These two clubs have served up top quality Hurling for two weeks straight. Hats off to both.
Carlow Senior Hurling Championship Semi-final replay
St Mullins 3-19, Bagenalstown Gaels 1-17
(After extra-time)
2-13 to 1-16 at end of normal-time
By Leo McGough
ANOTHER roller-coaster ride, another draw at the end of normal time, this Carlow SHC semi-final replay Netwatch Cullen Park on Saturday evening was finally, and decisively, decided in extra-time when favourites St Mullins outscored a battling but tiring Bagenalstown Gaels by an emphatic 1-6 to 0-1.
The winners, who led 1-7 to 0-9 at half-time in normal time, looked certain to advance to a final meeting with Mount Leinster Rangers when James Doyle, reasonably subdued until then, won a sky ball from a long Kevin Kehoe puck-out, turned, hared towards the Deepark End posts and from 20m dispatched a hard low shot in the Gaels rigging. 2-12 to 0-12, 12 minutes to go, game over?
No way! Bagenalstown were going no where. Jake Doyle, cutting in from the left, went for goal but the shot flew across the posts and almost reached the corner flag in front of the tunnel. However St Mullins’attempt to move the ball upfield was twarthed, Jamie Clarke won possession, won a free that Craig Doyle pointed and when Styler nailed another placed ball in the 53rd minute their supporters gained renewed faith.
Oisin Ryan attempted to steady the St Mullins ship with a tidy point, his third of the hour, but in the 56th minute Gaels Kealan Guidera embarked on a strong solo run, passed inside to Jamie Clarke, the speedster, who made tracks for the posts and from 20m the county footballer let fly with his boot, the sliotar rocketing to the net.
Now the momentum was with the green and black, Styler won 57th minute free that he pointed, he repeated the dose a minute later, the sides were level. The scoreboard clock was just just 16 seconds over 60 minutes when referee David Hickey blew full-time. Maybe, considering there were a number of substitutions, there should have been more time added on but such has been the swings and roundabout nature of the contest that ‘extra-time’ might not have separated them.
However the actual extra-time did just that and the beginning of the end came as early as the second minute when Conor Kehoe, after two Gaels attacks yielded two wides, raced down the left wing towards the Deerpark End posts and not content with the ’safe point’ kept going before drilling a low shot to the net.
Marty Kavanagh pointed a 6th minute free, Paddy Boland, back from injury, pointed from play a minute later before ’Styler’ from a free registered the losers lone score of extra-time. A ‘Mouse’ point from a free left it 3-16 to 1-17 at half-time in extra-time before Paddy Boland, ‘Mouse’ (free) and John Doyle tacked on a trio of points after the final change-over.
That surge clinched it and deservedly so but those who thought St Mullins would win this replay well had their expectations enhanced as early as the second minute when Conor Kehoe, after ‘Styler’ had opened the scoring with a pointed free, scampered through for a trademark goal. That goal separated the sides at the end of the first quarter (1-5 to 0-5) and come half-time it was 1-7 to 0-9, the Gaels having enjoyed the better of the second quarter.
However the ’Town’ were dealt a severe blow when injury prevented their star centre half back Darragh Nolan from resuming. Apart altogether from his robust, busy defending, the No 6 had piloted over three fantastic long range frees. With Andrew Casey, a regular defender, absent due to holidays the Gaels could ill afford to lose such a key figure.
However the Bagenalstown defence were heroic, none more so than Alan Corcoran. For the third week in a row ‘Alfie’ marked the ‘Mouse’ and again won the duel, Mouse failing to score from play. And not only did he mark tightly, block effectively, ‘Alfie’ also did a power of hurling going forward. Andrew Townsend, the ‘Town’ keeper, was again in tip-tip for, he made one brilliant save.
St Mullins, too, were without a key defender, Paudie Kehoe unable to start though he did come on briefly as a blood sub before entering the fray for the closing minutes. Paddy Boland, another carrying an injury, also saw game-time, scored 0-2.
James Doyle, like Marty Kavanagh, failed to score a point from play and it was Kavanagh who resumed the free-taking duties which were in Doyle’s hands this championship to date. Mouse nailed nine placed balls, 8 frees and a ’65’. James Doyle scored a spectacular goal but his best hurling was done in extra-time when moved to mid-field but acting as an auxiliary defender from where he cleared a lot of ball with long clean strikes.
Craig Doyle, a veteran of many battles, has never won a Carlow SHC medal but he was once again among his sides main men, a personal tally of 0-11, two from play, one of which might have been a goal. Niall Bolger and Jack McCullagh were to the fore at mid-field.
St Mullins had a hugely effective performance from No 9 Michael Walsh, operating at centre half back and allowing Paul Doyle resume his role at full-back, a much better fit for him and St Mullins.
All in all an another enjoyable evening’s hurling, the knock-out bite adding to the entertainment.
– ST MULLINS –
1. Kevin Kehoe
2. Paudi O’Shea
3. Paul Doyle
4. John Doran
5. Ger Coady (Capt)
6. Michael Walsh
7. Ciaran Harris
8. Eamon O’Shea
9. Conor Kehoe 2-0
10. Marty Kavanagh 0-9 8f, ’65’
11. James Doyle 1-0
12. Jack Kavanagh 0-2
13. Oisin Ryan 0-3
14. John Doyle 0-1
15. Jason O’Neill 0-2
Subs: Paddy Boland 0-2 for J O’Neill (45)
Paddy Walsh for J Doran (54)
Paudie Kehoe for P Boland (temp,
Sean Connolly for O Ryan (69)
P Kehoe (back on) for (76)
– BAGENALSTOWN GAELS –
1. Andrew Townsend
2. Eoghan Dowling
3. Cian Doyle
4. Sean Wall
5. Mark McDonald
6. Darragh Nolan 0-3 3f
7. Alan Corcoran
8. Jack McCullough 0-1
9. Niall Bolger
10. Andrew Kane
11. Jason Wall 0-1
12. Craig Doyle 0-11 9f
13. Keelan Guidera 0-1
14. Jamie Clarke 1-0
15. Jake Doyle
Subs: James Doyle for D Nolan (h-t)
TJ Darcy for A Kane (55)
Thomas Maher for M McDonald (73)
Referee: David Hickey
