MLR were on it but Bagenalstown were well off it.
Carlow Senior Hurling Championship Round 4
Mount Leinster Rangers 0-25 Bagenalstown Gaels 0-9
By Leo McGough
Two red cards, one for a non-playing player acting as a mentor, one for a sub not long on the field might give the impression this was a fire and brimstone Carlow SHC encounter in Netwatch Cullen Park on Saturday evening. Nothing could be further from the truth, this was a Mount Leinster procession from the start of the second quarter to the finish and coming after the lively high scoring curtain-raiser this one struggled to hold the attention.
The sending offs were justified. Rangers county man Fiachra Fitzpatrick, back from the United States but not yet eligible to play (ditto Chris Nolan) was serving as a mentor on the terrace side (ditto Chris Nolan). Midway through the second half Fitzpatrick entered the field of play, presumably as a maor uisce, but in doing so it seems became involved with Gaels Sean Wall. After consultation with the linesmen John Hickey and Seamie Doyle, referee Brian Deering issued the intruder with a straight red card, banishing him to the stand. What the repercussions are for the rest of the championship is in the lap of the Disciplinary Committee.
Similarly, Bagenalstown’s Mark McDonald, who missed earlier games while serving suspension arising out of last years semi-final, was issued with a straight red card on the advise of the linesmen, a Rangers player being attended to on the ground, this in the 51st minute, just six minutes after coming McDonald came on as a substitute.
Apart from those sending offs, the lack of goals and the lack of a real contest left the game with few real items of note, save that the Rangers, sluggish enough this championship to date, appear to be inching closer to the form that won the Ballymurphy, Rathanna, Borris brigade the Willie O’Connor Cup so impressively last year.
0-25 is a healthy tally (the scoreboard read 0-24, the discrepancy we think a pointed Teddy Joyce free that wasn’t electronically registered). The same Teddy clocked 0-11 in all, a half-dozen from placed balls, a fistful from play, a massive contribution.
Jon Nolan and Donagh Murphy were sharp in their shooting too, both registering a hat-trick of points, Ciaran Kavanagh scored one marvellous point while substitute Eoin Doyle also scored a beauty. All three half-backs, Tony Lawlor, Kevin McDonald (free) and Evan Kealy, made a scoring deposit as did mid-fielder Conaill Fitzpatrick, the opening score of the game.
There was little indication of the rout early on and indeed at the end of the first quarter the Rangers led just 0-6 to 0-5 and during that period the green and black clad Gaels had shot several bad wides. Conaill Fitz, Ted Joyce, Kevin McDonald (free), Evan Kealy, Donagh Murphy and Jon Nolan clipped Rangers points in the 1st, 4th, 6th, 8th, 13th and 15th minutes while Jake Doyle (a spectacular opener), Sean Wall (long range missile), Craig Doyle (free) and a tidy brace from Jack McCullough kept the Bagenalstown men in contention.
However from there to the final whistle MLR took complete control, outscoring their opponents by an astonishing 0-19 to 0-5. The first six of those 19 were reeled off before the break courtesy of Ted Joyce (3, two frees), Dean Tobin (2) and Ciaran Kavanagh to leave it 0-12 to 0-5 at half-time. When Jon Nolan, Teddy Joyce and Tony Lawlor piloted over further points in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd minutes of the second half it was, to all intents and purposes, game, set and match.
Bagenalstown Gaels will find it difficult to rally from these back-to-back defeats against Ballinkillen last week and this one on Saturday, not so much because of the losses but the performances in both. They still have St Mullins to play next weekend in the final round and should results go to form – St Mullins beat Gaels, Rangers beat Naomh Eoin – then it will be a St Mullins v Bagenalstown semi-final the week after. Lot of improving to be done in a short space of time.
Champions Mount Leinster Rangers finish their campaign v Naomh Eoin, the Myshall men playing for their championship lives. Should Rangers and St Mullins go close to full-throttle next weekend the semi-final pairings will be the aforementioned St Mullins v Bagenalstow Gaels and Mount Leinster Rangers v Ballinkillen. Should Rangers and St Mullins, already assured of a top four finishes, opt to ‘rest’ players a couple of upsets might be possible and throw all sorts of permutations into the semi-final equation.
– MOUNT LEINSTER RANGERS –
1. Dean Grennan
2. Michael Doyle
3. Michael Joyce
4. Sean Joyce
5. Tony Lawlor 0-1
6. Kevin McDonald (Capt) 0-1 f
7. Evan Kealy 0-1
8. Conaill Fitzpatrick 0-1
9. Richie Coady
10. Dean Tobin 0-2
11. Teddy Joyce 0-11 6f
12. Jon Nolan 0-3
13. Donagh Murphy 0-3
14. Eddie Byrne
15. Ciaran Kavanagh 0-1
Subs: Tim Brennan for J Nolan (50)
Tadgh Doran for D Tobin (55)
Eoin Doyle 0-1 for D Murphy (58)
– BAGENALSTOWN GAELS-
1. Andrew Townsend
2. Andrew Casey
3. Alan Corcoran
4. Eoghan Dowling
5. Sean Wall
6. Darragh Nolan
7. Niall Bolger
8. James Doyle
9. Darren Crooks
10. Jamie Clarke 0-1
11. Jason Wall 0-1
12. Jack McCullough 0-2
13. Keelan Guidera 0-1
14. Jake Doyle 0-1
15. Craig Doyle 0-3 2f, ’65’
Subs: Mark McDonald for D Crooks (45)
Andrew Kane for James Doyle (45)
Cian Doyle for S Wall (49)
Referee: Brian Deering (Rathvilly)
