Gaelic Games

Darragh Kirwan inspires Naas to extra-time victory over St Loman’s

Kildare champions will now face Dublin and All-Ireland champions Kilmacud Crokes in the final

Naas’ Alex Beirne celebrates at the final whistle in the AIB Leinster SFC semi-final against St Loman's at TEG Cusack Park in Mullingar. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho
Naas’ Alex Beirne celebrates at the final whistle in the AIB Leinster SFC semi-final against St Loman's at TEG Cusack Park in Mullingar. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho
Sun Nov 19 2023 - 17:00
Leinster SFC semi-final: St Loman’s, Mullingar (Westmeath) 1-10 Naas (Kildare) 1-15 (aet)

A Darragh Kirwan-inspired Naas needed extra-time to dispose of St Loman’s in an exciting game in Mullingar and set up a Leinster final meeting with Dublin champions Kilmacud Crokes.

The home team had the aid of a useful wind in the first half and they were two points to the good after four minutes courtesy of a John Heslin free and a great score from play by Shane Dempsey.

However, Joe Murphy’s charges responded with three unanswered points from the boots of Kirwan (two) and Alex Beirne. Peter Foy’s well-taken point in the 13th minute left the sides tied at 0-3 apiece at the end of the opening quarter.

Another Beirne free and a fine score by the ever-dangerous Kirwan nudged the Kildare champions ahead, but St Loman’s replied with three good points via Kevin Regan, Danny McCartan (a mark), and a fabulous shot by Dempsey.

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Kirwan equalised before Ronan O’Toole teed up Dempsey for a superb goal in the 24th minute. Danny McCartan added a fisted point, and Mullins then had to come to Naas’ rescue with an instinctive save from a palmed effort by Sam McCartan. Dermot Hanafin’s 29th-minute point left the visitors trailing by 1-7 to 0-7 at the interval.

Heslin slotted over a free in the opening minute of the second half. Beirne scored a great solo point, which Heslin answered with a free in the 39th minute, which proved to be the last score in regulation time for Paddy Dowdall’s troops.

Naas added four points to their tally courtesy of a great score from Jack McKevitt, a free from sub Eamonn Callaghan, another from Kirwan and a 45 from goalkeeper Mullins. They even had a last-gasp chance to win the day, but Kevin Cummins’s difficult free in the seventh and last minute of added-time was well wide of the target.

Kirwan scored a wonderful goal in the third minute of injury-time and added a great point from an acute angle. Heslin scored his team’s first point in 38 minutes with a free, leaving Naas ahead by 1-13 to 1-10 at the interval in extra-time.

In the second period of added-time, Kirwan fisted a point and sub Tom Browne kicked a neat score from play, while the Westmeath champions failed to add to their tally.

NAAS: L Mullins (0-1, a 45); C Daly, B Byrne, M Maguire; Paddy McDermott, E Doyle, E Prizeman; Paul McDermott, J Burke; A Beirne (0-3, two frees), C McCarthy, J McKevitt (0-1); D Kirwan (1-7, one free), D Hanafin (0-1), S Hanafin.

Subs: E Callaghan (0-1, free) for D Hanafin, K Cummins for Paul McDermott (both 44 mins); N Aherne for Kirwan (blood, 56-58), T Browne (0-1) for Prizeman (e/t, 2), B Kane for Doyle (e/t, 9), S Cullen for Kirwan (e/t, 20).

ST LOMAN’S, MULLINGAR: J Daly; E Hogan, D O’Keeffe, O Hogan; J Geoghegan, D Whelan, E Gaffney; S Flanagan, J Heslin (0-4, four frees); P Foy (0-1), S McCartan, K Regan (0-1); D McCartan (0-2, one mark), R O’Toole, S Dempsey (1-2).

Subs: K Reilly for Whelan (37 mins); TJ Cox for Flanagan (46); F Ayorinde for Regan (51); T Graham for Foy (58); P Foy for Graham (e/t, 14).

Referee: D Gough (Meath).