Gaelic GamesMatch report

Na Fianna beat Naas to book Leinster final clash with O’Loughlin Gaels

Leinster Council can push ahead with plan for a double header of provincial football and hurling finals

Na Fianna players celebrate at the final whistle. Photograph: Tom Maher/Inpho
Na Fianna players celebrate at the final whistle. Photograph: Tom Maher/Inpho
Paul Keane at O’Moore Park, Portlaoise
Sat Nov 25 2023 - 18:47
Leinster club SHC semi-final: Na Fianna (Dublin) 2-14 Naas (Kildare) 0-17

With a Rushe in their team and a couple of Curries involved, it’s fitting that Na Fianna claimed this landmark Leinster club SHC semi-final win with a sudden surge and a dash of spice.

Truth be told, the first-time Dublin champions simmered for the longest while before suddenly coming to the boil during a sumptuous spell of hurling early in the second half which ultimately won it for them.

Led by two-time All-Star Liam Rushe in defence, and inspired by the Currie brothers in attack, Na Fianna conjured 2-2 in that 10-minute or so period – Ciaran Stacey and AJ Murphy with the goals – which turned out to be the winning of a game that stretched to almost 68 minutes.

That near eight minutes of stoppage time that were played by referee Patrick Murphy was significant as it allowed Naas the time to whittle down what was at one stage a seven-point deficit to just one.

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The underdogs needed to add a dash of something different to the pot themselves, to grab the goal they badly needed, and it never came with late, late Na Fianna points from substitute Tom Brennan and Colin Currie proving to be the insurance scores.

It means that Na Fianna will make the short journey next Saturday from their Mobhi Road base on Dublin’s northside to Croke Park for a novel Leinster final against O’Loughlin Gaels of Kilkenny.

Na Fianna defenders move in to close down Naas' Kevin Aherne during the Leinster SHC club semi-final at O'Moore Park on Saturday. Photograph: Tom Maher
Na Fianna defenders move in to close down Naas' Kevin Aherne during the Leinster SHC club semi-final at O'Moore Park on Saturday. Photograph: Tom Maher

It also means that the Leinster Council can push ahead with their plan for a double header of provincial football and hurling finals. Naas had already qualified for the football decider, against Kilmacud Crokes, and if their hurlers had won this game, the football final would have been pushed back by seven days.

“It’s kind of happened a lot this year where we’ve been struggling a little bit and then we get a goal,” said Na Fianna’s Colin Currie, who set up their second goal which was scored by Murphy. “We are a team that does want to attack and create goals and I think that was the mindset that won it for us today.”

Na Fianna edged the first half by 0-8 to 0-6 but it was tense and cagey and it was only when Stacey netted for Na Fianna shortly after the restart that the game really caught fire.

The Murphy goal followed in the 38th minute, and then a Shane Barrett point, to leave Na Fianna seven points up, 2-10 to 0-9.

Five-in-a-row Kildare champions Naas, the All-Ireland intermediate winners in early 2022, refused to relent and a series of points from free-taker Jack Sheridan, Simon Leacy and Cathal Dowling pushed Na Fianna all the way.

Na Fianna: J Tracey; D Clerkin, S Burke, C McHugh; P O’Dea, L Rushe, K Burke; B Ryan (0-1), P Feeney; J Tierney, S Currie (0-2), M Murphy; AJ Murphy (1-0), C Stacey (1-1), C Currie (0-8, seven frees). Subs: S Barrett (0-1) for B Ryan h/t, D Ryan for O’Dea 33, S Baxter for Tierney 47, G King for Stacey 56, T Brennan (0-1) for Murphy 64.

Naas: C Gallagher; J McKeon, R Kelly, P O’Donoghue; H Carroll, S Gainey, K Whelan (0-1); R Boran, S Leacy (0-3); Conor Boran, Cian Boran (0-1), K Aherne (0-1); B Byrne (0-2), J Sheridan (0-8, six frees, two 65s), J Burke. Subs: F O’Sullivan for Whelan 27-h/t blood, C Dowling (0-1) for Conor Boran 44, O’Sullivan for Gainey 54, R Hogan for Aherne 63.

Referee: P Murphy (Carlow).