Naas show an eye for goal as they reach Intermediate final
Action from this evening's UPMC Intermediate Hurling Championship semi-final between Naas and Wolfe Tones
Naas overcame a slow start to eventually beat Wolfe Tones and qualify for this year’s UPMC Intermediate Hurling Championship final.
The home side were sluggish in the opening quarter but that as much down to the endeavour of their opponents as their own failings.
Mark Kiernan and Conor Egan were lively for the Kill/Sallins amalgamation as they moved into a 0-4 to 0-2 lead. In the early stages, it was the free taking of Conor Donnelly that kept Naas in touch. He scored two in a row and then when Wolfe Tones went 0-6 to 0-4 Donnelly repeated the trick by levelling the game with two frees.
Five of Naas’ first six points came from dead balls but gradually they began to turn the screw and increase the pressure.
They went ahead for the first time when Mark Nevin’s 20th minute effort was adjudge to have gone inside the post, although Wolfe Tones, did dispute that.
Naas have been knocking on the door for a goal and got it in the 22nd minute when John Madden found the net after Wolfe Tones missed two good chances to clear the ball the ball before the decisive shot.
Wolfe Tones showed signs of life by scoring the next three points, including probably the point of the game from a huge effort by Cillian Power when way back in his own half, but Naas had the final say before the half time whistle when Colm Coughlan scored from the left half sideline despite pressure from two defenders.
With the score at 1-8 to 0-9 at half time, the game was very much in the balance but Naas asserted their superiority in the third quarter.
Colm Nolan netted their second goal in the 32nd minute and then by the time Al Bergin scored a brilliant individual effort for their third in the 47th minute the game was as good as over as a contest.
Naas got their fourth in the 56th minute through substitute Odrhan Loughan but the gallant Wolfe Tones side kept plugging away and got the reward of a consolation goal in the 59th minute when Egan forced the ball home after Reece Donohoe dropped the ball into the square.
With their place in the final secured, Naas now await the winners of Thursday’s second semi-final between St Laurences and Celbridge to see who their final opponent will be.
Leonard Ryan; John Rigney, Chris Horan, Conor Gormley, Shane Knott, Diarmuid Greene, Brian Spillane; Tom O’Donovan 0-1, Mark Nevin 0-2; Conor Donnelly 0-8 (4fs, 1’65), Colm Nolan 1-2, Colm Coughlan 0-1, Al Bergin 1-1, John Madden 1-0, John O’Malley 0-1. Subs: Noah Farrell for O’Malley, 35; Paul L’Estrange for Rigney, 50; Odhran 1-0 Loughran for Bergin, 54.
PJ Sinnot; Dan Wynne, Ciaran O’Gorman, Jack Heading, Cillian Power 0-1, Kevin Foley, David Kelly; David O’Flaherty, Reece Donohoe; Harry Younge, Vinny Teehan 0-1, Darragh Brennan, Conor Egan 1-6 (4fs), Niall Gorry, Mark Kiernan 0-2. Subs: Daragh McMahon for Heading, 11; Fionn Doyle 0-1 for Kelly, h/t; Mark Doyle for Wynne, 45; Ross Doyle 0-1f for Gorry, 45; Matthew Cummins for Gorry, 50.
REFEREE: Ken Doyle
