Naas prove their seniority with convincing win over Shinrone

Naas (Kildare) 4-21Shinrone (Offaly) 0-18

Naas took the step up in their stride as the reigning AIB All-Ireland intermediate club title holders cruised through to the last four of the senior provincial competition, securing a glamour Croke Park clash.

Jack Sheridan's 1-11 haul at St Conleth's Park went a long way to nailing down a 27 November semi-final clash with heavyweights Ballyhale Shamrocks or Castletown Geoghegan, who play tomorrow in their quarter-final.

It is a first ever win at this level for Naas and the giant 15-point success indicates that they are more than comfortable at the grade.

Goals from Charlie Sheridan, Kevin Aherne, James Burke and Jack Sheridan ultimately proved the difference as Naas turned up the heat in the final third of the game.

They led by just three points with 41 minutes on the clock but outscored the Offaly champions by 2-10 to 0-04 from there on to win with surprising ease.

After a 15-minute delay to throw-in, Shinrone began as narrow favourites having overcome 2012 provincial winners Kilcormac-Killoughey in the Offaly decider.

That was back on 2 October and they suffered a blow in the meantime, losing full-forward and county final Man of the Match Ciaran Cleary.

His five points from play in the county decider proved decisive that day and the visitors lacked his scoring threat this time, blasting seven wides in the first-half alone.

They were costly misses as the two Naas goals, from Charlie Sheridan and Aherne in the ninth and 25th minutes, left Tom Mullally's men in pole position.

Both of those first-half goals were set up by Cathal Dowling who, on both occasions, burst clear, the first time on the left wing and the second time on the right, before cleverly offloading.

The Charlie Sheridan goal