Kildare GAA: Goals end Naas venture in Leinster Club Championship

AIB Leinster Club Senior Football Championship quarter-final

Kilmacud Crokes 3-14

Naas 0-14

In the end there were all of nine points separating Kilmacud Crokes and Naas in the AIB Leinster Club Senior Football quarter-final Championship and, in fairness, there can be no complaints and no hard-luck stories.

Having said that Naas, at times, played some excellent football, particularly in the opening half after going five points behind after nine points they battled back to within one of the Dublin champions on 18 minutes but a second goal from the home side put them back in command and despite giving it their all, Naas, never really managed to put their opponents under any real pressure from there on.

At the break Kilmacud led by six (2-7 yo 2-6) and throughout the game it was the goals there proved the difference between the sides.

Speaking of goals and one could not really plan for the winner's opening effort.
Goalkeeper, Luke Mullins had the ball in control and made his way out from between the sticks to around the 20m line.

A handpass saw Cathal Daly gain possession but the no. 2 — one of the Naas stars throughout this particular voyage this season — was caught in two minds and was adjudged, some might say harshly, to have over-carried.
The defender placed the ball on the ground but unfortunately it was beside Dara Mullin. The full forward immediately noticed that the Naas keeper was way off his line and duly popped the ball into the empty net.
Full marks to Mullin, but a harsh lesson for the Naas defence.

Naas opened and created a great goal chance when wing back, Tom Browne, was put through with the goal at his mercy but he decided to fire over rather than look for the net but Naas were up and running, just 25 seconds on the clock.
Aidan Jones leveled before Shane Walsh converted a free to take the lead.

Walsh — the Galway import — showed just what an top class player he is, with some excellent point taking from placed balls and open play.

Luke Mullins advance to pop over a 45 on four minutes before the fortunate goal arrived for The Crokes who now led 1-2 to 0-2.
Shane Walsh kicked a beauty followed by an excellent free as Naas looked somewhat rattled.

Two points from Alex Beirne got the visitors back into the game and they certainly seemed to be settled as they began to attack their opponents in what was probably their best period of the game.

Crokes picked up a second yellow, Shane Horan was shown one after ten and now it was the turn of Hugh Kenny.
A Luke Mullins free (44m) failed to find the target but Naas got right back into it with points from Ciaran Doyle and Eamonn Callaghan to cut the early lead back to just one point - 1-4 to 0-6.

Naas were playing well at this stage, they were defending brilliantly, working their socks off, time and time again frustrating their opponents playing patient decent football.

On 23 minutes though they were hit with a mighty blow. Experienced midfielder Craig Dias, who had a fine game throughout, gained possession around the middle, carried the ball forward with no one tracking back he let fly from around 22m giving Luke Mullins no chance and Kilmacud suddenly led 2-4 to 0-6.

A couple of very harsh decisions went against Naas, no doubt referee Anthony Nolan will be opening no Christmas cards from Naas players or supporters as Shane Walsh extended the lead with a brilliantly struck free from some 46 m and when Crokes captain, Shane Cunningham added another there was six between the sides - 2-6 to 0-6 — as half-time approached.
Darragh Kirwan hit a beauty, the first of his four points as Eoin Doyle was shown a yellow card, no doubt frustrated (and understandably so) after another free went against the visitors.

A long ball in by Rory O'Carroll was fetched by Dara Mullin and the full forward made no mistake with a mark as the half-time whistle arrived Kilmacud Crokes leading by six — 2-7 to 0-7.

Naas needed a quick start on the resumption but the opposite was the case with Shane Walsh firing over within a minute to extend the lead; Naas hit a side before Shane Horan extended the lead.

Darragh Kirwan fired over his second of the afternoon before Naas were hit with another body blow when Hugh Kenny managed to gain possession and fired to the bottom right hand corner of Luke Mullin's net, 37 minutes on the clock and the Dublin champions now ten points in the clear.

Darragh Kirwan, who had fine game throughout, then hit over two excellent points to reduce the deficit but Aidan Jones and another point from captain Shane Cunningham kept the gap at nine.

Alex Beirne replied for Naas; Shane Cunningham got his third of the game before Eamonn Callaghan split the posts with 48 minutes on the clock.

There was a certain amount of inevitability about the result at this stage but in fairness Naas kept plugging away and were denied when an Eamonn Callaghan goal attempt was well saved by keeper Conor Ferris at the near post for a 45 which Luke Mullins duly popped over.

Tom Fox pushed the lead back out to nine; Brian Stynes came through the middle at speed but his effort went just over while the final score of the game came from Crokes substitute Cian O'Connor a free, as the Dublin champions won with points to spare — 3-14 to 0-14.

And so the Naas season has come to an end and on their first outing in the Leinster Club of 2022.
No complaints and it will certainly be interesting to see how far The Crokes can go, Leinster looked certainly on the cards and I wouldn't be betting against them to go all the way this time.

Nevertheless it has been another great year for Naas, back-to-back titles is a major achievement and have no doubt they will take all the beating in Kildare in 2023 as they bid to make that elusive three-in-a-row, a feat that should certainly come out with all guns blazing next season.