Naas outclassed by Wexford champions
Naas corner back Liam O'Reilly tries to halt the progress of St Martins sharpshooter Rory O'Connor during the AIB GAA Leinster Club Senior Hurling Championship Semi-Final, at Chadwicks Wexford Park Photo: ©INPHO/James Lawlor
For the second year in a row, Naas’ season was ended at the hands of Wexford champions St Martins.
Last year’s quarter-final in Cedral St Conleth’s Park was a close battle before a late Jack O’Connor penalty sealed a late penalty but this was a different affair, one that St Martins dominated from the first whistle to the last.
The Wexford side, who had dethroned All-Ireland champions Na Fianna in the round, played with the advantage of a strong wind and ruthlessly put it to good use as they reached a Leinster Senior Final for the first time in their history.
Free taker Rory O’Connor was in devastating form and aided by the conditions at his back scored points from all sorts of angles and range as they led by 0-15 to 0-5.
Naas, in contrast, were totally off colour and apart from Jack Sheridan carried little threat in attack. The returning Mick Purcell did score one outstanding point in the opening half but that was all too rare for a Naas side who made a string of uncharacteristic errors.
They were without long term absentees James Burke and Conan Boran, while Richard Hogan and Cathal Dowling weren’t deemed fit enough to start, and they looked like a team feeling the pinch of missing such quality, as any team would.
A point from Cian Boran after just 15 seconds of the second half followed by a Sheridan free briefly raised hopes that Naas could perform a staggering comeback but those hopes were quickly extinguished by the relentless O’Connor.
Naas frustrations grew through the second half, with their talisman Sheridan in particular an obvious target for defenders trying provoke him into a reaction, but they boiled over in the 56th minute when Harry Carroll was sent off for a dirty stroke on Barry O’Connor.
It was a disappointing end to a disappointing game for Naas and they will have a long wait, and to battle through the Kildare Championship, before they get another shot at reaching the Promised Land of a Leinster Senior Final.
Callum Quirke; Eoin O'Leary, Conor Firman, Philip Dempsey; Diarmuid O'Leary 0-1, Joe Barrett, Daithi Waters; David Codd, Aaron Maddock 0-1; Darrem Codd, Jack O'Connor 0-3 (0-1 s/l), Jake Firman; Michael Coleman 0-1, Barry O'Connor 0-1, Rory O'Connor 0-14 (9f, 2 65). Subs: Ben Maddock for David Codd, 30; Ben Stafford for Coleman, 54; Paddy O'Connor for E O'Leary, 58; Michael Codd for D O'Leary, 60; Sam Audsley for Darren Codd, 62.
Cormac Gallagher; Liam O'Reilly, Rian Boran, Peter O'Donoghue; Daire Guerin, Ross Kelly, Harry Carroll; Evan O'Brian, Simon Leacy; Killian Harrington, Cian Boran 0-1, Charlie Sheridan; Jack Sheridan 0-8 (0-5f, 0-2 65), Michael Purcell 0-1, Brian Byrne 0-1. Subs: Richy Hogan for Purcell, h/t; Cathal Dowling for C Sheridan, 45; Fionn Maher for Harrington, 53; Kevin Whelan for O'Brian, 60.
Thomas Gleeson (Dublin)
