MLR have produced some really good performances in Minor Finals down through the years.
CENTAL CARLOW MINOR HURLING CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL
Mount Leinster Rangers 2-11, Burren Rangers/Kildavin-Clonegal 0-8
By Leo McGough
For the 13th time since the name Mount Leinster Rangers was first etched on its plinth in 1988 the Martin Kavanagh Cup, the symbol of Carlow Minor A Hurling Championship supremacy, has been borne in triumph to the South County enclave of Ballymurphy, Borris and Rathanna.
And once more the boys in red and black produced a wonderful brand of attractive hurling, the club’s trait mark for many’s a year now and having suffered the disappointment of losing this years Senior, Intermediate and Junior finals over the course of one August weekend, the loyal Rangers savoured this Minor final victory under the Netwatch Cullen Park lights on Monday night.
And, you know, as this was a unique Minor final as the winning Rangers players and management also had an element of ‘revenge’ in mind. You see last year Minor was U-17 and the South County club’s bid for five-in-row was surprisingly, but deservedly, halted by pioneering Burren Rangers who won an early morning final by a convincing 2-18 to 0-12. Fast forward 12 months, Carlow having reverted to even-age competition this 2024 Minor final was U-18 and effectively the exact same group of players as as 2023.
Motivation then not a problem for this Battle of the Rangers, one determined to frank the form, prove their ’23 win no fluke, the other intent on restoring the old order and by games end it was a case of the old order restoreth as Mount Leinster Rangers with a powerful second half performance ran out impressive six point winners of a strong contested final played in benign October conditions.
Burren Rangers-Kildavin-Clonegal, to give the ’24 team their full title gave it their almighty best and actually led by two points at half-time and with one Burren Rangers, the hurling representatives of Ballon, Kilbride and the Fighting Cocks, having won the Junior earlier this year and Kildavin-Clonegal the junior the year before it his heartening to see the small ball flourish in a area that was something of a hurling desert for a long long time.
Back, though, to Monday night, the reigning champions opened brightly with Robbie Ward posting the first score, a superb angled point from the left corner inside 15 seconds and with Jake Nolan (having availed of a good stick pass from Aaron Dowling) and Martin Carroll (a 45m left wing free) tacking on two more the Burren boys led 0-3 to 0-0 after six minutes.
Ruairi Murphy finally opened MLR’s account in the 8th minute when converting a 60m free and a minute later the mid-fielder was only denied a goal by a great diving save by Burren Rangers agile goalkeeper James Bergin. Kyle Nolan (MLR) and James Hogan (BR) bartered 10th minute points, Hogan’s a fine score from the right wing following a great catch of a long clearance, a score supplemented by a Martin Carroll point from a 55m free, 0-5 to 0-2 then at the end of the opening quarter.
The stop-watch had barely clicked into the second quarter Jack Joyce won possession on the left wing 50m and hoisted a high delivery towards the Derrpark end goal where alert Joey Dalton reacted quickest to the breaking ball and from close range sent the green flag waving. Within seconds of that 16th minute goal Ruari Murphy pointed Mount Leinster Rangers in front for the first time when converting a mid-distance free.
However Burren Rangers, as they did at the start of the half, finished with three successive points, Martin Carroll scoring a superb 18th minute left hand point after strong run, Jake Nolan angling over one from the side-line 40m out a minute later to restore the champions lead while Carroll pointed another free in the 29th minute, this one from outside the ’65’ but which had been brought forward for dissent.
In between Burren Rangers goalkeeper James Bergin had twice entered the notebooks (your scribes not the referee’s!), the first for preventing a Ruairi Murphy shot from going over the bar with a slick bit of stick work, the second when dealing very well with a tricky dropping ball from Eoin Doyle. And scarcely a minute into the second half we again ‘note’ James Bergin, this time for a confident catch of a dangerously dipping Ruari Murphy delivery.
However in the 32nd minute there was nothing James could do to prevent Ruairi netting a wonderful individual goal, a goal which was effectively the turning point of the game, a goal that owed it’s creation to a long Darragh Coleman puck-out that ‘broke’ to Murphy in the middle of the park, his quick pick and pacy solo-run carrying him into the ‘green zone; where, heaving broken tackle, the No 9 dispatched a searing low shot to the dressing room end net. 2-3 to 0-8.
There was no further score for seven minutes during which time Burren Rangers hit a few wides from frees while Bergin again was assured on another Murphy delivery that threatened a score in less capable hands. However in the 39th and 43rd minutes Murphy piloted over points from close range frees, the second foul earning a Burren Rangers defender, already on a yellow, with a red card.
2-5 to 0-8 then at the end of the third quarter but you know they could very well have been level but for the fact the MLR’s Jack Redmond in the 45th minute got in a great hook on Billy Flynn with a goal looking a distinct possibility.
The closing quarter, score-wise, belong to the new champions, tacking on a further half-dozen points, Ruari Murphy bringing his personal tally for the evening to 1-8 by with points in the 48th (’65’), 53rd (60m free), 57th (a beauty from a free close to the sideline 60m out) and 61st (a close range free won by late substitute Paddy O’Brien who eagerness to get stuck in was immediately rewarded). Another substitute, Adam Joyce, wearing No 20 though No 22 on the programme, scored a peach of a point in the 50th minute, a good rught wing catch and a sweet strike on the turn rightly celebrated while Joey Dalton, busy all evening, added to his earlier goal with a lovely left wing point.
Burren Rangers failed to score in that second half, outscored 1-6 to 0-0 over the course of the 30 minutes, this ‘shut-out’ due to a masterful Mount Leinster Rangers defensive display, with centre half back Mark Dundon a magnificent anchor, full-back Gavin Murphy also a stand out figure while Harry Griffith, though wearing No 7 was playing right half back a really thundered into the game in the closing half. With stylish Ruairi Murphy ands the ndustrious trio Eoin Doyle, Jack Kelly, the team captain and Joey Dalton ensuring the men in red and black pucks of possession in and around the centre of the field the Martin Kavanagh Cup, called after a man who did a power of work for hurling in South Carlow, was destined for the Mount Leinster Rangers trophy cabinet going before the final whistle.
Burren Rangers didn’t let go of that Cup without one hell of a fight and will always have that famous 2022 victory to savour but these young men will be back at U-20 and adult level, keep her lit men.
Mount Leinster Rangers: Daragh Coleman; Darragh Coleman, Gavin Murphy, Jack Redmond; Karl Lawlor, Mark Dundon, Harry Griffith; Eoin Doyle, Ruairi Murphy 1-8 0-7f, 0-1 ’65’; Joey Dalton 1-1. Jack Foley, Jack Joyce; Kyle Nolan 0-1, Fionn O’Brien, Barry Coleman. Subs: Noel Jordan 0-1 for O’Brien (48), Adam Joyce for J Joyce (54), Aidan Savage Kelly for B Coleman (57), Tom Murphy for E Doyle (58), Paddy O’Brien for Dalton (60)
Burren Rangers/Kildavin-Clonegal: James Bergin; Daniel Haskins, Lorcan Kinsella, Sam Meyler; Kieran Donald, Eoin Doyle, Ciaran Scott; Martin Carroll 0-4 3f, Daniel Bolger; James Hogan 0-1, Aaron Dowling, Jake Nolan 0-1; Edward O’Byrne 0-1, Billy Flynn, Robbie Ward 0-1. Subs: Michael Shanahan for A Dowling (40) Lorcan Cassin for B Flynn (50)
Referee: Shane Foley (St Mullins)
