Watertight St Martin's cruise past Naas into Leinster final
Jack Sheridan of Naas is tackled by Philip Dempsey of St Martins. Pic: ©INPHO/James Lawlor
No sign of any complacency at Chadwicks Wexford Park where hosts St Martin's lived up to their favourites billing, cruising through to the Leinster club SHC final.
Fresh off knocking out holders Na Fianna, St Martin's weren't at all flattered by the 10-point win and probably should have won by more.
County man Rory O'Connor led the siege with 14 points and a terrific individual display while his brother, Jack, and cousin Barry were to the fore also.
The win was built on a huge defensive platform with St Martin's conceding just four points from play.
St Martin's will meet Shamrocks Ballyhale at Croke Park on December 6 in what will be the Wexford club's first ever final.
It's also the first time a Wexford club has reached the decider since 2015 and, truth be told, St Martin's always looked like taking care of business here in a one-sided encounter.
A bad day for Naas was compounded by the red card dismissal of Harry Carroll four minutes from time.
St Martin's approached as favourites but both sides came armed with similar provincial records.
Naas were upgraded to the senior ranks after winning the All-Ireland intermediate title in 2022 and picked up three wins at the senior grade since.
Their most recent was the quarter-final win over Mount Leinster Rangers while St Martin's had won three of their eight games in Leinster since first competing in 1999.
St Martin's, significantly, took out holders Na Fianna last time out and returned to Chadwicks Wexford Park desperate to reach a first ever final.
They led virtually from pillar to post, save for a brief period early on at 0-01 apiece.
St Martin's had the stiff wind behind them and used it to power to a 0-15 to 0-05 half-time lead.
It wasn't vintage stuff from St Martin's but it hardly needed to be as they picked off point after point, opening up a 0-09 to 0-02 lead by the end of the opening quarter.
Ex-AFL player Barry O'Connor wore number 10 but started in the inside line and caused havoc initially, pinching a score and winning a free for his cousin Rory to convert.
Jack O'Connor raised the temperature among the St Martin's supporters with a sumptuous score from a line ball in the 15th minute.
Jack Sheridan hinted at great gains for Naas when he burst onto an Evan O'Brian pass for his opening score in the third minute.
But the visitors only added one more point from open play in the half, from Michael Purcell, as they hit the interval 10 points adrift.
Rory O'Connor accounted for all of the St Martin's points in the second-half and while five of the six points were from placed balls, his 42nd minute score from out on the right wing was a beauty.
Naas desperately needed a goal to gain some traction and a foothold in the game but Sheridan's 46th minute shot from a free was taken off the line by Joe Barrett.
The St Martin's defence was superb and their mentality was summed up by Aaron Maddock blocking down a shot by Naas captain Brian Byrne in the 61st minute, punching the air in delight after denying the Kildare men a goal.
Rory O'Connor 0-14 (9f, 2 65), Jack O'Connor 0-3 (0-1 s/l), Barry O'Connor 0-1, Diarmuid O'Leary 0-1, Aaron Maddock 0-1, Michael Coleman 0-1.
Jack Sheridan 0-8 (0-5f, 0-2 65), Michael Purcell 0-1, Cian Boran 0-1, Brian Byrne 0-1Â
Callum Quirke; Eoin O'Leary, Conor Firman, Philip Dempsey; Diarmuid O'Leary, Joe Barrett, Daithi Waters; David Codd, Aaron Maddock; Darre Codd, Jack O'Connor, Jake Firman; Michael Coleman, Barry O'Connor, Rory O'Connor.
Ben Maddock for David Codd 30, Ben Stafford for Coleman 54, Paddy O'Connor for Eoin O'Leary 58, Michael Codd for Diarmuid O'Leary 60, Sam Audsley for Darren Codd 62.
Cormac Gallagher; Liam O'Reilly, Rian Boran, Peter O'Donoghue; Daire Guerin, Ross Kelly, Harry Carroll; Evan O'Brian, Simon Leacy; Killian Harrington, Cian Boran, Charlie Sheridan; Jack Sheridan, Michael Purcell, Brian Byrne.
Richy Hogan for Purcell h/t, Cathal Dowling for Charlie Sheridan 45, Fionn Maher for Harrington 53, Kevin Whelan for O'Brian 60.
Thomas Gleeson (Dublin)
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