MANGUARD PLUS MINOR A FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL.
NAAS 3 – 14
CLANE 3 – 10
In a six goal thriller Naas regained the Minor Football crown they last held in 2016 by defeating the holders Clane by four points in an exciting finish.
Both teams are to be applauded for their skill and determination.
Naas playing with a strong breeze raced into a 1 – 5 to nil lead after twenty minutes. Clane outscored Naas by three points to two in the last ten minutes of the half but Naas still held a seven point advantage at the interval.
Naas started strongly in the second half scoring four unanswered points to increase their lead to eleven. A sixth minute goal by Tom Culhane got Clane going and with six points on the trot they reduced the arrears to two points.
An Alex Beirne penalty got Naas back into the game and with four minutes left the sides were level. Man of the match Luke Griffin was the match winner for Naas with an unbelievable goal in the 27th minute.
Playing with a strong breeze Naas opened the scoring with points from Luke griffin and Alex Beirne in the 6th and 7th minutes.
A ninth minute goal from Naas Captain Colm Joyce was followed by points from Darragh Kirwan, Griffin and Joyce.
Naas led 1 – 5 to nil after twenty minutes.Shane o’Sullivan opened the scoring for Clane after twenty five minutes. Before the interval Griffin and Culhane swapped points as did Darragh Kirwan and Keelan O’Connell. At the break Naas Led by seven 1 – 7 to 0 – 3
At the start of the second half Naas continued where they left off. Points by Colm Joyce Luke Griffin(2) and Dermot Hannafin increased their lead to eleven after five and a Tom Culhane goal after six minutes started the Clane fight back.
Six Clane points in a row reduced the arrears to two points after twenty minutes. A Naas penalty by Alex Beirne in the 22nd minute brought the gap to five.
Clane replied a minute later with a goal of their own by Dean O’Shea. Darragh Kirwan put Naas three up .
The sides were level a minute later when Culhane slotted home for Clane. Naas 2 – 12 Clane 3 – 9.
Naas were not to be denied as Luke Griffin beat a defender on the left and found the narrowest of gaps for a Naas goal.
Dermot Hannafin fisted over to make it four in front. The teams swapped points before the final whistle. It was a great game but Naas just about deserved the spoils.
Scorers:Naas: Luke Griffin(1 – 6), Colm Joyce and Alex Beirne (1 – 1 each), Darragh Kirwan (0 – 3), Dermot Hannafin(0 – 2), Tom Browne(0 – 1)
Clane:Tomo Culhane(2 – 3), Dean O’Shea(1 – 0), Shane O’Sullivan(0 – 3), Sam McCormack, Sam Reilly,Keelan O’Connell, Cormac Vizzard (0 – 1) each.
Naas:David Morrissey, Mark Maguire, Eoghan Prizeman, Eamonn Dunne, Rian Monaghan, Eoin Archbold, Paddy McDermott, Ian Blackburne, Drew Costello, Alex Beirne, Darragh Kirwan, Dermot Hannafin, Sam Morrissey, Luke Griffin, Colm Joyce(Capt.)
Clane: Jack McCrory, Connor Walsh, Danny Vaughan, Eoin Walsh, Connor Ward, John Lynch, Cormac Larkin, James Behan, Sam McCormack, Mark Kelly, Sam Reilly, Aaron Connolly, Dean O;Shea, Tomo Culhane, Iain Cribben.
Man of the Match: Luke Griffin (Naas)
Referee: Paddy McDermott.
Thanks to Liam McManus for the match report.
