A general view of Netwatch Cullen Park. Photo by Michael P Ryan/Sportsfile
Carlow SHC Final replay
St Mullins 2-25 Mount Leinster Rangers 3-16
By Kieran Murphy at Netwatch Cullen Park
St Mullins are the Carlow senior hurling champions for the 29th time in their history. On Sunday in Netwatch Cullen Park they had the game all but won by half-time when they led by 2-17 to 0-10.
Last week, Mount Leinster Rangers, the reigning champions led by four points going into injury time but St Mullins forced a replay when Marty Kavanagh scored a late, late goal.
Rangers could be forgiven for thinking the day and the entire year was destined to go against them this time when they were reduced to 14 early in the game. Their opponents, who had started well anyway, turned the screw and goals from Marty Kavanagh and Jason O’Neill helped the eventual winners into that formidable 13-point lead.
Rangers had lost their right-half forward, Dean Tobin to a red card on seven minutes. They were in deep trouble against a side who had momentum, but hadn’t made it tell on the scoreboard.
Their arch rivals started well, but three wides threatened to derail the momentum they were building. After the dismissal, St Mullins went for broke against the 14 men with four of their starting forwards all scoring from play. Some of those points were of the highest quality from a range of different angles.
Jason O’Neill scored the first Mullins goal on 19 minutes when he took a pass from Kavanagh to find the net from close range. Shortly afterwards, Kavanagh beat his opposite number and gave Dean Grennan no chance in the Rangers goal.
The reigning champions struggled in that first half with Chris Nolan scoring five points from play and Ted Joyce converting three frees. Also on the mark was Kevin McDonald with a free and Jon Nolan from play
With the wind behind them in the second half, the holders didn’t give up their title easily but it took them a while to get going. In the opening minutes of the second period, Kavanagh nailed two St Mullins points and Jason O’Neill added another. Ted Joyce converted a Rangers free.
Chris Nolan rifled in a goal on 38 minutes. At the start of the final quarter he was on the mark again with another three-pointer. Kavanagh steadied St Mullins with a converted free
The St Mullins full-back line had to be on their toes in the final minutes as Rangers chased down what was an impossible deficit.
A late Kevin McDonald free dropped under the crossbar and over the line for Rangers third three-pointer. It came all in vain as Rangers battled, but St Mullins won back the title which they last held two years ago.
Scorers for St Mullins: M Kavanagh 1-10 (3 65s, 5fs), P Boland 0-6, J O’Neill 1-3 (1-sl), James Doyle 0-3 (1f), C Kehoe 0-2, J Kavanagh 0-1.
Scorers for Mount Leinster Rangers: C Nolan 2-5, T Joyce 0-6 (fs), K McDonald 1-3 (1-3fs), Jon Nolan, D Murphy 0-1 each.
St Mullins: Kevin Kehoe; Paidi O’Shea, Paul Doyle, Eamon O’Shea; Ger Coady, Michael Walsh, Paudie Kehoe; Conor Kehoe, Ciaran Harris; Jack Kavanagh, James Doyle, Patrick Boland; Marty Kavanagh, John Doyle, Jason O’Neill.
Subs: John Doran for Harris (57), Oisin Ryan for M Kavanagh (58).
Mount Leinster Rangers: Dean Grennan; Michael Doyle, Michael Joyce, Sean Joyce; Evan Kealy, Kevin McDonald, Tony Lawlor; Richie Coady, Jon Nolan; Dean Tobin, Ted Joyce, Donagh Murphy; Jamie Nolan, Eddie Byrne, Chris Nolan.
Subs: Paul Coady for Jamie Nolan (HT), Diarmaid Byrne for M Joyce (h/t), Ciarain Kavanagh for Kealy (57), Eoin Doyle for Murphy (57).
Referee: Patrick Murphy (Ballinkillen).
