Second-half Ballyhale surge knocks Naas out 

MARKED MAN: Colin Fennelly of Shamrocks Ballyhale is tackled by Ross Kelly of Naas. Pic: Daire Brennan/Sportsfile

Ballyhale Shamrocks (Kilkenny) 3-22 Naas (Kildare) 1-16 

Pat Hoban admitted his Ballyhale Shamrocks side went from being bullied by Naas during a surprisingly slow start to 'showboating' for a finish up.

The reigning AIB Leinster club SHC title holders approached the game as 1/40 dead certs but found themselves trailing 0-1 to 1-4 after 10 minutes.

That six-point gap remained in place at the start of the second quarter as Naas, just back in the provincial senior ranks after their All-Ireland intermediate win, hit the Kilkenny men with everything they had.

To underline just how dominant they were, Naas had three goal chances before Cathal Dowling eventually hit the net in the ninth minute, struck eight first-half wides, dropped three other score attempts short and hit a post.

Ballyhale, returning to Croke Park where they were mugged by Ballygunner in last February's All-Ireland decider, don't do panic though and a TJ Reid goal ignited their comeback. They had stolen the lead by half-time and bossed the second-half for a 12-point win that didn't seem likely early on.

They will be back at Croke Park next Sunday to face Kilmacud Crokes in the Leinster final though manager Hoban will demand a better start.

"It could have been more," said Hoban of Naas' early six-point lead. "Our goalie had to pull off two great saves. And they had at least four or five scoreable wides. It was nearly unbelievable that we were ahead at half-time. Beyond the scoreboard, they outworked us, outmuscled us. They were bullying us around the middle of the field. We had inter-county players being pushed around the place. Naas are a big, physical, athletic team and they really proved it."

Joey Cuddihy and Eoin Cody added goals for Ballyhale within a 60-second period during the third quarter.

That gave the 11-time Leinster winners a vital cushion, meaning Reid could opt to try a cheeky pass to Colin Fennelly for a goal that didn't materialise late on instead of popping an easy point.

"A little bit of showboating near the end, lads trying to get on the scoreboard maybe," observed Hoban. "That's something in a tighter game you couldn't afford to have happening."

With players losing their footing in both semi-finals, Hoban claimed that 'the grass is very, very slow' at Croke Park now and pointed to 'a new sod since the concerts'.

"I'd have to question the footwear (we used), it's something we'll have to review for next week."

Reid, just days after the birth of his first child, and having missed the previous game with an unspecified leg injury, helped himself to 1-6.

His goal from a 22nd minute penalty ignited the Shamrocks after that slow start and they somehow led 1-11 to 1-10 at half-time.

There were still just three points in it when Cuddihy fired their second goal in the 39th minute and moments later Cody raced through and blasted to the net from 20 metres out.

"The two goals defined the outcome of the game and pushed the Shamrocks into a position where they were never going to be caught," said Naas manager Tom Mullally. "I haven't a crystal ball and I don't know the future, all I know is there were gaps between us and the Shamrocks and it's whether we can stick together now firstly, and secondly, whether we have the ambition to close up those gaps. That will only reveal itself over the course of the next 12 months."

Ballyhale Shamrocks scorers: TJ Reid (1-6, 1-0pen, 4 frees); E Cody (1-2); P Mullen, A Mullen (0-4); J Cuddihy (1-0); D Corcoran (0-3); R Corcoran (0-2); E Reid (0-1).

Naas scorers: J Sheridan (0-12, 9 frees); C Dowling (1-0); K Whelan (0-2); J Burke, H Carroll (0-1).

Ballyhale Shamrocks: D Mason; D Mullen, J Holden, K Corcoran; E Shefflin, R Reid, D Corcoran; R Corcoran, P Mullen; J Cuddihy, TJ Reid, E Cody, A Mullen; E Kenneally, C Fennelly.

Subs: N Shortall for Cuddihy (50); B Butler for K Corcoran & E Reid for A Mullen (61).

Naas: C Gallagher; R Kelly, P O'Donoghue; H Carroll, R Boran, J McKeon, K Whelan; C Boran, S Leacy; K Aherne, B Byrne, J Burke; C Sheridan, J Sheridan, Cathal Dowling.

Subs: Conor Dowling for Aherne (49); F O'Sullivan for Kelly (56); D MacDonncha for R Boran (59); R Monaghan for Burke (61); L Walsh for C Sheridan (62).

Referee: T Gleeson (Dublin).