Maher leads the way for Naas

UPMC KILDARE GAA INTERMEDIATE HURLING CHAMPIONSHIP – ROUND 1 

NAAS 4-22 

MOOREFIELD 0-13 

Legend has it that Fionn Mac Cumhaill had some say in the introduction of hurling, but it was another Fionn who stole the show of the legendary game in Manguard Park on Friday night.

A return of 3-4 by Naas corner forward, Fionn Maher, was instrumental in Naas opening their account with a comfortable 21-point victory over a battling Moorefield in the revamped 2026 UPMC Intermediate Hurling Championship in the sun at the Kildare GAA Centre of Excellence.

Maher was part of the Naas senior team which rattled in the goals against Celbridge in the League semi final recently and he scored his first after just nine minutes on Friday and rattled in goal two and three within the space of 30 seconds of each other at the start of the final quarter.

Naas had a whirlwind start with a goal from the other corner forward, Tom Boran after just 25 seconds and Maher added a point within a minute when he was set up by lively wing forward, Mac Dara Moore.

For the next ten minutes, though it was point for point as Moorefield, although missing the services of county star, Muiris Curtin, who is abroad, battled hard to stay in touch. Alex Bell, who took over the free taking duties from Reece Gavin, opened his account with a ’65 in the third minute, after Gavin tested Naas keeper, Fionn Kelly.

Moore, with two from play and Bell, from a free and one from play, exchanged points and Boran’s goal was all that separated them by the seventh minute. The Naas halfback line was proving to be the platform for many of their attacks and from one such attack full forward, Charlie Carroll put four between them but Niall Barry set up Gavin for a Moorefield point to reduced the gap to three again.

Maher’s first goal was sandwiched between two points from Bill Hennessy before points from Conn Kehoe, Mark Tobin and Gavin kept Moorefield firmly in touch by the end of the first quarter.

Moors need a goal and their best chance came in the 14th minute when Kehoe found himself through on goals but he lost possession and Naas were able to clear the danger. One of the best scores of the half came in the 16th minute when Moors’ centre half back, Sean Maher pointed a free from his own 45m line.

Although Naas took further control of the game with points from Tom O’Donovan, Carroll, Kevin Whelan, Boran (2) and Maher, Moorefield, to give them credit, finished the half strongly with points from Kehoe and Gavin to leave seven between the sides, 2-12 to 0-11, at the break.

That was more or less as good as it got for Moorefield, though, as they only added two second half points, both scored by Alex Bell, one from a ’65. A fitter Naas side went on to add 2-10 to their tally. Carroll and Maher, with two points each, stretched the lead out to nine points by the 40th minute when Moorefield scored their last point in the game.

Eoin Carroll, in the Moorefield goals, made a great save from Carroll in the 41st minute but he couldn’t do anything to stop the two efforts from Maher thirteen minutes from time. Further points from Carroll, O’Donovan, Oisín O’Neill, Liam Walsh and Moore showed the dominance of the County Town side, which won last year’s Intermediate Hurling Championship.

Friday’s Naas team contained many players who have seen first team action and indeed some have intercounty experience at senior and underage level with Kildare so they will be a formidable outfit for this year’s intermediate championship.

Moorefield will certainly be boosted by the return of Muiris Curtin and they will have a strong say in who will contest the 2026 Intermediate Final.

NAAS: Fionn Kelly; John McKeon, Diarmuid Greene, Matthew Kelly; Kevin Whelan 0-1, Daragh MacDonncha, Oisin O’Neill 0-1; Sean McDonncha, Bill Hennessy 0-2; Liam Walsh 0-2, Tom O’Donovan 0-2, Mac Dara Moore 0-3; Fionn Maher 3-4, Charlie Carroll 0-5 (1‘65), Tom Boran 1-2 (1f).

Subs: CJ Boran for Bill Hennessy H/T, Paddy Kennedy for Oisin O’Neill 49, Oisin O’Neill for John McKeon 52.

MOOREFIELD: Eoin Carroll; Cian Brannigan, Colin Gleeson, Shane Delamare; Malvin Maloney, Sean Maher 0-1 (f), Oisín Kelly; Alex Bell 0-5 (2‘65, 1f), Reece Gavin 0-3; Mark Tobin 0-1, Conn Kehoe 0-2, Paul Dawson; Gavin McDonnell, Niall Barry 0-1, Cormac O’Connor.

Subs: Graham Cregoe for Cian Brannigan 49.

REFEREE: Raymond Kelly.