This was a polished performance from St Mullins.
2024 Carlow Intermediate Hurling Championship Final
St Mullins 2-15, Mount Leinster Rangers 0-10
By Leo McGough
“If at first you don’t succeed, stay where you are and another opportunity might arise” to slightly alter the old mantra might have been the motto adopted by St Mullins veteran raider Seamus Murphy just after half-time in Saturday’s Carlow Intermediate Hurling Championship Final in sunny Netwatch Cullen Park on Saturday evening.
Seamus, you see, had a great chance of a goal inside 60 seconds of the restart, latching on to a dropping ball on the edge off the small square but just as he was about to pull the trigger a strong tackle by Rangers No 4 Luke Kavanagh averted the danger and left Murphy prone on the ground. Rangers cleared the ball but only as far as livewire St Mullins mid-fielder Oisin Boland who from the terrace wing 70m out essayed a shot for a point …
His shot looked to be drifting wide of the dressing room end posts but just back on his feet after his failed-raid crafty Seamus Murphy stretched his hurl high and with the cleverest of one handed flicks diverted the sliotar into the Rangers rigging. 1-8 to 0-5, that opportunist goal set St Mullins ’second string’ well on their way to retaining their title.
The green flag was waving again in 45th minute, alert wing forward Colm Kavanagh intercepting a short M.L,R. puck-out and cutting in from the left corner dispatched a stinging low shot to to the Rangers net. His celebrations were cut short when Marty Barry announced the No 10 was being replaced! Obviously the decision had been made and relayed to the fourth official before the goal strike.
2-12 to 0-7 it was effectively game over and those goals had served to put the deserved distance between themselves and the challengers whose lack of fire-power up front was a major drawback, veteran Denis Murphy accounting for 8 of their 10 points, 6 from frees, while the Dundon’s, Mark (wearing No 2 but operating from wing forward) and Joe scoring the other two points.
Down the other end, Seamus Murphy, apart from that great goal, also contributed 0-8 to the scoreboard, 0-6 from frees, the last of which came from inside his own half close to the sideline in the 3rd minute of injury-time. It was a case of finishing as he had started as in the opening exchanges Seamus, who started at left half forward, posted two points from frees (one after he himself was fouled) while in between Murphy set up Cathal Connolly for a good point from play.
Mark Dundon’s point opened Mount Leinster Rangers account in the 10th minute, Denis Murphy followed up with a point from a free after great work by Jack Flood. By the 25th minute the sides were tied at 0-6 apiece, a further brace of Seamus Murphy points (one from a free after a foul on Jake Kelly, the other from play following a long ball from Sean Doyle) supplemented by a James Doyle (Drummond) point from a long range free were matched down the the other end a Joe Dundon point from play and three expertly converted Denis Murphy placed balls (two frees and a ’65’).
One of those Denis Murphy frees (for a foul on Robert Stafford) levelled proceedings but then enter centre stage St Mullins mid-fielder Oisin Boland who twice in the 27th minute steered over two magnificent long range points that ensured the green and white brigade retired with an 0-8 to 0-6 interval advantage,
It was another Oisin Boland point shot that led to the Seamus Murphy goal already referred to and Colm Kavanagh’s smash and grab 45th minute major ended the game as a contest. However in the closing quarter St Mullins embellished their performance with a sting of superb points, a good few from the stick of Seamus Murphy, a beautiful brace from play by diminutive Jake Kelly and another from Eddie Doyle.
It is nor often that a corner-back causes one to take notes during an Intermediate game but this reporter, once in each half, had reason to pen Laurence Brennan’s number down, a great catch the first half prompt and a terrific touch the cause in the second, the No 2 trapping a high ball with his stick and cushioning down into his hand with the ease of a man peeling an orange. When I heard he was a son of Michael ‘Black’ Brennan’s, a St Mullins goalkeeper of yesteryear, his feats were less of a surprise, the father had good hands too.
All in all a very impressive performance by St Mullins, their 7th Intermediate title, the 8th for the club’s second string outfit counting the 1978 Junior when it was the Tier 2 championship.
Mount Leinster Rangers were disappointing and disappointed but come 2025 you can be certain the Ballymurphy, Borris, Rathanna club will again field a title-contending second-string. On Saturday the defence, particularly Jack Ryan, Jack Flood and Michael Malone did all in their power to stem the tide, Robert Stafford and Darragh O’Toole foraged hard at mid-field but the forward line lacked penetration.
– ST MULLINS –
1. James Doyle Newtown
2. Laurence Brennan
3. Stephen O’Brien
4. Sean Doyle
5. James Doyle Drummond 0-1 f
6. James Kelly
7. Chris Kavanagh
8. Brian Kealy
9. Oisin Boland 0-2
10. Cathal Connolly 0-1
11. Alex Doyle
12. Seamus Murphy 1-8 0-6f
13. Jake Kelly 0-2
14. Eddie Doyle 0-1
15. Colm Kavanagh 1-0
Subs: Gavin Connolly for C Kavanagh (45)
Fearghal Doyle for C Connolly (51)
Sean Kavanagh for Kelly (58)
– MLR-
1. Gary Kelly
2. Jack Flood
3. Jack Ryan
4. Luke Kavanagh
5. Michael Malone
6. Richard Kelly
7. Jack Griffith
8. Robert Stafford
9. Darragh O’Toole
10. Mark Dundon 0-1
11. Denis Murphy 0-8 6f
12. Joe Dundon 0-1
13. Daniel Ryan
14. Pauric Kavanagh
15. Ben Bolger
Subs: Declan Brennan for Flood (h/t)
Brad Bolger for Bolger (38)
James Bible for R Kelly (41)
Stephen Lawlor for Brennan (48)
Eoin Coleman for P Kavanagh (52)
Referee: Patrick Murphy
