Leinster Senior Hurling Championship Round 5 Antrim 4-22, Carlow 2-22 In the modern age of social media, on-line platforms and almost immediate video evidence of controversial incidents and crucial scores the traditional match report has been virtually rendered redundant. Everyone reading this will have already seen various versions of Chris Nolan’s controversial red card and will […]
Leinster Senior Hurling Championship Round 5
Antrim 4-22, Carlow 2-22
In the modern age of social media, on-line platforms and almost immediate video evidence of controversial incidents and crucial scores the traditional match report has been virtually rendered redundant. Everyone reading this will have already seen various versions of Chris Nolan’s controversial red card and will have formed their own opinion, the general consensus that it was harsh, very harsh. Me too.
However, let’s rewind just a little, rewind to just to before the bit of a scuffle that led to the sending off. Keelan Molloy had just put Antrim in front for the first time in the game in the 35th minute and in brackets after the No 9’s point we noted ‘huge psychological boost’ as the home side were now destined to go in one-up at the break despite the fact that Carlow had probably been the better team over the course of the half.
We base that statement on the fact that after 24 minutes the red, yellow and green had pinged 13 white flags, Antrim just 5. Alas the green flag count was 3-1 in the saffron gaels favour, James McNaughton’s searing pace down the middle yielding a brace, one for Conal Cunning (9th minute), one for himself (19th minute) while Cunning netted again at the pavilion end when the refereed awarded a black card penalty after Paul Doyle’s illegal tackle on a forward outside the big square was deemed to have prevented a definite goal chance though from our vantage point you could argue Dion Wall was in a position to maybe intervene.
Whether of which Carlow coped well with the ten minute reduction. 1-11 to 3-5 after Cunning’s successful penalty and actually scored the next two points, John Michael Nolan putting one over from the left wing having collected a long Brian Tracey puck-out, Mouse converting a ’65’ won by his own spinning line-ball from the stand wing causing a little panic in the Antrim square.
Then McNaughton and James Doyle (winning another long puck-out) bartered points before a brace of Cunning frees levelled proceedings at 1-14 to 3-8 just as Paul Doyle was released from his sin-bin.
Potential disaster averted. All to play for. Then that Molloy lead point we noted as potentially psychologically important, 3-9 to 1-14. But wait. Carlow attack, a free in dead straight in front of the posts. Last puck off the half, Mouse will put it over with his eyes closed. Draw game. But wait. A Carlow player needlessly ‘retaliates’, harmless enough, referees often ignore it but not this time, free cancelled, a throw-ball. The ball is thrown in and the players barely have time to contest it when James Owens blows half-time.
Why not have blown before the throw if there was that little time to play? Throw-balls are a recipe for trouble, that’s why the GAA once experimented with starting each half with a puck-out. Also the reason why one seasoned referee of yesteryear always prided himself in never giving a throw-ball, he being of the opinion it was safer to give a free, right or wrong, than give wound up players to extract ‘justice’ in the throw-in ‘pull’.
There wasn’t even a pull in Sunday’s late first half throw-in. But a lot of pushing and shoving took place after, silly handbags stuff that calmed down, then restarted, an Antrim player fell spectacularly to the ground, helped there no doubt, another Antrim player was on his hunkers in obvious pain. I don’t believe a hurl was raised in anger. The teams separated, headed for the dressing rooms, the hitherto reasonably silent Antrim crowd now raising the decibel levels as they cheered their heroes in. Possibly a case of poking the bear but still all to play for.
The teams re-emerge to cheers, the small but vocal Carlow following letting themselves heard too. Then a louder Antrim cheer, the referee having issued the Antrim No 7 Eoghan Campbell with a yellow card flashes a red to Carlow No 10, Chris Nolan who was guilty of knocking over James McNaughton. But a red card? And this wasn’t, as must refereeing decisions are, a decision made on the spur of the moment, he had 15 minutes to ruminate. If he didn’t see it himself, did his umpires or linesmen ‘enlighten him’? And if so why didn’t he act at the time? If that incident had taken place in the 15th minute, would he have issued a red card 15 minutes later? No
Remember too Chris Nolan had scored a trademark point from the sideline, had knifed through for a superb individual goal, he would have been one our main men in the second half, capable of adding to his personal tally, winning frees as well.
Now many times in the past I have given out about Carlow’s players lack of discipline and how over the years we had men sent off, so much so that an old Cork man at a Fitzgibbon Cup game in the Mardyke upon hearing I was from Carlow commented ‘Lord ye seem to have problems keeping men on the field’. And we had. And it wasn’t always the referee’s fault. That’s why this year in three ugh-tempo games against Galway, Dublin and Kilkenny it was so pleasing that our lads did not incur the wrath of the referee, not even a hint of a red card.
Let us all agree that Chris’ red card was harsh and the man himself was visibly distraught. But ponder this, if the needless retaliation by another Carlow player had not taken place, the ball was over the bar, the half-time whistle was blown, the sides were level and there was no scuffle and no decision for James Owens and his officials to make.
A psychologist with one of the Ulster football teams, maybe Armagh when they emerged as a dominant force, spoke to the players of bringing their T-Cup to Croke Park. T-Cup? Thinking Clearly Under Pressure. Thinking Clearly Under Pressure is not easy and the slightest dip in concentration or lack of adherence to that mantra can have devastating consequences as we now know to our cost.
But fair play to this mighty bunch of Carlow hurlers they fought the good fight in the second half. Mouse levels two minutes after the restart with a great point from play following fantastic work by James Doyle, Conor Kehoe follows suit with another to roars of approval as Carlow go back in front. Significantly, though, the leveller from long range follows immediately as Carlow’s numerical disadvantage allows Antrim’s puck-out find a spare man. It was one of nine Antrim points from their defensive sextet including two huge long distance points from frees by No 5 Gerard Walsh.
Roll on to the 53rd minute and a mammoth Kevin McDonald long range point from play after a clever Ciaran Whelan back-pass and the scoreboard reads 3-16 (25) to 1-19 (22). Where there’s life there’s hope. Two minutes later the sides are level, Mouses low shot from the right of the Whiterock Road end goals squeezing in at the neat post off the stick of the Antrim goal man. This could be one of our most famous wins …
Alas, from the puck-out another one of those long raid points from a loose defender, this time Conor Boyd and in the 57th minute James McNaughton sent a pile-driver to the Carlow net and it was effectively game-over. Yes Carlow continued to battle, John Michael had an outside chance of a call for a penalty having caught a high ball on the edge of the square and forced to kick it wide but after brief consolation Owens signalled play to continue with a puck-out.
‘Goals win games’ goes the cliche and while all-conquering Limerick added to their long tally of wins with a 0-30 haul v Waterford later last Sunday afternoon the cliche holds true as far as Belfast was concerned, the four green flags every bit as much as knife in Carlow’s hearts as the red card.
Relegation 14 days after drawing with Kilkenny, sport is cruel. Talks of expanding the Leinster SHC to provide the wannabe hurling counties with Tier One stability has surfaced but would Sunday’s game have been as riveting if there was a safety net? The jeopardy of relegation made it a real championship contest.
For now though the Carlow mentors and players deserve a well-earned break before going back to their clubs. They have given us a wonderful year of rich entertainment, bestowed us with many treasured memories, not least of which was their heroism in Corrigan Park.
Well done men, ye will rise again.
– CARLOW –
1. Brian Tracey (Naomh Eoin, Myshall)
2. Paul Doyle (St Mullins)
3. Dion Wall (Ballinkillen)
4. Niall Bolger (Bagenasltown Gaels)
5. Jack Kavanagh (St Mullins) 0-1
6. Kevin McDonald (Mount Leinster Rangers, Ballymurphy, Rathanna, Borris) 0-1
7. Tony Lawlor (Mount Leinster Rangers, Ballymurphy, Rathanna, Borris)
8. Ciaran Whelan (Ballinkillen) 0-1
9. Jack McCullagh (Bagenalstown Gaels)
10. Conor Kehoe (St Mullins) 0-3
11. Marty Kavanagh (St Mullins) 1-11 0-8f, 0-2 ’65’
12. John Michael Nolan (Naomh Eoin, Myshall) 0-1
13. James Doyle (St Mullins) 0-3
14. Chris Nolan (Mount Leinster Rangers, Ballymurphy, Rathanna, Borris) 1-1
15. Paddy Boland (St Mullins)
Subs: Fiachra Fitzpatrick (Mount Leinster Rangers, Ballymurphy, Rathanna, Borris) for J Kavanagh (57)
Donagh Murphy (Mount Leinster Rangers, Ballymurphy, Rathanna, Borris) for JM Nolan (65)
Richie Coady (Mount Leinster Rangers, Ballymurphy, Rathanna, Borris) for C Whelan (70+1)
– ANTRIM –
1. Ryan Elliott (Dunloy Cuchullains)
2. Conor Boyd (Ballycastle McQuillan’s) 0-1
3. Rory McCloskey (Loughgiel Shamrocks)
4. Paddy Burke (Ruairí Óg Cushendall) 0-1
5. Gerard Walsh (O’Donovan Rossa, Belfast) 0-2
6. Niall O’Connor (Naomh Éanna) 0-2
7. Eoghan Campbell (Ruairí Óg Cushendall)
8. Michael Bradley (St John’s, Belfast)
9. Keelan Molloy (Dunloy Cuchullains) 0-3
10. Nigel Elliott (Dunloy Cuchullains) 0-1
11. James McNaughton (Loughgiel Shamrocks) 2-3
12. Niall McKenna (Patrick Sarsfields, Belfast)
13. Conal Cunning (Dunloy Cuchullains) 2-7 1-0 pen, 0-5f, 0-2 ’65’
14. Conor McCann (Creggan Kickhams) 0-1
15. Seaan Elliott (Dunloy Cuchullains) 0-1
Subs: Paul Boyle (Loughgiel Shamrocks) for M Bradley (62)
Joseph McLoughlin (Ruairí Óg Cushendall) for C McCann (64)
Christy McGarry (Loughgiel Shamrocks) for S Elliott (70+2)
Rian McMullan (Loughgiel Shamrocks) for N Elliott (70+3)
Fred McCurry (Ruairi Óg Cushendall) for J McNaughton (70+4)
Referee: James Owens (Wexford)
