Gavigan's late goal guides Naas hurlers to league glory

Naas                   1-12

Ardclough        1-10

Senior Hurling League Divison 2 final

There was late drama in St Conleth's Park on Friday evening as John Gavigan's stoppage time goal helped Naas to come from behind to land the Division 2 league title in thrilling fashion. They trailed by just one point in the 63rd minute, and when Conor Dowling won a free on the edge of the square it looked destined for extra-time as most people inside the Newbridge venue expected him to stroke the ball over. He had other ideas however, striking low at goal, and despite the Ardclough defence clearing the initial effort off the line, Gavigan pulled on the sliotar to find the back of Mike Hogan's net and win the game for Naas.

It was a match dominated by both sets of defences on an ideal night for hurling, and Ardclough will feel some regret over the plethora of chances for scores that they passed up in the second half, but it was ultimately the more clinical Naas men who won out as they took the chances afforded to them at the other end.

Naas warmed to their task quite well in the opening stages, hitting the first couple of scores inside two minutes of the throw-in, with James Whelan floating over from 60 metres out before Gavigan dissected the posts with an effort on the turn.

Ardclough responded with a brace of scores four minutes later as they began to settle into the tie, and it was the excellent Sean Buggy who landed their opening score before Eoghan Walsh drove over a fine effort from the left wing. Momentum momentarily swung back towards the men from the County Town as Declan O'Neill raised a white flag with a close range effort and Conor Dowling landed the first of his five first half points with an exquisitely struck sideline cut from the left touchline.

The momentum of the game continued to swing throughout the first half however, and another couple of scores from Ardclough through Walsh and a booming free from John Kehoe restored parity once again as the first quarter flew by without much notice. Dowling was really beginning to come to the fore for Naas however, and a couple of points in as many minutes saw them back into a two-point lead, and the same player then traded scores with Kehoe as the men in blue and white sped into a 0-7 to 0-5 lead with 18 minutes on the clock.

The remainder of the half was a slightly duller affair however, with Naas only finding the target through the reliable Dowling, while a couple of scores from Buggy ensured that Ardclough entered the half-time break just one point in arrears, with the scoreboard reading 0-8 to 0-7 in favour of Naas.

The second half went along the same lines as the final 10 minutes of the first, with neither side setting the world alight, although there was no lack of endeavour. It took five minutes for the first score to arrive, and Dowling yet again showed his class with another brilliant sideline cut, but Ardclough levelled the game up once again with a couple of points from Walsh, the second of which came after Buggy struck a close range free off the post.

Naas seemed to have stemmed the tide of Ardclough when they hit the target twice in quick succession through Gavigan and Dowling, and when Buggy missed another scoreable free it looked as if Richard Hogan's men were in the ascendancy with eight minutes left to play. Walsh had different ideas however, and the livewire corner-forward put Ardclough into the lead for the first time in the game when he latched onto the ball 15 metres from goal and powered an unstoppable shot into the bottom corner of Jeff Keane's net. Buggy followed up with a pointed free to pull them two clear, leaving Naas with a real battle on their hands with added time approaching.

Midfielder Conor Grogan drew them to within one point with a fine score from the left wing, before the late drama ensued as Gavigan turned home from close range to put the game beyond Ardclough. Referee Killian Jones played nine minutes of added time - in which Ardclough defender Enda Dunne was sent off for an off the ball incident - and Liam Hogan's men failed to find the goal they desperately needed despite throwing everything they had at Naas.

Scorers for Naas: C Dowling 0-6(2SL), J Gavigan 1-2, D O'Neill, C Grogan and J Whelan 0-1 each.

Scorers for Ardclough: E Walsh 1-4, S Buggy 0-4(2f) and J Kehoe 0-2(1f).

Naas

J Keane; E Stafford(S Kelly 25mins), C Gormley, P McKeon; A Murphy, R Byrne, E Nolan; C Grogan, J Whelan; C Holmes(S Ryan HT), D O'Neill, R Hogan; R Fleming, J Gavigan, C Dowling.

Ardclough

M Hogan; D Walsh, S Buggle(P Fitzgerald 42mins), E Stakelum; A Kelly, E Duane, C Brady(T McGarr 46mins); T McCarthy, J Kehoe(P Hogan 38mins); N Burke Jnr, M Ryan, S Buggy; E Walsh, R O'Malley, N Delahunt(S Crowe 55mins).