Ballyhale Shamrocks (Kilkenny) 3-22
Naas (Kildare) 1-16
Paul Keane reports from Croke Park
JUST DAYS AFTER the birth of his first child, TJ Reid returned to the Ballyhale Shamrocks line-up and struck 1-6 to help secure their AIB Leinster club senior hurling final place.
Kilkenny great Reid missed the quarter-final win over Castletown Geoghegan with a reported slight leg strain though showed no ill effects from his lay-off, or any late nights that may have been associated with the new arrival at home, as he helped secure a final clash with Kilmacud Crokes next Sunday.
There was an early scare for the five-in-a-row Kilkenny champions who fell six points behind at the quarter-hour mark but they ultimately forced an 18-point swing on the scoreboard to win by a handsome 12-point margin in the end.
Goals from Reid, Joey Cuddihy and Eoin Cody did the trick for Ballyhale who were back on top at half-time and killed off the reigning All-Ireland intermediate champions with back to back goals during the third quarter.
Naas, who won the AIB All-Ireland intermediate title last February, promoting them back to the senior ranks in Leinster for the first time since 2002, can be proud of their efforts and had a star attacker in Jack Sheridan who delivered from both frees and in open play, striking 0-12 overall.
Fresh off their four-goal quarter-final win over Shinrone, Naas came into the contest looking to make a mockery of the 9/1 long shot odds attached to them by bookmakers.
Perhaps drawing on the positive vibes from their intermediate final win over Kilmoyley at Croke Park last February – a number of their players also played for Kildare in the Christy Ring Cup final win – they burst out of the traps and into a shock 1-5 to 0-2 lead at the quarter hour mark.
Sheridan, who took over the free-taking duties from dual player James Burke after the county final, drilled two early points and Harry Carroll added another from long range.
Then Cathal Dowling sniped a goal and suddenly the underdogs led by 1-3 to 0-1.
Remarkably, Naas carved out three decent goal chances before they actually hit the mark; captain Brian Byrne twice going close and Sheridan also forcing Dean Mason to save smartly.
By the time Shamrocks knew what had hit them, they trailed by six points and must have realised it wasn’t going to be the cakewalk many had predicted.
To their credit, the five-in-a-row Kilkenny champions didn’t panic and simply set about reeling in Naas, score by score.
Reid’s 22nd minute goal from a penalty – Colin Fennelly was fouled by full-back Ross Kelly in the buildup – breathed life into their comeback.
Cody then slotted his second point and with 22 minutes on the clock they were already back on level terms at 1-6 apiece.
When Adrian Mullen then picked off a cracking point from the right sideline to move Ballyhale ahead for the first time in the 26th minute, it looked like they might go on to put some daylight between the teams.
Naas dug in though and the sides were level four more times in the run up to half-time with Darragh Corcoran’s point for the holders in the 34th minute giving Ballyhale a narrow 1-11 to 1-10 interval lead.
Naas kept Ballyhale waiting for several minutes before they returned for the second-half. Tom Mullally and his management team were perhaps reminding the players that with eight first-half wides, three shots that dropped short and three goal chances, aside from the one they scored, they were proving more than a match for their vaunted opponents.
Ballyhale’s strong start to the second-half was ominous though and points from Ronan Cororan, Reid and Paddy Mullen stretched their lead.
The eight-time All-Ireland winners effectively sealed the win during a terrific 60 seconds of play late in the third quarter when they rattled the net twice.
Cuddihy struck the first of those goals and when they regained possession from the resulting puck-out, Ballyhale worked the ball to Cody who opted for goal from around 25 metres out and found the bottom right corner.
Naas did respond immediately with back to back points but the damage had been done and the Shamrocks could afford to go through the motions in the run in, Reid even opting for a cheeky looping pass over the top of the Naas defence to Fennelly for a goal attempt in the run in.
Ballyhale Shamrocks scorers: TJ Reid 1-6 (1-0pen, 0-4f), Eoin Cody 1-2, Paddy Mullen 0-4, Adrian Mullen 0-4, Joey Cuddihy 1-0, Darragh Corcoran 0-3, Ronan Corcoran 0-2, Eoin Reid 0-1.
Naas scorers: Jack Sheridan 0-12 (0-9f), Cathal Dowling 1-0, Kevin Whelan 0-2, James Burke 0-1, Harry Carroll 0-1.
Ballyhale Shamrocks
1. Dean Mason
2. Darren Mullen, 3. Joey Holden, 17. Killian Corcoran
5. Evan Shefflin, 6. Richie Reid, 7. Darragh Corcoran
8. Ronan Corcoran, 9. Paddy Mullen
15. Joey Cuddihy, 11. TJ Reid, 12. Eoin Cody
10. Adrian Mullen, 13. Eoin Kenneally, 14. Colin Fennelly
Subs
22. Niall Shortall for Cuddihy (50)
4. Brian Butler for Killian Corcoran (61)
23. Eoin Reid for Adrian Mullen (61)
Naas
1. Cormac Gallagher
3. Ross Kelly, 4. Peter O’Donoghue, 7. Harry Carroll
6. Rian Boran, 2. John McKeon, 5. Kevin Whelan
21. Conan Boran, 9. Simon Leacy
22. Kevin Aherne, 13. Brian Byrne, 14. James Burke
20. Charlie Sheridan, 11. Jack Sheridan, 15. Cathal Dowling
Subs
10. Conor Dowling for Aherne (49)
18. Ferran O’Sullivan for Kelly (56)
19. Darach MacDonncha for Rian Boran (59)
17. Rian Monaghan for Burke (61)
12. Liam Walsh for Charlie Sheridan (62)
Referee: Thomas Gleeson (Dublin).
