PREVIEW: Naas and Maynooth picked to prevail in Kildare SHC Semi's
The UPMC Senior Hurling Championship semi-finals are down for decision this Saturday when Coill Dubh take on Naas with Éire Óg Corrachoill playing Maynooth
The UPMC Kildare Senior Hurling Championship semi-finals are down for decision this Saturday when Coill Dubh take on Naas with Éire Óg Corrachoill playing Maynooth.
Champions Naas, are chasing their seventh title in a row, and their thirteenth overall while their opponents Coill Dubh last won the senior title in 2015 having won it the previously season also, they are seeking their twelfth title overall.
Meanwhile Éire Óg Corra Choill will be hoping to make it title no 11, they last won it under the Éire Óg banner in 1984 while their opponents, Maynooth have six titles, however their last was all the way back to 1939.
So the obvious question is, once again this year, can anyone stop Naas from adding to their impressive haul in recent seasons.
The answer is simple, unless there is an absolute upset of gigantic proportions, it certainly looks like no one will stop them continuing on their merry winning ways.
They have come through the winners' group in flying colours defeating Éire Óg Corra Choill, Celbridge and Confey.
Coill Dubh on the other hand came through Group B (losers group) in second place in a group that included Maynooth, Ardclough and Moorefield.
Coill Dubh caused a major shock in their quarter-final when they came from 11 points down to shock Celbridge, a game that will surely give them a huge boost, winning with a late Mark Delaney 65 and a later point from Johnny Byrne to win a mighty game 3-19 to 3-17.
They face a mighty task though if they are to upset Naas who look as strong as ever this year
Naas have hit an impressive 15-67 in their three games todate and really that tells it all.
Have no doubt Coill Dubh will give it their all, they have some excellent, and experienced players in the likes of Mark Delaney, Johnny Byrne, Mark Grace and Eanna O'Neill but Naas with Jack Sheridan, Brian Byrne, the Boran boys, Cathal Dowling, Kevin Whelan, 'keeper Cormac Gallagher, to name just a handful, will surely have too much on the day.
Second Semi-Final
The second semi-final sees Maynooth, who continue to make strides, take on Éire Óg Corra Choill.
The Prosperous/ Caragh side came back after taking an awful pounding from Naas early on, to finish second in their group.
Maynooth topped their group so went straight to the last four. They will fancy their chances in this one with the likes of Cathal McCabe, free-taker Tom Power, Kevin Dunne at full forward; Ciaran Dunne in the middle and Matt Eustace at no. 6, not forgetting David Qualter (if he is fit).
Éire Óg Corra Choill will look to James Dolan, the ever present Gary Johnson, Paul Dolan, Sean O'Neill and Liam Dempsey but at the end of the day Maynooth should have enough to make it back-to-back senior finals and another crack at Naas.