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Niall O'Callaghan was Cuala's star man on Saturday evening (file photo). Dan Clohessy/INPHO

The other O'Callaghan brother steals the show as Cuala beat Naas in Leinster QFs

Niall O’Callaghan scored 1-5 in a man-of-the-match performance to fire the Dublin champions into the last four.

Cuala 2-15

Naas 1-15

IT’S NOT OFTEN Con O’Callaghan is overshadowed on a football field but his younger brother, Niall, managed to do just that under the lights in Newbridge.

A stunning 1-5 haul from Niall helped propel the Dublin champions to a landmark Leinster club SFC win, their first ever.

There was a question mark beforehand over whether Austin O’Malley’s side would be hungry for provincial success having finally won a maiden title in Dublin.

They answered that one with an emphatic performance that underlined their credentials as Leinster club title favourites.

Niall and Con struck 1-8 between them while Luke Keating grabbed the other Cuala goal. There was an important late cameo too from substitute Conor Groarke who kicked three points to finally shake off a determined Naas.

Cuala will return to the province for a semi-final against the winner of tomorrow’s tie between Tullamore (Offaly) and Tinahely (Wicklow) on the weekend of 23/24 November.

Hosts Naas contested provincial finals in 2021 and 2023 and put in a strong performance but couldn’t match the power and sheer quality of O’Malley’s side who underlined their favourites tag in the province in front of the live TV cameras.

It was novel opposition for Naas, playing in the redeveloped Cedral St Conleth’s Park, who surely figured they’d have to be significantly better than they were in the county final – and they duly delivered.

Some of their first-half scores were sumptuous, like Darragh Kirwan’s terrific catch and kick effort in the 10th minute, all while holding off Dublin legend Michael Fitzsimons.

Kirwan finished the half with four points, all from play, and had several different Cuala defenders for company at various stages.

Kirwan left Danny Conroy in his wake later in the half when he burst in along the left endline and fisted over.

Alex Beirne kicked a series of wides in the low-scoring county final defeat of Celbridge but was more efficient this time.

He drilled two first-half points, both from frees, as the hosts contributed to a cracking game.

The O’Callaghan brothers, Con and eventual Man of the Match Niall, were the chief attacking threats at the other end.

Mark Maguire was a late addition to the Naas defence, wearing number 22, and tracked Con.

Niall created Cuala’s first goal in the fourth minute with a hard run down the left and a shot that was saved, allowing Keating to tap home from close range.

Cuala added seven more points after that in the half and the O’Callaghan brothers struck six of them, three each.

Cuala held a narrow 1-7 to 0-9 lead at the interval but it was anyone’s game.

O’Malley’s crew seized the initiative in the third quarter, stretching the gap to five points when Niall O’Callaghan was fed by Con for Cuala’s second goal in the 40th minute.

It was a terrific back and forth with both defences offering up chances though Cuala still led by five points with just eight minutes remaining after Niall O’Callaghan’s latest point, 2-13 to 0-14.

Naas made sure it went to the wire with a spirited final few minutes, a Beirne 53rd minute goal bringing it back to just a two-point game.

Beirne fired across the goalkeeper with a low drive after a great run down the right wing.

But they couldn’t get any closer than that and Groarke’s strong contribution from the bench helped to seal a landmark win for Cuala.

Meanwhile, Down champions Kilcoo were two-point winners against Crosserlough of Cavan in Saturday evening’s Ulster senior football championship quarter-final in Newry.

Paul Devlin kicked seven points as Kilcoo closed out a 0-15 to 1-10 victory to progress.

Scorers for Cuala: Niall O’Callaghan 1-5, Luke Keating 1-1 (0-1f), Con O’Callaghan 0-3 (0-2f), Conor Groarke 0-3, David O’Dowd 0-2, Ryan Scollard 0-1 (0-1 45).

Scorers for Naas: Alex Beirne 1-3 (0-2f), Darragh Kirwan 0-5, Paddy McDermott 0-3, Tom Browne 0-2, Ryan Sinkey 0-1, Sean Hanafin 0-1.

Cuala

1. Ryan Scollard

2. Danny Conroy
6. Charlie McMorrow
4. Eoghan O’Callaghan

7. David O’Dowd
3. Michael Fitzsimons
5. Eoin Kennedy

8. Peadar O Cofaigh Byrne
9. Peter Duffy

14. Niall O’Callaghan
23. Cillian Dunne
12. Cal Doran

13. Luke Keating
15. Con O’Callaghan
20. Conor O’Brien

Substitutes:

19. Michael Conroy for Dunne (h/t)
21. Conor Groarke for O’Brien (49)
11. Cathal O Giollain for O’Dowd (60)
17. Luke Tracey for McMorrow (60)

Naas

1. Luke Mullins

22. Mark Maguire
3. Conor McCarthy
4. Robert Fitzgerald

5. Brian Byrne
6. Eoin Doyle
7. Eoin Lawlor

27. James Burke
9. Paul McDermott

10. Alex Beirne
11. Tom Browne
12. Paddy McDermott

8. Ryan Sinkey
13. Darragh Kirwan
14. Dermot Hanafin

Substitutes:

15. Neil Aherne for Browne (36)
2. Cathal Daly for Fitzgerald (42)
20. Sean Hanafin for Sinkey (45)
25. Kevin Cummins for Paul McDermott (57)
18. Elliott Beirne for Lawlor (57)

Referee: David Coldrick (Meath).

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