Kirwan pulls strings to steer Naas home

NAAS CBS cruised past a disappointing Coláiste Eoin in their Leinster Senior ‘A’ Football Championship semi-final in Blessington on Saturday.

While Coláiste Eoin improved in the final quarter, they never looked likely to reel in their dominant opponents, and second-half goals from Darragh Kirwan and Luke Griffin were just reward for Naas’ supremacy.

An early point from Tomás Ó hEachthigheirn handed the Stillorgan school an early lead but frees from Colm Joyce and Griffin inched Naas ahead before a levelling score from Conor Cinseallach after 13 minutes.

From this point, Naas assumed complete control, with Kirwan hugely effective from wing-forward, and the movement of their inside forward line caused numerous problems for the Coláiste Eoin full-back line.

Griffin added two further frees prior to Kirwan landing Naas’ first score from play in the 19th minute.

With Conall Ó Gallchobhair a classy operator at full-back, Naas edged further clear through points by Jordan McGarr and Joyce, with a late free from Fionn Ó Ceallaigh trimming the deficit to 0-7 to 0-3 by half-time.

Kirwan’s well-taken goal within three minutes of the restart maintained Naas’ momentum and when his point attempt dropped short in the 40th minute, Griffin availed of some defensive hesitancy to f lick past goalkeeper Stiofán Ó Mathúna, effectively settling the issue.

Cinseallach and Peadar Ó Cofaigh-Byrne drove their team forward from that point but a Pádraig Puirséil point and two

Ó Ceallaigh frees proved insufficient.