Naas pushed all the way by Johnstownbridge

Naas 0-14 Johnstownbridge 0-9 

NAAS made a winning start in their quest for four Joe Mallon Motors Senior Football Championships in a row but they were made pull out all the stops in this preliminary encounter against a Johnstownbridge side who showed scant respect for their more fancied opponents. The Bridge lead by 0-6 to 0-5 at the break and there was nobody in the small Manguard Park crowd who were left surprised. Naas showed all their experience and fitness levels to hit four unanswered points in a three minute spell from the 54th minute to see out a 0-14 to 0-9 win. Two goal chances and 16 wides leaves plenty to work on.

Johnstownbridge set up with a strong defensive unit and choose to hit Naas on the break. James Burke,a late replacement for Neil Aherne, opened the scoring from a mark after 6 minutes but Daniel Flynn, Darragh Sloane and Josh O Donoghue had them 0-3 to 0-1 ahead with 12 on the clock. Ryan Sinkey and Alex Beirne levelled it and the sides were level at four and five points before Sean McKeon put the Bridge one up as the teams went to the dressing room.

Alex Beirne had a marvellous game and he quickly levelled matters after the restart Sean McKeon then added his second for the Bridge to edge one ahead again but Johnstownbridge could only add two points over the closing 22 mins.

When Paul McDermott edged Naas ahead on 46 it sent them into overdrive and they outscored Johnstownbridge by six points to two before the end. Ryan Sinkey, Beirne, McDermott, Rob Fitzgerald and Neil Aherne all rounding off the five point win.

Work for Naas but they will be happy to have avoided a banana skin and for Johnstownbridge, who many felt they were relegation candidates, they can look forward to the losers group with confidence.

NAAS:  David Morrissey 0-1 (1 free), Conor McCarthy, Eoin Doyle,Tim Ryan, Elliott Beirne, Brian Byrne, Eoghan Prizeman, Paddy McDermott, Paul McDermott 0-3, Alex Beirne 0-5 (2 frees), Dermot Hanifin, Brian Kane,Kevin Cummins, Ryan Sinkey 0-2, James Burke 0-1 (1 mark). Subs: Rob Fitzgerald 0-1 for Ryan, 47; Neil Aherne 0-1 for Hanafin, 47; Tom Browne for Cummins, 51;Fintan Quinn for Kane, 59.

JOHNSTOWNBRIDGE: Eoin Sheehan 0-1 (1'45), Sean McKeon 0-2, Tomas Van Englebrechten, Mark Newman, Shane Flynn, Keith Cribben, Ryan Rainey,Joey Higgins, Ronan Scanlon, Luke O Connor, Darragh Sloane 0-1, Daniel Flynn 0-3, Josh O Donoghue 0-1, Fionn O' Grady, Cathal McNally 0-1f. Subs: Ian McKeon for Newman, 39; Mark Newman for Darragh Sloane, 62.

REFEREE: Conor Daly.