Naas crowned Féile Peile na nÓg Division 1 football champions

Naas GAA finished as John West GAA Féile Peile na nÓg Division 1 football champions. The Kildare men emerged from Group 4 after wins over Lavey (Derry) and Salthill Knocknacarra (Galway) in Owenbeg.

It was Lavey up first for the eventual champions with the Derry side needing a win after losing their first game against Salthill, but it was Naas who finished as 4-3 to 1-5 winners in their opener.

After a seven-point win to kick things off, it was a much harder match up for the Kildare side in their second game as they faced a strong Salthill outfit. With both sides having beaten Lavey, this game was a straight shootout to see who would reach the semi-final stage.

Naas made the most of a strong wind in the first half to race into a 1-5 to 0-1 lead and held on with the gale in their faces to secure a hard-fought 1-6 to 1-4 victory and a semi-final place.

Perhaps the eventual champions best performance of the day came against Derry side O'Donovan Rossa of Magherafelt in their final four encounter. Naas hit an impressive 2-7 against the Group 3 table-toppers, who scored 1-2, to progress to the final.

It was a glamour tie in the final for the Kildare team who faced New York to decide who would receive the Division 1 crown. The tension of a decider was present in both sides with the team from the States carrying an 0-2 to 0-1 lead in at half-time. Naas levelled after the restart but a fisted point kept New York ahead, as they had been for the majority of the game.

However, with 20 seconds left in normal time, Naas centre-back Matthew McCarthy got on the end of a high ball and it into the New York net to put his side two up late on. The eventual winners sustained massive late pressure from the American team during the two minutes of added time but held on for an excellent victory to become Féile Peile na nÓg Division 1 football champions.

It is yet another trophy for the Kildare club who won the Division 2 hurling title in Wexford last week with the winning squad containing 10 dual players. 

NAAS: James Lennon; James O’Loughlin, Conor Dunphy, Donncha Ryan; Andrew Brennan, Matthew McCarthy, Neil Reddington; Adam Mullins, Ben Harrington; Euie Breen, Andrew O’Toole, Cian O’Connor; James McGrath, Cuan Og Mac Aoghain, Oisin Lynch (captain). Panel: Evan Palmer, Darragh McGrane, Zack Minogue O’Reilly, Max Lenehan, Cal Kehoe, Luke Fitzgerald, Mark Forde, Robert Domican, Conor Clerkin, Tadhg O’Neill.

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