A rather inventive preview of a Carlow Hurling Final!
2024 Carlow SHC Final ‘Preview’
Mount Leinster Rangers 2-24, St Mullins 4-10
By Leo McGough
Right, as you can see we have dispensed with the if, buts and maybe type preview and given you the final score from next Sunday’s eagerly awaited County final. Not only that, let us further reveal the Netwatch Cullen Park scorers…
Mount Leinster Rangers: Chris Nolan 1-7, 0-1 line-ball, Teddy Joyce 0-5, 0-4f, Eddie Byrne 1-0, Dean Tobin, Jon Nolan 0-3 each, Donagh Murphy, Kevin McDonald (2f) 0-2 each, Conaill Fitzpatrick, Richie Coady 0-1 each,
St Mullins: Marty Kavanagh 1-6 1-0 pen, 0-3f, James Doyle 1-1, Conor Kehoe, Paddy Boland 1-0, John Doyle, Jason O’Neill, Jack Kavanagh 0-1 each.
It was the 11th SHC final meeting of the Southern neighbours since 2006 and while the ‘rubber’ was tied 4-all after the 2019 final the Rangers now lead the ‘rubber’ 7-4, this not only their third successive victory but their third by a convincing eight point margin.
0-24 to 0-16 in 2021, 3-19 to 1-17 last year, this 2-22 to 4-10 victory was equally impressive, the Ballymurphy, Rathanna, Borris men with a wonderful mix of the old and the new producing a performance that showcased the club’s progressive brand of combination hurling, a style of play which every hurling team in the club is introduced to at an early age and burnishes to perfection as they get older.
Speaking of old, let’s first salute Richie Coady. The Rangers were winning their 12th title, Richie was winning his 12th medal on the field of play. Not as a ‘bit player’ brought on for nostalgic reasons when the game was won, not in a position where covering ground could be kept to a minimum but here was Richie in the mid-field engine room and doing well, a real play-maker.
Also winning his 12th, the 11th on the field of play was Eddie Byrne. His father never won one, beaten in four finals, now “Feathers’ has 12 and helped procure this by netting a trade-mark catch-turn-shot goal just before half-time.
That gave the champions a 1-12 to 0-6 interval lead and part explains why St Mullins final tally barely reached double figures in points but contained four goals. Partly explains. The other reason is a hat-trick of Chris Nolan ‘specials’ just after the restart, followed by a superb solo-goal from the same stickman stretched the St Mullins deficit to 15 points and left goals as their only way back.
Paddy Boland, still a little rusty after an injury lay-off, had spurned one opportunity in the first half but when he grabbed a huge clearance from Paudie Kehoe in that amazing paw of his, rounded his man and roofed the net, St Mullins were presented with a life-line, though the muted response on ‘their terrace’ suggested the supporters were resigned to their faith.
Not so the players and when John Doyle cleverly flicked a low James Doyle delivery into the path of Marty Kavanagh, the ‘Mouse’ was upended before he could ‘pull the trigger’. Penalty. Up stepped the the upended and a low hard shot billowed the scoreboard end net. The cheers were much louder this time. They got louder when Paul Doyle came rampaging out of defence, off loaded to James Doyle, he of the searing space and scorching finish. Goal. Three goals in three minutes. 2-15 to 3-6, game on!
Rangers needed to steady the ship and on came Diarmaid Byrne, who has missed most of the year due to injury, he immediately wins a sky ball, is fouled, then winds up the Rangers supporters in the stand with a windmill fist-pump. Kevin McDonald, from inside his own ’65’, takes the free and to roars of approval sends the ball sailing between the Deerpark End posts.
Truth to tell, that stymied the St Mullins rally, the Rangers were roused and when Jon Nolan’s caught the long puck out and dispatched it back over the bar the margin was eight and eight it was at the finish, the champions cancelling out Conor Kehoe’s superbly taken individual goal with rat-tat-tat points from the sticks of Dean Tobin, Teddy Joyce (free) and Chris Nolan, playing his first Carlow SHC game of the year after his sojourn in the US of A.
The Rangers commanding first half performance owed much to their dominance in the middle third, Dean Tobin and Jon Nolan drifting out to assist teenage Conaill Fitzpatrick and ageless Richie Coady with Tobin’s and Nolan’s long range accuracy providing early reward on the scoreboard. Towards the finish Paul Coady and Jamie Nolan came on to play their part in this vital sector. With the half back line of Evan Kealy, Kevin McDonald and Tony Lawlor also hurling on the front foot the Rangers were in the ascendancy.
St Mullins looked like the extra game and extra-time of the replay that gave them only seven days to prepare left them a little fatigued but the overworked backs did all in their power to stem the tide, Paul Doyle, Michael Walsh and Paudie O’Shea particularly prominent. The goal salvo in the second half gave the green clad Southerners renewed hope and with Eamonn O’Shea, Conor Kehoe, Jack Kavanagh and James Doyle now designated to man that crucial middle third there was more ball going in the direction of the ‘Mouse’, Paddy Boland and livewire substitute Oisin Ryan.
However wily Michael Doyle, the ever improving Joyce’s, Sean and Michael forming the Rangers last line of defence and well ‘instructed’ by alert goalkeeper Dean Grennan the St Mullins scoring rate was curtailed by clever, diligent reading of the game and timely hooks and blocks.
There you have it then, the 2024 county final all neatly wrapped up. Send us a postcard from whatever holiday destination you choose to spend your PaddyPower winnings on!
