less jovial encounter on the hurling field.

Naas got their second goal 10 minutes from the end and it was another Confey mistake at the back. Jack Sheridan latched onto the loose ball and very casually nailed it into the top corner.

Simon Leacy grabbed Naas’ third goal to cap off a performance that reminded everyone why is considered one of Kildare’s best hurlers. It was, like Sheridan’s, ever so casual from the midfielder as the ball was sent into his path. Leacy steadied himself briefly and launched the ball into the top corner.

Speaking after the game, Naas corner-forward Brian Byrne said, “Quite happy. I think we put in a really good performance. It’s hard to know, we played Confey in the group game and it went our way so we kind of expected a bit of change to the way the set-up, and they did that. So that was an extra challenge for us to get over.

“I think everyone that came on today equipped themselves very well and we finished with 3-28 so overall, very happy and we are through to another final.”

The man who played intercounty football with Kildare last year was quick to give his thoughts on Naas' tally of 23 wides in this game.

“The frustrating thing is that we said it in the warm-up, we were aware of it and when we came in at half-time we were very disappointed with our efficiency. That is something that we always target. We got stronger in the second half, but there were still some simple wides that one of these is gonna cost us. We’ll have to get that right for the next day.”

Scorers: Naas, Jack Sheridan 1-8 (0-6 frees), Simon Leacy 1-3, Cian Boran 1-2, Brian Byrne 0-3, Rian Boran 0-3, Ferran O'Sullivan 0-2, Liam Walsh 0-2, Daire Guerin 0-1, Cathal Dowling 0-1, Conan Boran 0-1, Fionn Maher 0-1, Ciaran Tobin 0-1.

Confey, Frank Bass 0-7 (0-7 frees).

NAAS: Cormac Gallagher; John McKeon, Rian Boran, Peter O'Donoghue; Harry Carroll, Conan Boran, Richard Hogan; Simon Leacy, Daire Guerin; Cathal Dowling, Cian Boran, Liam Walsh; Brian Byrne, Jack Sheridan, Ciarán Tobin. Subs: Kevin Kelleher for Peter O'Donoghue (9 minutes), Kevin Whelan for Richard Hogan (9 minutes), Fionn Maher for Ferran O'Sullivan (48 minutes), Richard Hogan for Cathal Dowling (53 minutes).

CONFEY: Ian Baker; Aiden Crean, Kieran Kilbane, Kevin Chan; Paul Feerick, Paul Divilly, Anto Hoare; Frank Bass, Enda Bannon; Neil Ryan, Colm Chan, Aidan Ryan; Niall Glennon, Brian Grimes, Oisin Lynch. Subs: Eoin Lynch for Kevin Chan (Half-time), Fiachra Lynch for Paul Ferrick (52 minutes), Brian Keane for Enda Bannon (55 minutes), Michael Mullarky for Brian Grimes (59 minutes), Robin Breslin for Neil Ryan (60 minutes).

REFEREE: Fergus Devereux