CONOR SLEVIN FIRED former champions Kilcormac-Killoughey through to the last four of the AIB Leinster club SHC with a monster free at the end of extra time.
With two minutes of stoppage time, at the end of extra time, already gone, Slevin stood up to convert his fifth point of the day to separate the teams and propel the Offaly champions through to a 22 November semi-final clash with Shelmaliers.
Goalkeeper Slevin scored his team’s last two points, firstly cancelling out Jack Sheridan’s 80th-minute score for Naas which had left the hosts a point ahead, before nailing the winning point deep in his own half after a foul on James Mahon.
Conor Slevin, an fear ceart san áit ceart ag an am ceart!🤩👏
Kilcormac Killoughey's goalkeeper is the hero in Newbridge after this extra time epic!
82 nóim (AB)
@NaasGAA 3-25
@kk_gaa_offaly 1-32
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There was a huge contribution too from Adam Screeney, who notched 1-13, his goal coming in the second half of extra time.
The win – Kilcormac-Killoughey’s 12th ever in the competition – was all the more impressive as they lost star centre-back Cillian Kiely to a second yellow card in the 52nd minute of normal time.
Colin Spain and Conor Mahon impressed for the 2012 champions as well, though it was tough on a Naas side desperate to kick on in Leinster after capturing the last eight Kildare titles.
They were right there too, only prevented from winning in normal time by Spain’s brilliant point from out on the wing in the 63rd minute that forced the extra 20 minutes.
Naas were two points ahead in extra time as well, after Brian Byrne struck their third goal, following earlier majors in normal time from Sheridan and Cathal Dowling.
But they couldn’t hold out as Declan Laffan’s side brought all their big-game experience to bear in the closing minutes.
Daire Guerin’s fifth-minute point for Naas, when he intercepted an ambitious Screeney pass across the Kilcormac-Killoughey attack and launched it all the way downfield and over the bar, was an early indicator of how tuned in Naas were.
A minute after that score, Simon Leacy’s point attempt for Naas dropped short and wasn’t dealt with by the Kilcormac-Killoughey defence, allowing Jack Sheridan to steal in and strike to the net.
The visitors battled back to level terms with four points in a row, 0-5 to 1-2, but 1-3 without response from Naas put them in the driving seat again.
Their second goal came in the 13th minute and amounted to a piece of opportunism from Dowling, who rose up to get the slightest of touches on a James Burke ball in, redirecting it to the net.
K-K finished the half strongly, outscoring Naas by 0-5 to 0-3 in the second quarter, but it was the side in blue and white that enjoyed a 2-8 to 0-10 lead at half time.
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Adam Screeney scored 1-13. James Lawlor / INPHO
James Lawlor / INPHO / INPHO
Evan Ó Briain kept tabs on Screeney though the Fitzgibbon Cup winner with UL helped to turn the screw in the third quarter as the Offaly side got on top.
Screeney pointed from a free and helped to set up another score as K-K outscored Naas 0-6 to 0-2 in the first eight minutes of the second half.
Mahon and Spain came into it strongly too and the latter’s point, after a clever one-two with Mahon from a sideline ball beneath the main stand, tied it up at 0-16 to 2-10.
The last 20 minutes was a terrific back and forth, with the sides level seven more times.
Kilcormac-Killoughey lost Kiely with eight minutes to go, a high challenge on the onrushing Brian Byrne leading to his second booking.
And Naas thought they’d clinched victory with the extra man when Burke pointed in the 62nd minute, putting his team ahead.
But K-K simply refused to die and when a long Slevin free dropped short, the ball was eventually recycled out to the right wing from where Spain somehow split the posts to force extra time at 0-25 to 2-19.
Four Naas points – three from free-taker Sheridan – to just two from Kilcormac-Killoughey left the hosts with a 2-23 to 0-27 lead at half-time of extra time.
Somehow, the second half of extra time was even more exciting with both sides netting again, leaving Naas with a two-point lead and five minutes left on the clock.
They couldn’t hold out though, as K-K reeled off four of the game’s last five points, Slevin their last gasp hero.
Shamrocks Ballyhale (Kilkenny) 3-19 The Harps (Laois) 1-16
Kilmacud Crokes (Dublin) 0-22 Mount Leinster Rangers (Carlow) 1-16
Kilcormac-Killoughey will play Shels in Tullamore in a fortnight after the Wexford side had their own narrow win, Ross Banville’s late goal helping them to edge out a Derek McNicholas inspired Lough Lene Gaels.
TJ Reid – fresh off his inter-county retirement announcement – showed no signs of any slippage with 1-8 for Shamrocks as they cruised beyond The Harps of Laois as anticipated.
Brian Cody had a strong Kilkenny SHC final for Shamrocks and maintained his strong form with 1-3 for the 12-times provincial winners.
TJ Reid on song for Ballyhale. Bryan Keane
Bryan Keane
Kilmacud Crokes began the day as second favourites to capture the provincial title but were made to battle all the way at Netwatch Cullen Park by Mount Leinster Rangers.
Chris Nolan fired 1-9 for former champions MLR who were powerless to prevent a Crokes side inspired again by the Hayes brothers, Ronan and Brian, from reeling off six points in a row in the third quarter, providing them with the platform for victory.
Crokes’ dubious reward for the win is a semi-final clash with Shamrocks on Sunday, 22 November.
Kilcormac Killoughey scorers: Adam Screeney 1-13 (0-11f), Conor Slevin 0-5 (0-5f), Colin Spain 0-4, Conor Mahon 0-3, Thomas Geraghty 0-2, Peter Geraghty 0-1, Enda Grogan 0-1, Daniel Hand 0-1, Cillian Kiely 0-1, Karl Guinan 0-1
Naas scorers: Jack Sheridan 1-13 (0-10f, 0-1 65), Brian Byrne 1-3, James Burke 0-4, Cathal Dowling 1-0, Daire Guerin 0-2, Simon Leacy 0-1, Conan Boran 0-1, Oisín O’Neill 0-1.
Kilcormac-Killoughey
1. Conor Slevin
2. Brecon Kavanagh, 3. Tom Spain, 4. James Mahon
5. Ter Guinan, 6. Cillian Kiely, 7. Enda Grogan
8. Colin Spain, 9. Damien Kilmartin
12. Leigh Kavanagh, 11. Conor Mahon, 10. Daniel Hand
15. Adam Screeney, 14. Peter Geraghty, 13. Thomas Geraghty
Subs
17. Jack Screeney for Leigh Kavanagh (41)
28. Karl Guinan for Peter Geraghty (54)
20. Alex Kavanagh for Thomas Geraghty (59)
18. Brian Guinan for Kilmartin (59)
22. Jordan Quinn for Grogan (ET)
Thomas Geraghty for Karl Guinan (73)
Naas
1. Cormac Gallagher
2. Liam O’Reilly, 3. Rian Boran, 4. Evan O Briain
5. Daire Guerin, 6. Conan Boran, 7. Harry Carroll
8. Peter O’Donoghue, 9. Simon Leacy
14. James Burke, 12. Brian Byrne, 17. Cian Boran
15. Jack Sheridan, 11. Cathal Dowling, 13. Charlie Sheridan
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Late extra-time drama as Kilcormac-Killoughey sink Naas to reach Leinster semi-final
Kilcormac-Killoughey (Offaly) 1-32
Naas (Kildare) 3-25
(After extra time)
Paul Keane reports from Cedral St Conleth’s Park
CONOR SLEVIN FIRED former champions Kilcormac-Killoughey through to the last four of the AIB Leinster club SHC with a monster free at the end of extra time.
With two minutes of stoppage time, at the end of extra time, already gone, Slevin stood up to convert his fifth point of the day to separate the teams and propel the Offaly champions through to a 22 November semi-final clash with Shelmaliers.
Goalkeeper Slevin scored his team’s last two points, firstly cancelling out Jack Sheridan’s 80th-minute score for Naas which had left the hosts a point ahead, before nailing the winning point deep in his own half after a foul on James Mahon.
There was a huge contribution too from Adam Screeney, who notched 1-13, his goal coming in the second half of extra time.
The win – Kilcormac-Killoughey’s 12th ever in the competition – was all the more impressive as they lost star centre-back Cillian Kiely to a second yellow card in the 52nd minute of normal time.
Colin Spain and Conor Mahon impressed for the 2012 champions as well, though it was tough on a Naas side desperate to kick on in Leinster after capturing the last eight Kildare titles.
They were right there too, only prevented from winning in normal time by Spain’s brilliant point from out on the wing in the 63rd minute that forced the extra 20 minutes.
Naas were two points ahead in extra time as well, after Brian Byrne struck their third goal, following earlier majors in normal time from Sheridan and Cathal Dowling.
But they couldn’t hold out as Declan Laffan’s side brought all their big-game experience to bear in the closing minutes.
Daire Guerin’s fifth-minute point for Naas, when he intercepted an ambitious Screeney pass across the Kilcormac-Killoughey attack and launched it all the way downfield and over the bar, was an early indicator of how tuned in Naas were.
A minute after that score, Simon Leacy’s point attempt for Naas dropped short and wasn’t dealt with by the Kilcormac-Killoughey defence, allowing Jack Sheridan to steal in and strike to the net.
The visitors battled back to level terms with four points in a row, 0-5 to 1-2, but 1-3 without response from Naas put them in the driving seat again.
Their second goal came in the 13th minute and amounted to a piece of opportunism from Dowling, who rose up to get the slightest of touches on a James Burke ball in, redirecting it to the net.
K-K finished the half strongly, outscoring Naas by 0-5 to 0-3 in the second quarter, but it was the side in blue and white that enjoyed a 2-8 to 0-10 lead at half time.
Evan Ó Briain kept tabs on Screeney though the Fitzgibbon Cup winner with UL helped to turn the screw in the third quarter as the Offaly side got on top.
Screeney pointed from a free and helped to set up another score as K-K outscored Naas 0-6 to 0-2 in the first eight minutes of the second half.
Mahon and Spain came into it strongly too and the latter’s point, after a clever one-two with Mahon from a sideline ball beneath the main stand, tied it up at 0-16 to 2-10.
The last 20 minutes was a terrific back and forth, with the sides level seven more times.
Kilcormac-Killoughey lost Kiely with eight minutes to go, a high challenge on the onrushing Brian Byrne leading to his second booking.
And Naas thought they’d clinched victory with the extra man when Burke pointed in the 62nd minute, putting his team ahead.
But K-K simply refused to die and when a long Slevin free dropped short, the ball was eventually recycled out to the right wing from where Spain somehow split the posts to force extra time at 0-25 to 2-19.
Four Naas points – three from free-taker Sheridan – to just two from Kilcormac-Killoughey left the hosts with a 2-23 to 0-27 lead at half-time of extra time.
Somehow, the second half of extra time was even more exciting with both sides netting again, leaving Naas with a two-point lead and five minutes left on the clock.
They couldn’t hold out though, as K-K reeled off four of the game’s last five points, Slevin their last gasp hero.
Other Leinster SHC quarter-final results
Kilcormac-Killoughey will play Shels in Tullamore in a fortnight after the Wexford side had their own narrow win, Ross Banville’s late goal helping them to edge out a Derek McNicholas inspired Lough Lene Gaels.
TJ Reid – fresh off his inter-county retirement announcement – showed no signs of any slippage with 1-8 for Shamrocks as they cruised beyond The Harps of Laois as anticipated.
Brian Cody had a strong Kilkenny SHC final for Shamrocks and maintained his strong form with 1-3 for the 12-times provincial winners.
Kilmacud Crokes began the day as second favourites to capture the provincial title but were made to battle all the way at Netwatch Cullen Park by Mount Leinster Rangers.
Chris Nolan fired 1-9 for former champions MLR who were powerless to prevent a Crokes side inspired again by the Hayes brothers, Ronan and Brian, from reeling off six points in a row in the third quarter, providing them with the platform for victory.
Crokes’ dubious reward for the win is a semi-final clash with Shamrocks on Sunday, 22 November.
Kilcormac Killoughey scorers: Adam Screeney 1-13 (0-11f), Conor Slevin 0-5 (0-5f), Colin Spain 0-4, Conor Mahon 0-3, Thomas Geraghty 0-2, Peter Geraghty 0-1, Enda Grogan 0-1, Daniel Hand 0-1, Cillian Kiely 0-1, Karl Guinan 0-1
Naas scorers: Jack Sheridan 1-13 (0-10f, 0-1 65), Brian Byrne 1-3, James Burke 0-4, Cathal Dowling 1-0, Daire Guerin 0-2, Simon Leacy 0-1, Conan Boran 0-1, Oisín O’Neill 0-1.
Kilcormac-Killoughey
1. Conor Slevin
2. Brecon Kavanagh, 3. Tom Spain, 4. James Mahon
5. Ter Guinan, 6. Cillian Kiely, 7. Enda Grogan
8. Colin Spain, 9. Damien Kilmartin
12. Leigh Kavanagh, 11. Conor Mahon, 10. Daniel Hand
15. Adam Screeney, 14. Peter Geraghty, 13. Thomas Geraghty
Subs
Naas
1. Cormac Gallagher
2. Liam O’Reilly, 3. Rian Boran, 4. Evan O Briain
5. Daire Guerin, 6. Conan Boran, 7. Harry Carroll
8. Peter O’Donoghue, 9. Simon Leacy
14. James Burke, 12. Brian Byrne, 17. Cian Boran
15. Jack Sheridan, 11. Cathal Dowling, 13. Charlie Sheridan
Subs
Referee: Thomas Gleeson (Dublin).
*****
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