Melville on song as Leixlip claim second straight Championship win
Leixlip's Eoghan Harrington lays off the sliotar. Photos: James Lawlor.
Darragh Melville hit 1-8 from play and frees as Leixlip accounted for Naas and claimed their second victory in the UPMC Kildare Intermediate Championship 2026 at Manguard Park on Sunday evening.
This clash between last year’s intermediate champions, Naas, and beaten “B” championship finalists was always going to be a tight affair and so it was until the last ten minutes of the opening half when Leixlip opened up a bit of a gap which gave them a four-point lead at half time at 0-11 to 0-7.
It was expected to be a shoot out of sorts between Fionn Maher of Naas and Cathal Melville and it more or less was. Maher got some lovely scores and ended up with 0-7, including four frees, he was well marshalled by Leixlip corner back, Dylan Doherty in that teak tough Leixlip full back line.
The winners, who had Cathal Melville as a late addition to the starting line-up, raced into a three-point lead inside the first five minutes with Cormac Keegan, Cathal Melville (free) and impressive wing back James Canning all raising white flags.
The sides were level for the first of three times in the first half by the 11th minute with points from Sean MacDonncha, Paddy Kennedy and Maher with a lovely effort over his shoulder.
Naas corner back John McKeon and Leixlip full forward, Stephen Ryan incurred the wrath of Referee Brian Kearney for a bit of rough and tumble in the square but Ryan was on hand to take a pass from Cathal Derivan and fire Leixlip into the lead again in the 12th minute.
Tom O’Donovan had the sides level again a minute later before Ryan and Maher exchanged points to leave the sides level for a third time as we entered the second quarter. Cathal Melville and Sean O’Connor had Leixlip two in front again by the 20th minute and after recording three wides in a row, Naas pulled one back with a point from midfielder, Mac Dara Moore in the 21st minute.
Darragh Melville hit three in a row, two frees, as Leixlip began to get a foothold in the game thanks to a strong defence. A Maher free and another point from James Canning closed off the first half scoring and Leixlip took that four-point lead in at the break.
Two brilliant points by wing back Kevin Whelan started the Naas comeback immediately after the restart and a Maher free brought it back to a one-point game by the 34th minute.
In a tight game like this a goal was always going to be crucial and the only green flag of the day went Leixlip’s way in the 36th Minute. A clearance by goalkeeper, Keith O’Callaghan was won by Stephen Ryan and he sent Darragh Melville through to beat Fionn Kelly in the Naas goals.
A couple of Fionn Maher frees kept Naas in touch but Darragh Melville restored the Leixlip four-point advantage with two frees with nine minutes left on the clock.
That lead was stretched out to seven points with three minutes remaining thanks to scores from substitute, Alan Murphy, wing back, Conall Henson and wing forward, Sean O’Connor.
In the final three minutes of normal time and the three minutes added on, Naas went in search of goals but a great save by Keith O’Callaghan in the Leixlip goals at the expense of a ’65 denied them on the stroke of full time.
From Kevin Whelan’s lob from a ’65 the Leixlip net was finally breached through a crowded goalmouth in the 63rd minute with substitute, Tadhg Carolan likely to have the last touch. Naas ran out of time though and Leixlip claimed the victory.
Keith O’Callaghan; Cillian Nicholson, Ryan Doyle, Dylan Doherty; Conall Henson 0-1, Jack McGonigle, James Canning 0-2; Cathal Derivan, Eoghan Harrington; Sean O’Connor 0-2, Cormac Keegan 0-1, Darragh Melville 1-8 (0-6f); Cillian Harrington, Stephen Ryan 0-2, Cathal Melville 0-1.
Matthew Canning for Ryan (36), Alan Murphy 0-1 for C Melville (45), Dara Burke for Harrington (61).
Fionn Kelly; Matthew Kelly; Diarmuid Greene, John McKeon; Kevin Whelan 0-2, Darach MacDonncha, Seán MacDonncha 0-1; Mac Dara Moore 0-1, Rossa Stapleton; Liam Walsh, Tom O’ Donovan 0-1, Oisin O’Neill; Fionn Maher 0-7 (0-4 frees), Paddy Kennedy 0-1, Michael Purcell 0-1.
CJ Boran for Kennedy (36), Luke Connolly for O’Neill (42), Tadhg Carolan 1-1 for O’Donovan (51), Sean Gavigan for Moore (54).
Brian Kearney
