Kildare Senior Hurling round up as Champions Naas win in style and Keegan's Celbridge too strong for rivals

UPMC Senior Hurling Championship Section A, Round 1

Naas 4-32

Clane 0-12

County champions Naas got their Senior Hurling Championship off to a perfect start with a high scoring win over local rivals Clane. Among many Naas scorers James Burke’s quality stood above the rest, as the ball was routinely sent into his path, the forward would turn and slot between the posts with relative ease time and time again.

Clane did all they could to put some intensity into this fixture and make it as tough as they could against the heavily favoured Naas. But the quality over the pitch for the eventual winners was evident in this one and was all too much for the men in all white.

Jack Sheridan accrued 2-6 for his efforts in this one but he will feel he should have had much more. The majority of the forward’s tally came in the second half and, although well-taken, the scores occurred when Clane were out of this fixture as his side added insult to injury to their rivals.

Sheridan struggled with one-on-one’s in the open half hour against Clane and Kildare goalkeeper Paddy McKenna who was exceptional at both ends of the field for his side.

McKenna saved three certain goals in the opening half and if you take that into account when you look at the final score of this one you begin to see a picture of just how dominant Naas were.

At the other end McKenna scored 0-4 of his own with the keeper being fairly reliable from set-pieces for his team, although those chances only came around every so often.

Clane started with intensity and looked to upset their counterparts early on and did draw some mistakes out of Naas. But the eventual winners’ quality ultimately took over and it always looked inevitable that it would.

Clane and their supporters looked to galvanise themselves each time they got a white flag raised in the opening spell of the game but anytime they seemed to build momentum a quick interchange of passes would typically result in an instant reply in the form of a Naas point.

Clane attempted to apply pressure and gave it their best but they were facing a side who press as well as any team you will likely come across. A huge strength of this Naas side is their turnovers and those changes of possession stunted any chance for their opponents to grow into this game.

With the short options not working due to the Naas pressure, Clane looked to go long but any ball that was to be contested in the midfield in this game appeared to be claimed by Rian Boran, who would rise above all the others and come out with the ball in hand.

The defending county champions won't have learned much about this side that they didn’t already know but nonetheless will be happy with a convincing victory in their first Championship game. They maintained full throttle intensity throughout this tie, regardless of their winning margin.

Scorers

Naas, James Burke 1-11, Jack Sheridan 2-6, Brian Byrne 0-4, Simon Leacy 1-1 Cathal Dowling 0-3, Conor Dowling 0-2, Charlie Sheridan 0-2, Peter O’Donoghe 0-1, Kevin Whelan 0-1, Conan Boran 0-1.

Clane, Eimhin Gillman 0-5, Paddy McKenna 0-4, Killian Ahern 0-1, Robbie Hyland 0-1, Sean Christianseen 0-1.

Teams
NAAS: Cormac Gallagher; Kevin Kelleher, Richard Hogan, Simon Leacy; Kevin Whelan, Peter o’Donoghue, Harry Carroll; Seán Gainey, Rian Boran; James Burke, Brian Byrne, Cathal Dowling; Liam Walsh, Jack Sheridan, Conor Dowling. Subs: Conan Boran on for Brian Byrne (47 minutes).

CLANE: Paddy McKenna; Eamon Little, Sam Donovan, Declan Kavanagh; Brian Dunne, Sean Christianseen, Cillian Ryan; Cian Shanahan, Cormac Vizzard; Chris Bonus, Eimhin Gillman, Killian Ahern; Robbie Hyland, Bernard Deay, Simon Healy. Subs: Brian Healy on for Chris Bonus (37 minutes), Ger D’arcy on for Declan Kavanagh (41 minutes).

REFEREE: Billy O’Connell.

UPMC SHC Section A, Round 1

Maynooth 3-11

Coill Dubh 2-11

The opening game in Group A of the UPMC Senior Hurling Championship saw last week's preliminary round winners Maynooth and Coill Dubh face up with a chance to keep their early season form going.

Played in scorching weather conditions even at 6.30pm both sides settled in quickly.
Mark Delaney and Cathal McCabe opened the scoring for their respective sides with two frees inside four minutes.

After Cathal McCabes point the resultant puck out landed on the Maynooth 20 metre line and when the ball broke off full back Matt Eustace it was Mark Delaney who reacted the quickest to shoot low past Sean Bean.

The game was end to end and despite the searing heat both teams showed admirable fitness throughout the game.
Tadhg Forde and a Cathal McCabe free after 15 minutes reduced the gap to two.

Despite Coill Dubh having the majority of possession in the opening quarter they were finding it hard to break down a solid Maynooth defence. Mark Byrne did come forward from centre back to increase the Coill Dubh lead to three after 21 minutes.

Very similar to previous plays Maynooth attacked from the puckout, Sean Bean's long clearance finding Ciaran Flanagan and despite a rocket of a shot the ball was well saved by Owen Lenehan but his effort was in vain as Tadhg Forde reacted the quickest to shoot to the net

Back came Coill Dubh again and Sean Behan was called into action from Ryan Casey's effort and from the resultant 65 it was Mark Delaney, with his fourth of the half, that edged his side ahead again after 22 minutes.

Ciaran Flanagan won possession from the the puckout and his centre to Cian Forde set up the equaliser again.Flanagan and Mark Delaney traded points as the half came to a close.

Just as it looked like the sides would be level at the end of 30 minutes Cormac Nolan was gifted a breaking ball and he made no mistake to put Maynooth 2-5 to 1-5 ahead at the break.

Straight from the restart Mark Delaney reduced the gap to two but this was to be their last score for 14 minutes It was Maynooth's chance to shine and they showed that last week's victory over Ardclough was no fluke as they moved nine ahead by the 42 minute

Cathal McCabe from a 65 started the five scores in a row.When McCabe's long free from inside his own half landed short it was Cian Forde who won possession but again Owen Lenehan was equal to his effort but like the first half it was Cormac Nolan who picked up the rebound to get his second goal.Mikey Gillick,Ciaran Flanagan and Tadhg Forde shot three points to open that nine point gap.

Coill Dubh are nothing but resilient and after an opening round victory over Celbridge they to wanted two points to keep tabs on Naas.

Enda Keane was put through on goal from substitute Conor Carew's pass and he made no mistake. Two pointed Mark Delaney frees and a point from Johnny Byrne had the gap back to three with eight to play.

As we entered the closing minutes a point from Oran O'Sullivan for Coill Dubh was replied to by a Cathal McCabe free after he was fouled and when referee Brian Kearney blew the final whistle it was Maynooth who had done enough to win 3-11 to 2-11.

A fantastic effort from both sides and this win will guarantee Maynooth a place in the knock-out stages. Last year's Intermediate champions are showing impressive form at this early juncture.
Coill Dubh will hope to get into the quarter-finals with a victory over Clane.Still plenty of hurling to be played for them.

COILL DUBH: Owen Lenehan; Fionn Moran, Mark Grace, Dean O'Regan; Jamie Kenna, Conor Gordon, Mark Byrne 0-1; Dylan Brereton, Johnny Byrne 0-1; Oran O Sullivan 0-1, Ross Carew, Adrian O Sullivan; Enda Keane 1-0, Mark Delaney 1-8 (6 frees), Ryan Casey. Subs: Conor Carew for Adrian O Sullivan 38 minute.

MAYNOOTH: Sean Behan; Josh Cahill, Matt Eustace, Eanna Lohan; Daniel O'Meara, Michael Hogan, Ronan Dunne; Harry Dunne, Graham Kenny; Mickey Gillick 0-1, Cormac Nolan 2-0, Ciaran Flanagan 0-2; Tadhg Forde 1-3, Cian Forde 0-1, Cathal McCabe 0-4 (3 frees, 65). Subs: Fiachra Lohan for Ronan Dunne (46 minutes); Matt Melia for Graham Kenny (53 minutes); Adam Jordan for Mikey Gillick (54 minutes).

REFEREE: Brian Kearney.

UPMC SHC Section B, round 1

Celbridge 0-22

Ardclough 1-11

Celbridge were victorious in their opening Senior Hurling Championship Group B game as they beat Ardclough in Naas. Celbridge always looked in control and despite bursts of scoring from their opponents, they always appeared to have their opposition at arm’s length.

One of the scoring spells for Ardclough was kicked off by an exceptional Cillian Burke goal, the forward had the ball sent into his path from the sideline and he turned and smashed the ball into the roof of the net.

The goal gave the trailing side a lift as it clawed them to within the five but Celbridge and star Gerry Keegan sooned poured cold water on the idea of a comeback with two well-taken scores.

The eventual winners started strongly in terms of general play but there was no mistaking the concerned sideline moans and groans as they failed to score until the fifth minute, racking up four wides in that time.
Celbridge controlled much of the rest of the half and looked to be coasting to a healthy half-time lead but Ardlough’s forward sprung into life late on in the first.

Tony Spain and Paul Fitzgerald got a quick fire 0-3 between them and the trailing side were now only five adrift at 0-11 to 0-6, a far from unassailable lead.

Celbridge looked to put that margin back to where it was when the second half was thrown-in as they gathered possession and almost instantly were bearing down on Mark Lynam in the Ardclough goal. But the goalkeeper stood tall and blocked the oncoming shot at close range, danger hadn’t yet averted as the rebound was swept back towards goal and narrowly past the post.

There would be little in the way of green flag opportunities in the remainder of this one for Celrbidge, perhaps due to lack of necessity for them.

The pick of the scores over the bar however came when top scorer Gerry Keegan picked up the ball from the midfield and drove at the Ardclough defence. Under pressure from two men attempting to stunt the forward’s momentum, he brushed them aside and slotted one between the sticks, drawing a well-earned bualadh bos from the watching crowd.

Keegan was exceptional on the night, from open play and reliable from set-pieces, it was easy to see why he makes it into David Herity’s Kildare squads when inter-county season comes around.

Ardclough’s forwards looked reliable themselves when it came to point scoring in those key areas but the problem seemed to be winning those turnovers and 50:50’s to get to that point quickly.

The trailing side struggled to build play with short and medium distance passing early on and intelligently began to look long into their front line when it was clear the alternative was not working.

The success of long balls was mixed and Ardclough came up the wrong side of those individual battles.
Celbridge to their team and their management's credit were extremely sharp when collecting the second ball and that coupled with reliable scoring throughout the match won them this opening game.

Scorers

Celbridge, Gerry Keegan 0-10, Fergal Conway 0-3, Pat Leahy 0-2, James Dolan 0-2, Jamie Connolly 0-2, Conor Treacy 0-2, Mark Moloney 0-1.

Ardlough, Cillian Burke 1-2, Paul Fitzgerald 0-5, Tony Spain 0-3, Johnny Reeves 0-1.

Teams

CELBRIDGE: Fiachra O'Muineacháin; Sean O'Sullivan, Tom Finnerty, Pa Curtin; Jamie Connolly, Niall Ó'Muineacháin, Tadgh Halpin; Fergal Conway, Michael O'Donovan; Gerry Keegan, Pat Leahy, Andy Shanagher; James Dolan, Conor Treacy, Niall O'Regan. Subs: Mark Moloney on for Tadhg Halpin (Half time).

ARDCLOUGH: Mark Lynam; Peter Coleman, David Collins, Ronan Maguire; Bed Reddan, Martin Fitzgerald, Dara De Burca; Liam Hanley, Drew Costello; Kevin Sexton, Aaron Kelly, Johnny Reeves; Eoghan Walsh, Cillian Burke, Paul Fitzgerald. Subs: Niall Devane on for Peter Coleman (13 minutes), Ronan Gheoghan on for Johnny Reeves (54 minutes).

REFEREE: Conor Daly.

Elsewhere in the UPMC SHC, Section 'B', Confey recorded an impressive win over Leixlip 2-21 to 1-20.
Leixllip were looking good early on but a storming second half saw Confey come from behind to win impressively