Leinster MHC: Stronger second half not enough for Carlow as Kerry emerge victorious

Leinster Minor Hurling Championship Tier 2 Round 1

Kerry 1-17, Carlow 1-9

A sharper, slicker, more cohesive Kerry combination were impressive eight point winners in the opening round of the Tier Two Leinster Minor Hurling Championship in windy Netwatch Cullen Park on Saturday afternoon.

A dominant half-back line laid the foundations for the Kingdom victory, Carlow struggling badly to get the ball past the tenacious trio of inspirational skipper, Eoin O’Flaherty, steady pivot Liam O’Sullivan and lively Rory O’Halloran with the two wing backs crowning fine individual performances by rifling over terrific points from either wing.

Rifling over points for fun all day was the visitors No 12 Evan O’Sullivan, who while guilty of a few wides off his less preferred side from play, was unerring from placed balls, nailing 0-8 from frees, including one in either half from close to the sideline. 

Mention of sideline, Kerry right corner forward Ivan Conway sent a superb 25m sideline cut from the terrace wing sailing between the Deerpark End posts in the opening half and the nephew of senior star Shane also picked off two sweet points from play.

Kerry No 14 John Curtin, who spent a fair share of the game operating from the corner, contributed an invaluable 1-2, the goal coming in the 21st minute when a high delivery from incisive centre half forward Jake Rochford was batted out and Curtin, quick to the break, grabbed possession and dispatched a hard low shot to the Carlow net. Before half-time the bustling raider scored a fine individual point having embarked on a mazy run.

The concentration in this report thus far has been on the Kingdom and so it was in the game itself, Kerry calling the shots for virtually the entire hour, Carlow putting in a brief spurt midway through the opening half and again neat the finish but overall lacked the physique or the skillset to trouble the Munster boys, many of whom played in their Leinster Tier One campaign last year.

Kerry, backed by the strong wind, opened brightly, 0-3 to 0-0 up after just six minutes and could have had a goal as well, Carlow net guardian Peter Lynch making a good stop.

It was after this Carlow enjoyed their best spell of the game, mid-fielder Ruairi Murphy - who was on the extended St Kieran’s, Kilkenny panel for last weeks All-Ireland Colleges victory - piloting over two close range frees, one awarded after full-forward Alan Wall had made a rampaging run at goal. It was Wall who set up Carlow’s 17th minute goal, using his strength to win and hold on to possession in the tackle before hand-passing to James Brennan whose speedy solo brought him away from his chasers before dispatching a hard low shot in the Kingdom rigging.

1-2 to 0-4 for Carlow, against the wind and maybe a little against the run of play too, the small home following were feeling a little more hopeful. However by half-time those hopes had been dimmed, Kerry reeling off 1-7 without reply to lead 1-11 to 1-2 at half-time, Conway’s line cut setting that roll in motion, Curtin’s goal giving it impetus.

Given the strength of the wind Carlow were still in with a chance and when half-time substitute Jack Connolly fired over a catch-and-turn point within 20 seconds of the restart the home county were given the perfect start. Alas the remainder of the third quarter was scarce of home scores, scarce of Kerry scores too but when   sharpshooter O’Sullivan lofted over four successive frees the green and gold - oops, wait, Kerry were wearing a dark navy! - the scoreboard after 50 minutes read 1-15 to 1-5, game over.

Carlow to be fair battled to the finish and three late, late points - Ruairc O’Neill (long range free), Ruairi Murphy (a rising shot that might have yielded a goal) and Jack Connolly (the subs second and as good as his first) - ensured Carlow ‘won’ the second half 0-7 to 0-6, small consolation.

With news of Kildare’s goal-scoring win over group favourites Laois, Carlow’s hosting of the Lily-whites on April 6 takes on greater significance and Alan Roche’s charges will need a much improved performance to keep their qualification chances alive.

It was 20 years since Carlow and Kerry last crossed camáns at competitive minor hurling level, Carlow winning an All-Ireland B semi-final in Nenagh. Saturday was the 10th meeting of the county’s, Kerry now leading the ‘rubber’ 6-4.

Eight of the previous nine meetings were in the All-Ireland B including an experiment with a two-leg clash in 1997, Kerry winning the first leg in Carlow 2-14 to 0-7, the scoreline of the return leg at a Kerry venue going unrecorded in the local newspapers of the time.

Finally, contrary to reports in Kerry newspapers this was not their first win in the Leinster MHC, it was their fourth?! In 1987 Kerry played in the Leinster Minor ’Special’ Championship, beat Wicklow in Wicklow, Meath in Meath to reach the final where they beat Carlow in Carlow (3-9 to 1-8 in Dr Cullen Park). The ’Special’ winners gained entry to the championship proper with Kilkenny agreeing to travel to Killarney to play Kerry as a curtain-raiser to a Kerry v Tipperary Munster SHC match. Kilkenny won well.

Back to modern times, ’twill be interesting to see how the Kingdom fare in the remainder of this 2024 championship, they play a nice style of hurling but Laois and Kildare will provide stiffer challenges. 

CARLOW: Peter Lynch (Carlow Town); Seanie McMahon (Carlow Town), Mike Geraghty (Naomh Bríd), Kieran Donald (Mount Leinster Rangers); Eoin Doyle (Mount Leinster Rangers), Martin Carroll (Burren Rangers), Ruairc O’Neill (Naomh Bríd) 0-1f; Ruairí Murphy (Mount Leinster Rangers) 0-6 5f, Aodhan Kehoe (Naomy Eoin); Ciaran Kavanagh (Naomi Eoin), James Brennan (Bagenalstown Gaels) 1-0, Robbie Ward (Burren Rangers); Kyle Nolan (Mount Leinster Rangers), Alan Wall (Bagenalstown Gaels), Shane McCarthy (Setanta, Carlow). Subs: Jack Connolly Naomh Bríd 0-2 for S McCarthy h-t, Thomas Sheehan (Ballinkillen) for R Ward, Ciaran O’Neill (Ballinkillen) for C Kavanagh, Niall Power (Bagenalstown Gaels) for E Doyle (50), Sean Grehan (St Mullins) for A Wall (57)

KERRY: Cian Harris (Tralee Parnells); Aidan O’Mahony (Lixnaw), Dominic Regan (Kilmoyley), Cillian Hurley (Crotta O’Neills); Eoin O’Flaherty (St Brendan’s, Ardfert) 0-1, Liam O’Sullivan (Kenmare Shamrocks), Rory O’Halloran (Ballyheigue) 0-1; Callum Carey Sheehy (Ballyduff), Oisin Heaton (Crotta O’Neills); Scott Sheehan (Ballyduff), Jake Rochford (Ballyduff), Evan O’Sullivan (Crotta O’Neills) 0-8 8f; Ivan Conway (Lixnaw) 0-3 l-b, John Curtin (Ballyduff) 1-2, Dylan Costello (Ballyduff) 0-2. Subs: Will Somers (Tralee Parnells) for O Heaton (36), Eoghan Costello for D Costello (45), Alex Relihan (Crotta O’Neill’s) for J Rochford (48), Dan Maloney for A O’Mahony (56), Fionn Dineen (Firies) for A Relihan (temp, 57-58)

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Referee: Jimmy Heavey (Wexford)

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