Naas go down with pride and passion against Ballyhale

AIB Leinster Club Senior Hurling Championship semi-final

Ballyhale Shamrocks 3-22

Naas 1-16

It won't be much consolation to Naas but the score line at the final whistle in Sunday's AIB Leinster Club SHC semi-final at Croke Park, certainly does no justice to the part played by the Kildare champions, against Kilkenny hot-pots Ballyhale Shamrocks.

Naas came into this, their first season competing at the top table of Leinster senior club as rank outsiders against a side who have won five Kilkenny senior championships in a row; are the Leinster champions and last season's beaten All-Ireland finalists.

They have won no less than 20 senior county titles, eight All-Ireland titles and 12 Leinster titles so a huge task for Naas before a sliother was even hit in anger.

Naas lost the services of influential midfielder Sean Gainey to injury before the game while Simon Leacy played despite a broken finger.

Yet when the game began at 1.15 at Headquarters it was the boys in blue and white who tore into their most illustrious opponents with determination and vigour; showing from the word go they were not here just to make up the numbers and any neutral looking on could so easily have mistaken who were the favourites who were the outsiders as Naas dominated in the opening ten minutes.

They will, no doubt, look back on this one and see that despite their dominance it was here the game was probably lost as they failed to register their superiority on to the score board, with three gilt-edged goal chances, all in fairness brilliantly save by Dean Mason in the Shamrocks goals.

Add in eight first half wides and you can see why Naas will look back on this one and wonder, and wonder, what if, what if ...

Naas hit the first wide, followed up with a ball dropping short before Brian Byrne saw his close range effort brilliantly saved by Mason.

Wide two and three followed as Naas were on top all over the field; Rian Boran plucking some brilliant balls out of the sky before they finally raised their opening point, a Jack Sheridan pointed free, quickly followed by a point from play.

Goal chance number 2 saw Charlie Sheridan being denied by Dean Mason before wing-back, Harry Carroll, hit a monstrous point and while the influential Paddy Mullen got Shamrocks off the mark on seven minutes, Naas, were still dominating all over the place.

Eight minutes in and that goal finally arrived but not before Dean Mason had made another brilliant save, this time from Kevin Aherne but crucially Cathal Dowling was on hand to fire the sliother to the net and when Jack Sheridan fired over an excellent point from play, Naas now led 1-4 to 0-1 with ten minutes on the clock.

Eoin Coady got the boys in green second point but a foul on Cathal Dowling saw Jack Sheridan punish Shamrocks again.

Darragh Corcoran, who had a fine game at wing back, reduced the deficit; Naas hit three wides on the trot, before Paddy and Adrian Mullen left it 1-5 to 0-5 on 19 minutes.

James Burke hit a beauty from the Cusack Stand sideline before The Shamrocks got right back into it, when TJ Reid found Colin Fennelly and the big full forward making his way towards Cormac Gallagher's goals was fouled by Ross Kelly, penalty and TJ Reid made no mistake. One minute later the sides were level at 1-6 apiece, Eoin Coady hitting a beauty. two minutes later the hot favs were in front for the first time, Adrian Mullen pointing.

Naas hit back after Killian Corcoran was adjudged to have picked up the sliothar and Jack Sheridan duly leveled up again, 25 minutes on the clock.

Eoin Kenneally found TJ Reid who fired over but again Naas came back, this time a brilliant long-range effort from Kevin Whelan tied the game again at 1-8 apiece but Ballyhale were showing signs of intent and on 29 minutes Joey Cuddihy found Eoin Cody who was in on goals but Cormac Gallagher made a brilliant save only for the ball to brought back for a free, converted by Reid.

Four minutes of time added on (World Cup timing in operation at Croker), Jack Sheridan fouled himself leveled up matters again but Ronan Corcoran edges his side ahead; Jack Sheridan replied with a free before Darragh Corcoran had Shamrocks in front as the half-time whistle finally arrived with the score reading Ballyhale Shamrocks 1-11 Naas 1-10 after an exhilarating opening 30 (+4 minutes) of play.

Ballyhale up the ante on the resumption hit three points in the opening five minutes before Naas replied through Jack Sheridan but then on 40 minutes the sky fell in on Naas, conceding two goals in 35 or 40 seconds.

A long delivery saw Joey Cuddihy gather and fire to the net and before Naas had a chance to regroup Cormac Gallagher was emptying his net again this time Eoin Cody making no mistake from close range to leave it 3-14 to 1-11.

Naas certainly did not lie down but the dye was well cast at this stage and while Jack Sheridan added another four points (three frees) and Kevin Whelan hit a brilliant point from the side-line there was no stopping the champions as they added a further eight points with TJ Reid being the main contributor.

As was stated the final score line — 3-22 to 1-16 — does Naas no favours but they certainly showed what they are capable of; in many respects that bit of inexperience at vital times against a well drilled, cuter side and brilliant efficient Shamrock side who will now take on Dublin champions Kilmacud Crokes this Sunday in the Leinster decider.

SCORERS:

Ballyhale Shamrocks: TJ Reid 1-6 (penalty 4 frees), Eoin Cody 1-2, Adrian Mullen 0-4, Joey Cuddihy 1-0, Darragh Corcoran 0-3, Ronan Corcoran 0-3, Paddy Mullen 0-3, Eoin Reid 0-1.

Naas: Jack Sheridan 0-12 (10 frees), Cathal Dowling 1-0, Kevin Whelan 0-2, Harry Carroll 0-1, James Burke 0-1.

TEAMS:

Ballyhale Shamrocks: Dean Mason; Darren Mullen, Joey Holden, Killian Corcoran; Evan Shefflin, Richie Reid, Darragh Corcoran; Ronan Corcoran cpt., Paddy Mullen; Adrian Mullen, TJ Reid, Eoin Cody; Eoin Kenneally, Colin Fennelly, Joe Cuddihy. Subs: Niall Shortall for Joey Cuddihy (49 minutes); Brian Butler for Killian Corcoran (61 minutes); Eoin Reid for Adrian Mullen (61 minutes).

Naas: Cormac Gallagher; John McKeon, Ross Kelly, Peter O'Donoghue; Kevin Whelan, Rian Boran, Harry Carroll; Conan Boran, Simon Leacy; Kevin Aherne, Jack Sheridan, Charlie Sheridan; Brian Byrne cpt., James Burke, Cathal Dowling. Subs: Conor Dowling for Kevin Aherne (48 minutes); Ferran O'Sullivan for Ross Kelly (50 minutes); Darach Mac Donncha for Rian Boran (58 minutes); Rian Monaghan for James Burke (60 minutes); Liam Walsh for Charlie Sheridan (61 minutes).

Referee: Thomas Gleeson (Dublin).