Kildare GAA: Naas make it back-to-back senior titles
Clane rarely threatened throughout
Naas made it back-too-back senior football titles with a comfortable win over a very disappointing Clane side at St Conleth's Park, this afternoon.
And while the only goal of the game did not arrive until 62 minute when Paddy McDermott found the net, Naas were never really put under any real pressure throughout.
Naas led at at the break by four points, 0-5 to 0-1 with Clane playing an entirely defensive game, employing fifteen players behind the ball throughout.
Naas enjoyed the vast majority of possession in that opening half bout found it difficult to get through that tight, very crowded defensive set-up.
On the resumption it was much of the same and while Clane cut the deficit back to three at one stage, Naas upped their game and with fresh legs proving very beneficial late on the champions ran out comfortable winners on a final score line of Naas 1-12 Clane 0-6.
Man of the Match Alex Beirne (Naas).
Scorers:
Naas, Luke Mullins 0-3 (2 frees, 45), Paddy McDermott 1-0, Alex Beirne 0-2, Tom Browne 0-2, Darragh Kirwan 0-1, Eamonn Callaghan 0-1 (1 free), Dermot Hanafin 0-1, Ciaran Doyle 0-1, Jack Cleary 0-1.
Clane, Shane O'Sullivan 0-4 (2 frees), Sam McCormack 0-1, Robbie Philips 0-1.
NAAS: Luke Mullins; Cathal Daly, Brian Byrne, Mark Maguire; Paddy McDermott, Eoin Doyle cpt., Tom Browne; James Burke, Paul McDermott; Brian Kane, Alex Beirne, Dermot Hanafin; Eamonn Callaghan, Darragh Kirwan, Ciaran Doyle. Subs: Dermot Hanafin for James Burke (35 minutes); Jack Cleary for Paul McDermott (51 minutes); Jack McKevitt for Brian Kane (53 minutes); Kevin Cummins for Ciaran Doyle (56 minutes);
CLANE: Cian Burke; Harry O'Neill, Robbie Philips, Shane McCormack; John Lynch, Chris Byrne, Tadhg Montgomery; Cian Shanahan, Sean Christanseen; Adam Fanning, Brian McLoughlin, Sam Reilly; Cormac Vizzard, Shane O'Sullivan, Sam McCormack. Subs: Cathal O'Brien for Sean Christanseen (42 minutes); Jake Burke for Cormac Vizzard (42 minutes); Oisin Tighe for John Lynch (49 minutes); Sean Callan for Cormac Vizzard (60 minutes); Danny Egan for
REFREE: Brendan Cawley.