Naas through to Leinster semi with comfortable win over Summerhill
HANG TIME: Summerhill's Sean Muddiman and Darragh Kirwin of Naas. Pic Credit ©INPHO/Bryan Keane
Boss Joe Murphy has acknowledged that the hurt of back-to-back Leinster club SFC defeats to Kilmacud Crokes is driving Naas.
The three-in-a-row Kildare champions comfortably accounted for Meath's Summerhill at Hawkfield to secure a return to Leinster's last four.
Eoghan Prizeman's 51st minute goal broke the back of Summerhill's challenge and Naas closed out the game with an unanswered 1-5 to win by a slightly flattering 10-point margin.
Their reward is a semi-final clash with St Loman's of Mullingar on November 19 and, should they win, they could very well meet Crokes again in the final, a repeat of the 2021 decider.
All-Ireland holders Crokes beat Naas again at the quarter-final stage last year and Naas manager Murphy said the players are keen to atone.
Asked if that 2021 decider sticks in Naas' craw, Murphy said: "It's the last two years really, last year against Kilmacud in the quarter-final we were beaten as well.
"There's definitely a good focus in the group, they're after training hard and they really want to achieve. We'll have to improve on this game but there's certainly improvement in us."
Summerhill, who beat Tullamore with a late smash and grab in Round 1, got on top in the third quarter and whittled a five-point half-time deficit down to just two with 49 minutes on the clock.
They couldn't kick on from there though and county man Darragh Kirwan's third point of the game preceded the Prizeman goal which took all the intrigue out of the contest.
Summerhill got some joy in that third quarter from their hard press on the Naas kick-out and former county midfielder Adam Flanagan troubled them too but the hosts were good value for the win overall.
Sean Hanafin's eighth minute goal, arriving when a long delivery to Dermot Hanafin broke kindly, set Murphy's men on their way and they led 1-5 to 0-3 at half-time.
Kirwan had 21st and 28th minute goal chances but was denied by the goalkeeper initially before dragging his second opportunity wide.
They had a terrific chance for a goal in the 52nd minute also when a lightning counter-attack ended with Kirwan playing in Alex Beirne but the impressive attacker surprisingly opted to fire over.
Naas were well in the clear at that stage and 40-year-old former Kildare star Eamonn Callaghan weighed in with two points after coming on.
James Burke got on the scoresheet with a point for Naas too and, along with Brian Byrne, will play for the hurlers in next weekend's provincial senior quarter-final clash with Camross.
"They're incredible guys," said Murphy of the duo. "They're going week on week for a long number of years with both teams. Hopefully they'll come through next weekend okay because we'll certainly need them in two weeks."
Summerhill's defeat adds to the woes of Meath clubs in the Leinster senior championship. Since Dunshaughlin won in 2002, Meath clubs have played 33 games in the province and lost 20 of them.
A Meath club hasn't reached a Leinster senior final since Skryne got there in 2004.
S Hanafin, E Prizeman (1-0 each); D Kirwan (1f), A Beirne (0-3 each); E Callaghan (0-2, 2fs); J McKevitt, J Burke, K Cummins (1f), L Mullins (1f) (0-1 each).
E Frayne (0-6, 5fs); C Frayne, B Dardis (0-1 each).
L Mullins; C Daly, C McCarthy, M Maguire; B Byrne; E Prizeman, E Doyle, Paddy McDermott; Paul McDermott, J Burke; A Beirne, D Kirwan, J McKevitt; D Hanafin, S Hanafin.
E Callaghan for D Hanafin & T Browne for McKevitt (42); N Aherne for Paul McDermott (55); K Cummins for Kirwan (59).
S Muddiman; I Hughes, P Jennings, J Lavelle; A McDonnell, Ross Ryan, P Geraghty; A Flanagan, M Byrne; D Larkin, D McCabe, C Lyons; E Frayne, C Frayne, B Dardis.
K Ryan for Lyons (41); D Dalton for C Frayne (55); J O'Shea for McDonnell (58); B Moran for Jennings (61).
A Coyne (Westmeath).
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