This was a truly incredible game of Hurling.
Carlow Senior Hurling Championship Semi-final
St Mullins 4-14, Bagenalstown Gaels 4-14
By Leo McGough
The fourth minute of ’stoppage time’ in Saturday evening’s Carlow SHC semi-final in Netwatch Cullen Park was in it’s dying seconds when complete outsiders Bagenalstown Gaels – beaten 25 points by the same opposition the previous week – launched one last attack.
Trailing by three points – having held a seven point lead just before half-time – many of their supporters were resigned to a ‘moral victory’ but not so the Gaels players who strongly contested possession of a dropping ball 35 yards from the Deerpark end posts. Grasping the sliotar amidst a cluster of players county man Niall Bolger made track for the St Mullins goal and was illegally impeded. Free-in.
Up steeped veteran marksman Craig Doyle, scorer of 1-7 to this juncture, 0-6 from placed balls but, significantly too perhaps ‘Styler’ during his senior inter-county days located the net on 35 occasions, many of those green flags unstoppable pile-drivers. While all of those goals were from play, Craig had ‘previous;’ from placed balls with the club and jab lifting the ball forward but higher than usual, he stepped into the shot … whoosh … the net billowed. Another pile-driver. Draw game.
We came to Dr Cullen Park expecting another rout and our ‘expectations’ were underlined when St Mullins thanks to a James Doyle free and a Marty Kavanagh score from play nailed St Mullins points on the board in the first and second minute. While ’Styler’ opened the Gaels account with a 5th minute point from a free St Mullins from the puck-out had a half-chance of a goal before a sweeping move involving Conor Kehoe and James Doyle yielded another point for ‘Mouse’.
However the green and black hooped Gaels were competing with far more spirit than their previous couple of outings and a superb Jake Doyle point from play from the left wing proceeded by seconds what we perceived as the turning point of the game, a 9th minute block down by Alan Corcoran tight to the terrace wing side-line followed by a schemozzle on the ground from which ‘Alfie’ won a line-ball. Not content with that the former county man cut a great ball from inside his own ’65’ way down field where ‘Styler’ gained possession, cut through and stitched a hard rising shot in the St Mullins rigging. 1-2 to 0-3.
Yes, big John Doyle replied with a cleverly kicked St Mullins goal a minute later but only at their third attempt as Andrew Townsend, as he has the previous week, twice denied the favourites a goal with back-to-back brave saves. There was no ‘going through the motions’ this week, St Mullins, perhaps expecting a stroll were in a battle.
The tone and timbre of that battle increased when Niall Bolger landed a long range Bagenalstown point for the leveller, ‘Alfie’ got in a great block on ‘Mouse’ and then to ringing cheers from their supporters on the ‘bank’ the Gaels took the lead with a sweet Jake Doyle point. Those ‘Town’ cheers got even louder when after James Doyle pointed a St Mullins equaliser from a free the underdogs secured their second goal. ‘Alfie’ won a ball in defence, embarked on a little run, the ball was worked to Jake Doyle, on-fire just then and he ran at the St Mullins defence, found Andrew Kane who found the net. Jason O’Neill and Kealan Guidera bartered points to leave it 2-5 to 1-5 at the end of a riveting first quarter.
The second quarter saw the scoring rate slow a little, a James Doyle’s brace of St Mullins pointed frees were replied to by a Craig Doyle hat-trick of minors, the first a free, the second from a ’65’ after a Jake Doyle run and pass created a goal chance for Andrew Kane that St Mullins ‘keeper Kevin Kehoe bravely parried. The third a beauty from play after a great move involving ‘Alfie’ and Eoghan Dowling.
That was in the 31st minute, a minute later Bagenalstown Gaels had their third goal when speedster Jamie Clarke, an inter-county footballer of note, made a searing run and just when the danger from a a St Mullins point of view looked to be averted the ball broke to Kealan Guidera whose swept a first time ground stroke to the net. 3-8 to 1-7, 7-up.
St Mullins, however, netted a goal of their own in the third minute of ’stoppage time’, Marty Kavanagh dispatching a well struck low penalty to Andrew Townend’s left after he himself was twice fouled, the initial opening created by James Doyle.
3-8 to 2-7 then at half-time, St Mullins supporters became much more vocal on the restart as they realised their heroes might be in a spot of bother. The decibel levels looked to be working too, Jason O’Neill firing over a point and only denied a goal when Gaels net guardian Andrew Townsend made another timely advance and then Daragh Nolan took the ball off the line.
The green flag was not long delayed as in the 8th minute a throw-ball awarded on the terrace sideline – a line-ball both sets of players claimed was theirs – wound its way to Paudie Kehoe whose long ball landed in the vicinity of James Doyle. A high catch, a quick turn, an incisive solo-run, a searing shot, a goal. 3-8 apiece.
Around this juncture Bagenalstown had four moral-sapping wides, long range efforts, a couple from frees and when James Doyle inched St Mullins in front with another point from a free we maybe expected them to cruise home but enter centre stage once more the one and only ‘Alfie’. Noted as a diligent defender and in great form this champions ‘Alfie’ was once more shepherding ‘Mouse’ to great effect and when his man marking duties brought him inside his opponents ’65’ who was it that snapped up possession and posted an inspirational point? Of course! Level again, 3-9 apiece. Michael Walsh and Daragh Nolan (free) barter points, tied 3-10 apiece at the end of the third quarter …
Wait … the long puck-out after Nolan’s leveller drops in the vicinity of James Doyle. Catch, turn, run, shot, goal. You’ve read that somewhere before?! Jack Kavanagh tacked on a point, 4-11 to 3-10, game over? Probably. It definitely would have been if, after Craig Doyle had pointed a free, John Doyle hadn’t wided a goal chance after a James Doyle run-and-pass.
Lively St Mullins substitute Oisin Ryan (54th minute) restored St Mullins four point advantage but a brace of ’Styler’ points from frees (55th and 57th minutes) had sandwiched between them a delightful Gaels from the right corner by substitute TJ Darcy, still a minor, his first ever puck in senior championship hurling. A point in it.
Down the other end, James Doyle having hit the upright high up with an angled free, put another angled free wide but made amends in the 60th minute with a lovely point from play. Deep into the four minutes ‘injury time’ James had a close range free dead straight in front of the posts, a gimme, but hit it too low – for was he going for a cheeky clinching goal? – the shot deflected out for a ’65’ half-way between the posts and the sideline. “If he had pointed the free, the puck-out would have given the Gaels one last chance, this way the ;’65’ is eating up valuable time” we mused. ‘Mouse’ took over the placed ball duties for the ’65’, point, a goal in it, time nearly up.Then came that Niall Bolger crucial, crucial possession, the foul, the free, the high lift, the shot. A draw! Whew!
This was a wonderful advertisement for Carlow hurling, a gripping contest laden with quality and top of the Roll of Honour two men by the name of Doyle, Craig for the old ‘Erin’s Own’, James for green clad Naomh Moling. ‘Styler’ top-scored with 2-7 (1-6 from placed balls) but it was his pulling of the strings as an eager-beaver half-forward that won the admiration of all. Time was he was an inside forward with poachers instincts but now he brings his experience to bear further afield and still has those finishing qualities. Ditto ‘Jimmy’ of St Mullins as regards ‘knowing where the posts are’ and, more pertinently perhaps on this occasion, ‘knowing where the net is and knowing how to locate it!”
All in all the draw was a fair result of a sporting contest, a credit to both teams and their managements, roll on next six bells next Saturday when they return to the County Grounds for the replay where extra-time and penalties will be employed if required to decide who plays Mount Leinster Rangers in the County final on Sunday, August 11th.
– ST MULLINS –
1. Kevin Kehoe
2. Ciaran Harris
3. Paudi O’Shea
4. John Doran
5. Ger Coady (Capt)
6. Paul Doyle
7. Paudie Kehoe
8. Eamon O’Shea
9. Michael Walsh 0-1
10. Jack Kavanagh 0-1
11. James Doyle 2-6 0-5f
12. Conor Kehoe
13. Jason O’Neill 0-2
14. John Doyle 1-0
15. Marty Kavanagh 1-3 1-0 pen, 0-1 ’65’. P pen
Subs: Oisin Ryan 0-1 for J O’Neill (49)
– BAGENALSTOWN GAELS –
1. Andrew Townsend
2. Andrew Casey
3. Alan Corcoran 0-1
4. Eoghan Dowling
5. Sean Wall
6. Darragh Nolan 0-1 f
7. Cian Doyle
8. Jack McCullough
9. Niall Bolger 0-1
10. Keelan Guidera 1-1
11. Jason Wall
12. Craig Doyle 2-7 1-5f, 0-1 ’65’
13. Andrew Kane 1-0
14. Jake Doyle 0-2
15. Jamie Clarke
Subs: Mark McDonald for K Guidera (42)
TJ Darcy 0-1 for A Kane (56)
Thomas Maher for C Doyle (59)
James Doyle for D Nolan (60)
Referee: Brian Deering
