Sarsfields blow Celbridge away in second half to reach Kildare SFC final

Sarsfields forward Karl Hartley scored three points in the win over Celbridge Photo: Sean Brilly

SARSFIELDS 2-17 CELBRIDGE 2-9

A power-packed second-half showing from Sarsfields blew Celbridge aside as the Newbridge team won through to reach their first Kildare SFC final since 2021.

A 16th minute goal by Colm Harnett put them four points ahead but Celbridge struck within a minute with a goal of their own through former professional soccer player Cian Bolger.

Cian Powell added their second in the 26th minute after Dean O’Donoghue led a lightning-fast counter-attack.

They helped Celbridge into a 2-7 to 1-6 half-time lead and they extended that lead to five when Luke Murray scored the first point after the restart.

But incredibly, a team who were playing in the 13th consecutive semi-final, but who had only won three of the previous 12, only scored one more point as Sarsfields took control.

Luke Mahon’s goal in the 34th minute gave Sarsfields momentum again and they never looked back from there and they sailed through the remainer of the game to reach the final.

Waiting for them is Maynooth, who caused a sensation on Saturday with an upset win over Naas to qualify for their first senior final since 1916.

Cathal McCabe’s goal in extra time helped secure a 1-15 to 0-16 win.

There’s an added spice to the final as Maynooth are managed by Ross Glavin, a Moorefield man who enjoyed many county final battles against their great rivals as a player and a manager and is now set for another.

Scorers for Sarsfields: L Mahon (1-2), D Ryan (1tp) and K Hartley (0-4 each), C Harnett (1-0), B Coffey (0-2, 1f), S Ryan, C White, M Byrne, C Bolton and R Kearney (0-1 each).

Scorers for Celbridge: C Bolger (1-2, 1tp), C Powell (1-0), S McNamara (1tpf) and L Murray (0-2 each), K Flynn, A Browne (1f) and M Konstantin (0-1 each).

SARSFIELDS: C Moore; C Harnett, C Hughes, K Dwyer; D Conlon, S Ryan, C White; M Byrne, G Anderson; C Bolton, B Coffey, C Kavanagh; K Hartley, L Mahon, C O’Donovan.

Subs: R Kearney for Anderson (ht), J O’Neill for Dwyer (ht), D Ryan for Kavanagh (39), C Costigan for Byrne (44), D Shalvey for White (60+1).

CELBRIDGE: S McNamara; Eoghan Light, Dean O’Donoghue, Cian Powell 1-0; Kevin Flynn 0-1, Mick O’Grady, Peter McAteer; Niall O’Regan, Cian Bolger 1-2 (1tp); Mick Konstantin 0-1, Fergal Conway, Killian Browne; Davy Hughes, Aaron Browne 0-1 (f), Luke Murray 0-2.

Subs: Liam O’Flynn for Konstantin (ht), Tony Archbold for McAteer (41), James Dolan for Hughes (47), Paddy Wall for K Browne (50), Hugh McGrillen for Murray (57).

Referee: Billy O’Connell.