Clane win a cracking Minor ‘A’ hurling final defeating Naas
Undefeated Clane get the better of Naas to record a great win in Minor ‘A’ decider
Clane battled past Naas in what was a superb and enthralling game of hurling on a sunny early Sunday afternoon in Hawkfield in the Minor Hurling Championship ‘A’ final.
Clane had won every game in the Minor A Championship heading into this game, while Naas, after losing to Éire Óg Corra Coill in round two, qualified for the semi-finals after beating St. Coca’s, before tasting sweet revenge over the Donore men in their penultimate championship clash.
Ciarán Kelleher pointed for Naas inside 20 seconds, and in the second minute, Finnian O’Rourke had a rasping shot on goal which dragged left and wide. Clane’s response came in the fifth minute, when after Aidan Maddock burst through, Callum Durnin was found to tuck the ball past Michael Byrne and into the net. Durnin would be the sole scorer in this half for the lilywhites, while Adam Conway and Aidan Maddock also impressed. The full-forward landed a ’65 and three frees in the opening-half for Sean O’Dea’s charges.
Naas, with the strong swirling breezed behind them, and although hindered by their wide tally, pressed on. Tadhg O’Neill landed a great point from wing-back on 14 minutes, Aodhán Dowling scored an impressive brace from midfield, and Finnian O’Rourke wore off his man to point, and Shane Walsh’s men were now a point ahead after 20 minutes had elapsed.
Aidan Maddock had a great chance for goal in the 22nd minute superbly blocked, but moments after that, Sean Higgins created the chance for his wing-forward partner in crime Finnian O’Rourke, who fired the sliotar past Jack Kinsella for Naas. Cuan Óg MacAogáin scored the remainder of Naas’s opening-half scores; two frees, including a monster score from distance near the side-line, and an impressive score from play ensured the blue and white hoops were 1-9 to 1-4 in-front at half-time.
The game was proving to be an excellent contest, with plenty of great battles all over the pitch, constant physicality and blocking. The second-half pursued the trend the first began, and after Callum Durnin’s point from a difficult angle in the opening minute of the restart for Clane, Naas would strike for their second goal.
Cuan Óg MacAogáin and Aodhán Dowling were chasing the obbling sliotar close to the Clane goal, before MacAogáin forced the ball over the line, and Naas were now seven clear after 33 minutes. Despite this, there was no indications that the game was over as a contest however, which Clane would soon prove.
Naas’s remaining three second-half points came from their full-forward, Cuan Óg MacAogáin scoring a brace of frees and a point from a tight-angle, all by the 52nd minute.
Eoghan Lyon’s provided the response to the Naas goal on 34 minutes, and Adam Conway pointed before Jack Doran’s long ball into the opposition goalmouth would be collected by Callum Durnin, who sent the sliotar bouncing into the net in the 37th minute.
Cian Muldoon and Barry Delaney with a point from the middle of the pitch followed up the goal, before Callum Kinsella pointed from play, and Adam Conway scored from over his shoulder from 45 metres away in the 57th minute. Jack O’Dea from a difficult angle on-the-run would level moments later, before Callum Kinsella stepped up to slot over the winning free a minute before added-time to send the men of Clane and its supporters into absolute unbridled joy.
CLANE: Jack Kinsella; Devan O’Neill, Dylan McBride, Art Ormsby; Rory Óg Maguire, Adam Corbett, Eoghan Little; Jack Doran, Aidan Maddock; Eoghan Lyons 0-1, Jack O’Dea 0-1, Barry Delaney 0-1; Adam Conway 0-2, Callum Durnin 2-7 (0-4frees, 0-1’65), Cian Muldoon 0-1. Subs: Oscar Heffernan for Jack Doran (temporary30-half-time), Jack O’Dea (jersey change half-time), Oscar Heffernan for Cian Muldoon (54).
NAAS: Micheal Byrne; Conor Dunphy, Cathan Griffin, Senan Boran; Harry Feely, Colin Parker, Tadhg O’Neill 0-1; Aodhán Dowling 0-2, Matthew McCarthy; Sean Higgins, Ciarán Kelleher 0-2, Finnian O’Rourke 1-1; Luca McDonnell, Cuan Óg MacAogáin 1-6 (0-4frees), Ronan Lenehan. Subs: Odhrán Browne for Ronan Lenehan (half-time), Tom Hennessy for Luca McDonnell (49), Evan Palmer for Ciarán Kelleher (60).
REFEREE: Fergus Devereux.