SENIOR FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIV.1 SEMI-FINAL
NAAS 1 – 18 CELBRIDGE 1 – 17
Naas qualified for the final of the senior football League Div.1 (Leinster Leader cup) final in dramatic fashion by defeating Celbridge with a last minute goal by substitute Ciaran Doyle .Naas last reached the final of this competition when they defeated Sarsfields in the 1995 decider.
Celbridge started in whirlwind fashion with a goal after two minutes from Conor Doyle and an eight point lead 1 – 6 to 0 – 1 after ten minutes. Naas recovered well and in the next twenty minutes they scored ten points from Ronan Joyce(3),Dallen Gallagher(2), and one each from Brian Kane, Shane Bergin and Paul McDermott,Ross bergin and Joey Cocoman to one for Celbridge from Shane Harte to lead by a point at the interval 0 – 11 to 1 – 7..
Naas started well in the second half and were three points clear after fifteen minutes. Celbridge fought back and scored five unanswered points between the fifteenth and twentieth minutes to take a two point lead. Naas struck back and equalised with points from Ciaran Doyle and Ronan Joyce. Points in the 25th and 28th minute from Mark O’Sullivan edged Celbridge two points clear. A Ronan Joyce free reduced the arrears to one before the best move of the match produced the Ciaran Doyle goal. A late Celbridge point left one between them at the finish.
Naas: Luke Mullins, David Shaw, Shane Bergin(0 – 1), Shane Gibbons, Brian Kane(0 – 2), Eoghan Bateman, Ailin McDermott, Ross Bergin(0 – 2), Paul McDermott(0 – 1), Joey Cocoman(0 – 2), John Joyce, Dallen Gallagher(0 – 3), Ronan Joyce(0 – 6), Philip Cocoman, Aiden Begley, Sub; Ciaran Doyle(1 – 1).
Celbridge: Shane McNamara, Rory Feehan, Kevin Flynn, Darragh McEvoy, Padraic Carthy, Hugh McGrillen, Bryan Flynn, Kevin O’Callaghan, David Byrne(0 – 1), Conor Brophy, Tony Archbold, Sean Costello(0 – 1), Conor Doyle(1 – 0), David Hughes(0 – 6),Shane Harte(0 – 7). Sub: Mark O’Sullivan(0 – 2)
