Kildare champs Sallins book Leinster Final spot with thrilling win over Clara

Sallins 2-18

Clara 1-12

Kildare Intermediate Champions Sallins came through an enormous test against Offaly champions Clara to book a spot in this year’s Leinster Intermediate Final.

Sallins will face Westmeath side Tubberclair in the provincial final on December 14 in Cedral St Conleth’s Park. The Westmeath side beat 4-16 to 4-12 win over Hunterstown Rovers on Saturday to reach the decider.

Despite a Colm Dalton point after just 33 seconds, it was clear from early on that this was going to be Sallins’ toughest Championship test in 2025 so far.

Clara centre-back and captain Marcas Dalton was the man to equalise after he found space following a smart solo and go.

The visitors edged ahead through Carl Stewart after some fine movement of possession through the hands of the Clara men.

Sallins’ equaliser in return was almost instant and came through the again superb on the day Colm Dalton.

A Cian Grimes double sent the Kildare champs two clear, the first from a free won by Colm Dalton and the second after the wing-forward superbly cut inside and converted.

Clara moved from two down to two up in the space of three minutes in the most one-sided spell that either experienced in the opening half.

They did so thanks to two Thomas Deehan points, firstly from a rebound after Matthew Farrelly stopped a certain goal with a brilliant save and the second when he fired over from a tight angle off his left side. Sandwiched between Deehan’s score was a gorgeous two-pointer from wing-back Conor Doyle.

Another Cian Grimes set-piece made this game 0-6 to 0-5 after 19 minutes before Luke Kelly equalised a couple minutes later.

Clara’s second two-pointer arrived in the form of a free that was superbly struck by Josh Fleming.

Colm Dalton, as he did all day, shouldered the responsibility of keeping his Sallins on top and fired them back to within one after another brilliant driving run.

Stephen Kelly’s point made this game level for the fourth time after he superbly jinked inside and fired over.

Just two minutes from half-time, Clara almost shot three clear when they carved Sallins open after a sharp one-two between Cormac Delaney and Graham Guilfoyle. The former was the man to take aim but was brilliantly denied a clear effort at goal by a retreating Cian Grimes. It was more than likely a goal-saving from Grimes who smartly bumped possession away from Delaney.

Despite being denied a goal, Delaney did send his side in with a lead after he hit a low-driven ‘45 between the posts as Clara carried an 0-9 to 0-8 advantage in at the break.

Three minutes after the restart James Dalton levelled things for Sallins but the highlight of the minutes after half-time was the Clara goal which arrived moments later.

It was a slick move from the Offaly men after Graham Guilfoyle drove at the Sallins backline. The midfielder slipped in Conor Doyle who handpassed across for Edward Cullen to slap into the vacant net.

The Sallins response was inspired by the Dalton brothers with Colm winning a free for Stephen Kelly to pop over and James doing likewise for Cian Grimes to match. The pair of frees left Sallins one back at 1-9 to 0-11 after 40 minutes.

Clara then doubled their advantage in controversial circumstances with Cormac Delaney’s third point being preceded by a clear violation of the 3x3 rule by his side.

Sallins responded through their own number 10, Cian Grimes, who picked up his fifth point in the 43rd minute.

The final quarter is where the Kildare champions seized control of this game. 

Their best phase in this game was kicked off by their first goal which arrived in a blistering sequence. Much like Clara had on a couple of occasions, Sallins moved the ball superbly through their hands with the final switch going from Stephen Kelly to James Dalton with the corner-forward slotting the ball low into the net.

The side now leading by two then put together a ruthless run of 1-4 without reply in the 10 minutes that followed. 

Luke Killian fisted over from close-range moments before Colm Dalton again carried his team up the pitch and this time knocked over a score of his own to give Sallins a 1-14 to 1-10 lead with 10 to go.

Luke Killian then put Sallins five clear after he faked to shoot to create space and curled one over.

Eoin McConnon grabbed his first point of the game in the 53rd minute and just a couple later this game was marked over when Stephen Kelly rattled the net.

Luke Killian, who had perhaps his game of the year, slipped in the galloping Daragh Mangan to find Kelly. The corner-forward took one step inside before blasting the ball into the roof of the net.

With the Leinster finalists all but decided, these teams added two more points each with James Dalton and substitute Sean McDonnell adding for Sallins while Jack Reynolds and Josh Fleming hit for Clara.

The couple of late scores at either end left Sallins with a nine-point advantage at 2-18 to 1-12 at full-time as they progressed to the Leinster Intermediate Final.

Sallins, Cian Grimes 0-5 (4 x frees), Stephen Kelly 1-2 (1 x free), James Dalton 1-2, Colm Dalton 0-4, Luke Killian 0-2, Luke Kelly 0-1, Eoin McConnon 0-1, Sean McDonnell 0-1.

Clara, Edward Cullen 1-0, Cormac Delaney 0-3 (1x frees, 1 x '45), Thomas Deehan 0-2, Conor Doyle 0-2 (1 x 2pt), Josh Fleming 0-2 (1 x 2ptf), Marcas Dalton 0-1, Carl Stewart 0-1, Jack Reynolds 0-1.

SALLINS: Matthew Farrelly; Ruairi O'Domhnaill, Mark Moynihan, Sean O'Domhnaill; Luke Kelly, Eoin McConnon, Glen McEvoy; Daragh Mangan, Paul Farrelly; Cian Grimes, Colm Dalton, Luke Killian; Stephen Kelly, Emmet Ralph, James Dalton. Subs: Alan Marshall for Emmet Ralph (39 minutes), Aaron Carney for Mark Moynihan (53 minutes), Sean Conway for Stephen Kelly (57 minutes) Kevin Foley for Cian Grimes (60 minutes), Sean McDonnell for James Dalton (60 minutes).

CLARA: Adam Scanlon; Ryan Carroll, Christian McKeon, Daragh McKeon; Conor Doyle, Marcas Dalton, Carl Stewart; Edward Cullen, Graham Guilfoyle; Cormac Delaney, Adam Kelly, Conor Egan; Barry Egan, Josh Fleming, Thomas Deehan. Subs: Jack Reynolds for Barry Egan (44 minutes), David Falsey for Thomas Deehan (50 minutes), Alan Gavin for Ryan Carroll (54 minutes), Myles Handy for Conor Egan (54 minutes), Ben Loughran for Cormac Delaney (57 minutes).

Referee: James Foley (Carlow)

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