Bench can prove the difference as Naas and Celbridge clash in county final

We've been down this road before. Just 12 month ago, more or less. Naas v Celbridge. Senior county final.

A little different this time around.

Back at St Conleth's Park, thank god, having played last season's decider in Carlow due to the redevelopment of St Conleth's Park.

Now Cedral St Conleth's Park.

The first game in the spanking re-developed stadium.

A new capacity of 15,000.

A new stand with 3,000 seats.

State-of-the-art new dressing rooms, and all the ancillary amenities.

Not forgetting floodlights.

Kildare finally have a home they can be proud of and it is a credit to all concerned, all involved over the last 18 months, in fact over the last seven years.

But back to the football.

And what a game we have to look forward to.

Naas, seeking a fourth title in a row, something not achieved in over century of senior finals.

So really history in the making.

Over the past four seasons we have seen Naas improve beyond theirs, or anyone's, expectations as they are attempting to make it senior title no. 12.

Celbridge, on the other hand, have just one title to their credit, that being back in 2008 when they defeated Sarsfields after a replay.

Apart from last season, Celbridge were last in the decider back in 2017, a final they probably have been having nightmares of since.

We leave it at that.

Still the north Kildare side have been threatening and threatening, losing semi-finals, some they should have won, no doubt, but they are certainly fully deserving of being in Sunday's decider.

On paper they have a team full of experience, full of past and present county players at all levels and a few new lads that are more than capable of making their name at senior county level in the coming years.

What can we say of Naas?

What indeed.

The club is dominating both football and hurling in the past four or five years and not just at senior level; in fact at all levels from minor all the way up, including reserve championships in both codes, their camogie side were crowned senior champions just two weeks ago while their Ladies are also there or there abouts also.

Looking at Naas one can see what winning over the last three years has done as they have grown into a team that, apart from the obvious talent, they have the belief, they have strength, pace and probably their biggest plus of all, they have a bench absolutely second to none.

Just two weeks ago they were given their sternest test within the county since last season's final when they had just two points to spare over Celbridge.

Athy asked questions of them no doubt about that but while it took extra time to advance it was here Naas showed their hand, showed their talent, showed their strength in depth.

Take the opening half of that extra time. On four occasions in that opening ten minutes and despite playing with just fourteen men, they repelled Athy on four occasions in that period; through some brilliant defensive work, taking the lead before blowing them away in the second half of extra time.

Celbridge also had to go through extra time before getting over Sarsfields. It is a win that will, no doubt, do wonders for their confidence, their experience in recent times has more times than not showed when the chips were down, really down, they rarely came out on top.

This year that seems to have changed.

Players from the experienced Shane McNamara at no. 1 to Killian Browne at no. 15 have all been performing and when you add in Mick Konstantin, Dean O'Donoghue, Fergal Conway, Hugh McGrillen, Mick O'Grady, Kevin O'Callaghan, Tony Archbold and Aaron Browne it is no surprise they are in the decider.

Naas will go into this one as favs, and rightly so, what with Luke Mullins, the youthful Mark Maguire, a half back-line of Brian Byrne, Eoin Doyle and Eoin Lawlor; Ryan Sinkey and Sean Hanafin (or Paul McDermott) in the middle and forwards of the calibre of Alex Beirne, Darragh Kirwan, the under-rated Neil Aherne, Tom Browne enjoying a great season along with Paddy McDermott (hoping he will be fit after taking a heavy 'knock' in the semi-final) and big Dermot Hanafin they are certainly the team to beat.

However, it is their bench that can prove the difference, as said, no other bench is stronger that this Naas one.
Finals are finals, it is all about performing on the day and while Celbridge are due a break at this stage, the vote must go to Naas to make it an incredible four titles in a row.