Na Fianna (Dublin) 2-14 Naas (Kildare) 0-17
Na Fianna will make the short journey to Croke Park next Saturday afternoon for their first ever Leinster club SHC final after holding firm in Portlaoise to advance beyond a dogged Naas.
Goals from Ciaran Stacey and AJ Murphy ultimately propelled the Mobhi Road side through to a glamour clash with Kilkenny's O'Loughlin Gaels.
But the Na Fianna players and their vocal support in the main stand at the midlands venue wiped beads of sweat from their brows at the full-time whistle following a huge finish from Naas.
The five-in-a-row Kildare champions reduced a six-point deficit with 11 minutes remaining to just one deep into stoppage time and pushed hard for an equaliser.
It never arrived though and two late Na Fianna points from substitute Tom Brennan and top scorer Colin Currie proved to be the insurance scores in a gripping finale.
The Na Fianna success story in 2023 is all the more impressive as they have been without joint captain and Dublin talisman Donal Burke for all of the campaign due to a serious hamstring injury.
The two Curries - Colin and Sean - have risen superbly to the challenge in his absence, blasting 10 points between them today, while Murphy finished with 1-01 and there was a strong showing in defence from two-time All-Star Liam Rushe who only returned to the setup in September following an extended travel break.
This was only Na Fianna's second ever provincial fixture having won the Dublin championship for the first time last month.
They beat Raharney of Westmeath in the Leinster quarter-final 13 days ago and were installed as favourites again.
They duly opened up a 0-04 to 0-02 lead at the end of the opening quarter thanks in part to two points from converted Colin Currie frees.
But Naas, who were playing their 11th game in the competition, carried plenty of experience and reeled off four of the next five points in the game to take a 0-06 to 0-05 lead themselves.
Free-taker Jack Sheridan drilled a couple of those points while dual player Brian Byrne was on the mark too.
It was a tense, cagey contest and it appeared that both sides were only too aware of the huge prize in front of them - a first ever Leinster senior final place.
A nervy looking Na Fianna were guilty of over-elaborating at times, particularly around the half-back line where they attempted to pass the ball precisely to the hand, while midfielder Brian Ryan drilled two wides and dropped another point attempt short as the Glasnevin men momentarily struggled to find a foothold in the game. In all, Na Fianna struck seven first-half wides.
They finished the half strongly though and Sean Currie, a lively performer who always seemed to find space on the right for a pass, clipped a point before Murphy won two frees in the same zone that allowed Colin Currie to convert.
That left Na Fianna with a 0-08 to 0-06 half-time lead but it remained anyone's game.
The match-ups were intriguing; John McKeon picked up Na Fianna sharp-shooter Colin Currie, Peter O'Donoghue was on Murphy while, in Na Fianna's defence, ultra experienced Rushe manned the centre. Naas full-forward Sheridan, who finished with 0-08 from placed balls, was picked up by Na Fianna's Sean Burke.
A thriller belatedly broke out in the third quarter, ignited by a Na Fianna goal just 15 seconds into the second-half.
Stacey struck it after being set up by John Tierney. Just before the break, Tierney had threaded a sumptuous low ball through for Stacey who, on that occasion, hadn't been able to collect the ball which rolled harmlessly out of play. But Stacey made amends at the second time of asking and planted a low shot beyond the goalkeeper from the right of goals.
Naas, to their credit, cancelled out the three-pointer within two minutes with points from Simon Leacy, Kevin Aherne and Byrne but a second Na Fianna goal in the 38th minute came as a crushing blow to the underdogs.
Murphy was on the mark this time, capitalising on a great run by Colin Currie who was initially fouled but capitalised on the referee's sensible decision to play advantage.
Now Na Fianna led by 2-09 to 0-09 and the feeling was that if they could prevent Naas from scoring a goal, they would probably win.
That was precisely how it turned out because while Naas battled right to the death and picked off a series of points from Sheridan, Leacy and Cathal Dowling the closest they got to the Dubliners was a single point in stoppage time.
The result means that the Leinster club football final, between Naas and Kilmacud Crokes, will also be played next Saturday as part of a double header at Croke Park. If Naas had won this game, the football final would have been put back to December 9.
Na Fianna: Jonathan Tracey; Diarmuid Clerkin, Sean Burke, Conor McHugh; Paul O'Dea, Liam Rushe, Kevin Burke; Brian Ryan (0-01), Peter Feeney; John Tierney, Sean Currie (0-02), Micheal Murphy; AJ Murphy (1-00), Ciaran Stacey (1-01), Colin Currie (0-08, 0-07f)
Subs: Shane Barrett (0-01) for Brian Ryan h/t, Donal Ryan for O'Dea 33, Sean Baxter for Tierney 47, Gavin King for Stacey 56, Tom Brennan (0-01) for Murphy 64.
Naas: Cormac Gallagher; John McKeon, Ross Kelly, Peter O'Donoghue; Harry Carroll, Sean Gainey, Kevin Whelan (0-01); Rian Boran, Simon Leacy (0-03); Conor Boran, Cian Boran (0-01), Kevin Aherne (0-01); Brian Byrne (0-02), Jack Sheridan (0-08, 0-02 65, 0-06f), James Burke
Subs: Ferran O'Sullivan for Whelan 27-h/t blood, Cathal Dowling (0-01) for Conor Boran 44, O'Sullivan for Gainey 54, Richie Hogan for Aherne 63
Referee: Patrick Murphy (Carlow)
