How Maynooth and Sarsfields created a shock 2026 Kildare SFC final pairing

Club with pedigrees from both ends of the spectrum clash in Sunday’s Joe Mallon Motors SFC final. Sarsfields with the most titles of any Kildare club their first in 1945 and last in 2019 while Maynooth have just two, first back in 1893 and their last in 1913, so massive different histories but that will mean little come Sunday.

​At the start of this 2026 campaign, Sarsfields would certainly have been on most people’s list to make it to at least the semi-final and more probably the final.

Few on the other hand would have include Maynooth to reach the last four but that is how this has panned out and this how both sides advanced to Sunday’s biggest day in Kildare club football.

Sarsfields

It has been a season of second half’s for Sarsfields and what early on was attributed to feeling their way into the season has instead begun to be viewed as a tangible strength. Vinnie Walsh has built a serious squad with quality leaving his bench each time The Sash take to the field.

They opened their championship season with a 1-21 to 1-12 win over SFC everpresents Carbury. A Shea Ryan goal and no less than six points for Barry Coffey helped them to an opening day win despite the best efforts of Eoin Cully.

It was another impressive total for Walsh’s men second time out with a 1-18 to 2-7 win over Caragh with a winning-margin that perhaps flattered their efforts.

One of the most interesting games in Sarsfields’ season in retrospect is their Round 3 group stage clash with future final opponents Maynooth where the men from Newbridge emerged with a 3-17 to 1-17 victory.

However, manager Vinnie Walsh was quick to remind that both teams were already qualified at that stage and a more casual affair than what is expected to come played out.

Their third win set up a quarter-final derby with rivals Moorefield where Sarsfields showed their teeth for the first time, blowing away The Moores in a ruthless early blitz.

It was Celbridge for The Sash in the final four and it was back to that second half surge for them on the way to a 2-17 to 2-9 victory.

Celbridge led by five early in the second half but it was all green and white down the home stretch as they booked a place in their first SFC final since 2021.

Maynooth

We have the same first three fixtures to reflect upon from a Maynooth point of view and they likewise dispatched of Caragh and Carbury.

Their opening day 2-18 to 0-10 win over Caragh was a statement of intent from Ross Glavin’s side but few could have foreseen how far they would travel in the weeks to follow.

It was much tighter against Carbury for the future finalists with a 1-15 to 1-11 victory, in which they had to overturn a final 10-minute deficit, in the county grounds.

They, as previously addressed, came up six short of their now county final opponents but Ross Glavin will have plans of keeping Sarsfields, much like they did to Athy and Naas, to far less than 3-17 this time around.

It was that Athy game next and, after a battling opening half, Maynooth failed to score until late into the second with a sole Paddy Mahoney two-pointer enough to send their clash with the county champions into extra-time.

Glavin’s gallant troops were much stronger in the extra minutes and completed a famous upset (1-10 to 0-11) which would only be topped by their next.

Maynooth reached their first Kildare SFC final in 110 years when they beat Naas 1-15 to 0-16 with extra minutes also required.

And it was again Glavin’s magnificently-conditioned charges that deservedly progressed after extra-time as they etched themselves into Maynooth GAA history.