Next stop Croke Park as Naas too strong for Shinrone
PUNCHING UP: Jack Sheridan of Naas celebrates after the AIB Leinster GAA Hurling Senior Club Championship quarter-Final against Shinrone. Picture: Ben McShane/Sportsfile
A glamour Croke Park clash with Ballyhale Shamrocks is on the cards for Naas after cruising through to the AIB Leinster club SHC semi-finals with surprising ease in Newbridge.
Tom Mullally's side were slight underdogs after only gaining promotion to the provincial senior ranks as All-Ireland intermediate winners last February but they hurled with heart and craft to leave Shinrone in their slipstream.
Naas led virtually from gun to tape and while Offaly representatives Shinrone did get the margin down to just three points on a number of occasions early in the second-half, Naas finished strongly with 2-10 in the closing 20 minutes to just 0-4 from Shinrone.
Jack Sheridan, among a number of Christy Ring Cup winners in the Naas ranks, helped himself to 1-11 while Charlie Sheridan, dual player James Burke and Kevin Aherne were also among the goals.
They will look on with interest tomorrow as Ballyhale, the provincial holders, take on Castletown Geoghegan of Westmeath for the right to meet them at GAA headquarters on November 27.
After a 15-minute delay to throw-in, Shinrone began as narrow favourites having overcome 2012 provincial winners Kilcormac Killoughey in the Offaly decider.
That was back on October 2 though, and aside from the lengthy break, they also suffered a blow in the meantime with the loss of full-forward and county final Man of the Match Ciaran Cleary.
His five points from play in the county decider proved decisive that day and the visitors lacked his scoring threat this time, blasting seven wides in the first-half alone.
They were costly misses as the two Naas goals, from Charlie Sheridan and Aherne in the ninth and 25th minutes, left Naas in pole position throughout.
Both of those first-half goals were set up by Cathal Dowling who, on both occasions, burst clear, the first time on the left wing and the second time on the right, before cleverly offloading.
The Charlie Sheridan goal left Naas 1-3 to 0-1 ahead and indicated that Shinrone could be in for a long afternoon in Newbridge.
A week after the Naas footballers bowed out of their provincial competition, the hurlers - with dual players James Burke and Brian Byrne in attack - brought their unique brand of hungry hurling to the contest, smothering Shinrone around the pitch and moving the ball precisely through the hands.
They led 2-7 to 0-8 at half-time and should have been further clear with seven wides costing them.
Dowling closed out the first-half scoring for Naas with a tidy score from distance.
Shinrone, making their debut in the competition as first time Offaly champions, narrowed the gap to three points on three occasions during the third quarter of the game as they upped the intensity noticeably.
But points from Byrne and free-taker Jack Sheridan, followed by a third Naas goal in the 44th minute from Burke, swung the game and ultimately broke Shinrone's resolve.
From there on, it was all Naas and the Kildare men strode to an impressive win with Jack Sheridan's 55th minute goal a victory for hard work and persistence after his initial one-handed shot was blocked.
Elsewhere, in the Connacht club SFC, two goals in added time sealed a semi-final spot for St Mary's Kiltoghert.
The Leitrim side ran out 3-8 to 1-8 winners against St Kiernan's in Ruislip.
They'll now prepare to face Tourlestrane at Páirc Seán Mac Diarmada next weekend.
J Sheridan (1-11, 10 frees); K Aherne (1-1), C Sheridan, J Burke (1-0); B Byrne, S Leacy, C Dowling (0-2); H Carroll, K Whelan, Conan Boran (0-1).
D Morkan (0-11, 11 frees); D Maher (0-2); K Sampson (s/l), S Cleary, L Watkins, J Sampson, D Cleary (0-1).
: C Gallagher; J McKeon, R Kelly, P O'Donoghue; H Carroll, S Gainey, K Whelan; R Boran, S Leacy; J Burke, B Byrne, K Aherne; C Sheridan, C Dowling, J Sheridan.
Subs: Conan Boran for Whelan (43); L Walsh for McKeon (59); F O'Sullivan for C Sheridan (61); R Monaghan for Byrne (62); C Dowling for Burke (64).
E Cleary; D O'Meara, P Cleary, D Crean; K Sampson, M Cleary, D Maher; D Cleary, L Watkins; J Sampson, D Morkan, A Cleary; P Cleary, C Doughan, S Cleary.
Subs: A Landy for D Cleary (47); DJ McLoughlin for P Cleary (55), D Landy for Watkins (59).
: C Flynn (Westmeath).
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