12 of Bagenalstown’s 17 scores came from placed balls.
Carlow Senior Hurling Championship Round 2
Bagenalstown Gaels 0-17, Naomh Eoin 0-11
The placed ball accuracy of Bagenalstown Gaels twin strike force of Craig Doyle and Darragh Nolan proved crucial in their club’s deserved victory over Naomh Eoin in damp Netwatch Cullen Park on Saturday evening.
A Myshall follower queried mid-way though the second half if I was taking note of the free count. I wasn’t. But what I can tell him now is that a dozen of the Gaels points came from frees, ‘Styler’ nailing nine close range to mid distance placed balls while centre half back Darragh Nolan took responsibility for the long range frees, sending three soaring over the Deerpark End posts in the closing half, a priceless hat-trick in a hard fought contest.
Another priceless hat-trick for the victors was the three glorious points from play by No 11 Jason Wall, a notable achievement in a game where scores from play were scarce.
But, you know, it was a man without a score to his name but who kept his man without a score to his name that merits a high ranking on Bagenakstown’s roll of honour, namely Alan Corcoran.
‘Alfie’ rolled back the years with a masterclass of tight defending that was a hallmark of his inter-county days. Yes, he caught a great ball in the first half, came away to clear, yes he caught another high ball on the edge of the square near the finish when a lobbed Naomh Eoin delivery sought out a goal. Key interventions. But, shadowing county player John Michael Nolan, be that full-back v full-forward or wing back v wing forward, ‘Alfie’s crafty spoiling via body, crafty flick and tormenting presence called ‘halt’. Credit to John Michael he stayed battling and tried his best to rally the Naomh Eoin troops.
Among those Naomh Eoin troops was Ciaran Abbey, who though named on the programme as a right half back began proceedings at full-forward and emerged as his sides top scorer with 0-7, a half-dozen from frees, including one from inside his own half, and a terrific point from play too.
Indeed it was mainly down to Abbey’s accuracy that Naomh Eoin remained in contention for so long, the sides level at 0-4 apiece at the end of the first quarter, 0-8 apiece at half-time, Ciaran accounting for six of Myshall’s points. The closest we came to a goal in the opening half was in injury-time when Myshall’s Brian Tracey dived to his left to turn away a stinging Keelan Guidera shot from the right of the posts.
Modern day pundits often talk about the third quarter being the ‘moving quarter’ but this wasn’t the case here as with 45 minutes on the clock it was still all to play for, Gaels 0-14, Naomh Eoin 0-11, Darragh Nolan’s three long range missiles, the first inside 30 seconds of the restart, separating the sides.
Amazingly, Michael Kavanagh’s 44th minute point was Myshall’s closing score. Not that the green and black gaels troubled the green and white umpires all that much either but crucially Jason Wall’s third point from play (46th) and a brace of close range points from frees by Craig Doyle (48th and 57th, both for fouls on his brother Jake) secured the Bagenalstown men their first victory in their first outing and a step closer a semi-final place.
Naomh Eoin, buoyed by their impressive first round win over Ballinkillen last weekend, would have been virtually certain of a semi-final place had they won here but their last quarter fade-out proved fatal and with two difficult games to come against championship favourites Mount Leinster Rangers and St Mullins the Myshall club’s last four ambitions have taken a hit.
– BAGENALSTOWN GAELS –
1. Andrew Townsend
2. Andrew Casey
3. Alan Corcoran
4. Darren Crooks
5. Eoghan Dowling
6. Darragh Nolan 0-3 3f
7. Niall Bolger
8. James Doyle
9. Sean Wall
10. Jamie Clarke
11. Jason Wall 0-3
12. Danny Doyle
13. Keelan Guidera 0-1
14. Jake Doyle 0-1
15. Craig Doyle 0-9 9f
Subs: Andrew Kane for D Nolan (temp, 25-28)
A Kane (back on) for K Guidera (53)
– NAOMH EOIN –
1. Brian Tracey
2. Tadgh Daly
3. Tommy Nolan
4. Michael Nolan
5. Diarmuid Deacon
6. Dwain Kavanagh
7. Paddy Doyle
8. Peter Abbey
9. Michael Kavanagh 0-1
10. Scott Tracey 0-1
11. Diego Dunne 0-1
12. Colm Beck
13. Cathal Tracey 0-1
14. Ciaran Abbey 0-7 6f
15. John Michael Nolan
Subs: James O’Hara for T Daly (39)
Eoin Hosey for D Kavanagh (41)
Referee: David Hickey
