Naas CBS 3-14 St Brendan’s Killarney 2-15
A 2-5 blast from Kevin Cummins helped Naas CBS secure a landmark Hogan Cup triumph at Croke Park.
The Kildare school, beaten by a point in the 2019 decider, probably wondered if history may be about to repeat itself when a seven-point lead was whittled down to just one late on.
But Cummins’s second goal in the 58th minute proved the insurance score and allowed the side managed by Pádraic Cribben to absorb a late, late St Brendan’s goal.
Sub Mark O’Shea scored that second St Brendan’s major but the full-time whistle sounded moments later on the four-time champions and Naas celebrated a dramatic win.
Cummins was the hero with his terrific haul, 2-3 of which came from open play, but they had huge performers throughout the field as they became the first Kildare side to collect the All-Ireland title.
St Brendan's previously won the championship in 2016 and 2017 with current Kerry star David Clifford hitting 2-5 in the 2016 decider.
This time it was Cummins who stole the show with the same tally and his Naas colleagues will reflect on a scoring spree before half-time that put them in a strong position.
The scores were tied at 0-5 to 1-2 after 20 minutes, Cummins with an 11th-minute goal for Naas after a sumptuous left-footed strike from the left channel, when the Leinster champions suddenly strode clear.
Naas reeled off 1-4 without reply in the space of just six minutes to lead by 2-6 to 0-6 at the break.
Fionn Cooke was the goalscorer during that burst of scoring, applying a low finish beyond the goalkeeper after good work in the build-up by Dara Crowley and Colm Dalton, though St Brendan's were a different side after half-time.
William Shine, a 2020 All-Ireland under-20 finalist with Kerry, got the Munster side going with a goal after the restart, spinning away from his marker after seizing on a long ball in from the right sideline.
Captain Cian McMahon rose to the occasion too with a series of scores and with just two minutes to go the Killarney side trailed by just a point, 1-15 to 2-13.
That's when Cummins struck his second goal after cleverly slipping away from defender Harry Byrne at the Hill 16 End and curling the ball into the top corner.
Seán Broderick added a point and Naas needed that five-point cushion as Brendan’s clawed back that second goal at the end of stoppage- time.
NAAS CBS: D McPartlin; C Boran, C Murphy, T Ryan; R Fitzgerald, F Tully, J McKevitt; D Crowley (0-1), D Guerin; S Broderick (0-2), C Dalton (0-1), F Cooke (0-1); K Cummins (2-5, two frees), N Dolan (0-2), G Thompson (1-2, one free).
Subs: J Taaffe for Cooke (44 mins), E Beirne for Thompson (60), D Jameson for Fitzgerald (61), D Lenihan for Broderick (63).
ST BRENDAN'S KILLARNEY: A O'Sullivan; C Lynch, D O'Callaghan, H Byrne; J Kelleher, T Clifford, D Fleming; L Randles, K O'Sullivan; M Moriarty, C Foley (0-3), L Crowley (0-3); A Hennigan, W Shine (1-5, one free), C McMahon (0-4, two frees).
Subs: R Colleran for Clifford, C Keating for Hennigan (both h-t), M O'Shea (1-0) for Moriarty (38 mins), M Mullane for Randles (55), A O'Neill for Foley (62).
Ref: P Faloon (Down).
