Promotion always the notion but Laois claim silverware as Carlow lack motion

National Hurling League Division 2A Final

Laois 2-22, Carlow 1-12

Given it’s Easter setting, it was appropriate that the tri-colour should provide a significant omen to Sunday’s National Hurling League Division 2A final in Netwatch Cullen Park.

Approaching the County Grounds from the Tennis Club we noticed the green, white and gold flag atop the scoreboard was blowing strongly towards the ‘Canary’ and we accordingly took up our position at that end of the Tommy Lennon Stand. Our reckoning was it was a five-or-six point wind.

Carlow had that wind in the first half but instead of retiring at the break with that ‘five or six point’ lead our lads trailed by a point, 0-9 to 0-8. That precarious half-time situation might not have been had the home side not shot eight wides, most of which were were long range shots from play. On another day they’d sail over. However the biggest ‘what if’ concerned Carlow failing to convert two good goal chances, and another half-chance, mid-way through that opening half.

In the 17th minute with the score tied at 0-5 apiece  Chris Nolan caught a high delivery on the ‘tunnel’ wing, cut in, popped the ball to Fiacha Fitzpatrick who in turned passed to Paddy Boland inside the 13m line but Boland, a hero of the Joe McDonagh Cup final, had his shot blocked by the alert Ryan Mullaney. Advantage was being played so ‘Mouse’ duly converted the 20m free to give his side the lead for the first time, not so bad considering Carlow were 0-3 to 0-0 in arrears after just three minutes.

Scarcely a minute later Carlow spurned another green flag chance, Conor Kehoe’s delivery from the stand wing caught by Paddy Boland on the edge of the small square but his net bound shot was smothered by advancing goalkeeper Enda Rowland.

From the puck-out Carlow attacked again, Chris Nolan cut through on a trade-mark sniping run, hell-bent on goal but when he pulled the trigger just inside the 20m line he was expertly hooked by the chasing Diarmuid Conway.

A block, a smother, a hook, three of the less glamorous skills of hurling had prevented the net shaking and provided Laois with a platform for their second half success. And in those three instances too was best illustrated the difference between the blue ad white display in Portlaoise five weeks ago – when Carlow won 1-23 to 0-21 – and their display on Sunday. In O’Moore Park on February 24th the visitors hassled and harried, knocked Laois off their stride. On this occasion not only did Laois meet fire with fire, the winners work-rate ensured the tables were turned and it was Carlow who were forced into errors.

And when those errors, or, to use the modern parlance, ‘turn-overs’ occurred the Laois men had the skillset and accuracy to turn their possession into scores, their team work and accuracy far sharper and slicker than their recent conquerors.

Mind you, Carlow started the second half very well, Chris Nolan angling over the levelling point from tight to the stand wing sideline as the home side tried to replicate the intensity of O’Moore Park. In the second minute Tony Lawlor did very well to win possession on the right wing of defence and his clearance was plucked out of the air by Marty Kavanagh who sped towards the Deerpark end posts and dispatched a low shot in the Laois rigging. 1-9 to 0-9, all to play for, the precarious position not now so precarious.

Alas, the most damning statistic from this game from a home point of view follows. From the third minute of the second half to the final whistle Laois outscored Carlow 2-13 to 0-3! Coupled with that Carlow net guardian Brian Tracey saved a penalty from his opposite number Enda Rowland as well as smothering another Laois goal opportunity. And Carlow’s third point came deep in injury-time as did the harsh red card for Laois mid-fielder Aidan Corby.

The fact that Laois’ first goal came within a minute of Mouse’s major wrote off the value of that Carlow score and Mossy Keyes venomous strike from a tight angle to the left of the Canary End posts was a huge psychological boost and momentum swinger, momentum which was granted even greater traction when Keyes angled over a superb point.

John Lennon added another before Laois attacked down the terrace wing and Jer Quinlan cut in to locate the Carlow net in the seventh minute of the second half. 2-2 in four minutes, 2-11 to 1-9 on the scoreboard, the game was slipping from Carlow.

Keyes was playing havoc, twice setting up Aaron Dunphy for points when recycling the ball from he left corner with deft stick passes, then ambling over the other wing to send a sideline cut soaring over the bar. Carlow’s only response during this time was a Mouse point from play after a astute pass from Chris but by the 18th minute of the half Laois had increased their lead to double figures – 2-17 to 1-10 – and it was, effectively game over.

Disappointment with a Capital D or a small d? Disaster with capital D or a small d? The question marks are there to prompt the reader into their own personal assessment of Carlow’s 13 points defeat. You could argue that promotion was the No 1 goal and with that attained by dent of the win in Portlaoise, this wasn’t as important a game.

In five previous Division 2A league final defeats – 2005 v Offaly in Portlaoise, 2008 v Westmeath in Limerick, 2014 v Kerry in Thurles, 2016 v Westmeath in Tullamore and 2017 v Antrim in Newry – the sting of defeat was greater because promotion was denied us. Not so on this occasion. Carlow will play in the new Division 1B next season. However the nature and the extent of the defeat makes one wonder if, like times past, only the final winner goes up.

Of more immediate concern – and this is where the disaster, be it capital or small d comes in – is the fact that in just three weeks time Carlow commence their Leinster SHC campaign against Galway in Galway, a Galway team who have gone toe-to-toe with Limerick in two All-Ireland semi-finals over the last couple of years. Not long after come Dublin, Wexford,  Kilkenny – who could be Division 1 league champions by then.

On Sunday’s form what were already very difficult challenges become even more difficult again. It was always envisaged that survival might come down to a last day shoot-out v Antrim in Belfast but what shape will Carlow be in by then if Sunday is anything to go by?

However our hope is that championship being championship and league being league the preparations of Carlow manager Tom Mullally and his backroom team are being geared towards the players performing to their best in April and May. That being the case we will keep the faith and urge the diehard supporters to do the same.

CARLOW: Brian Tracey (Naomh Eoin); Paul Doyle (St Mullins), Dion Wall (Ballinkillen), Jack McCullagh (Bagenalstown Gaels); Conor Lawlor (Carlow Town), Kevin McDonald (Mount Leinster Rangers) Capt, Tony Lawler (Mount Leinster Rangers); James Doyle (St Mullins) 0-1, Fiach O’Toole (Naomi Bríd); John Michael Nolan (Naomi Eoin), Fiachra Fitzpatrick (Mount Leinster Rangers) 0-1, Conor Kehoe (St Mullins) 0-1; Marty Kavanagh (St Mullins) 1-5 0-3f, 0-1 ’65’, Chris Nolan (Mount Leinster Rangers) 0-3,  Paddy Boland (St Mullins). Subs: Richie Coady (Mount Leinster Rangers) for J Doyle (52), Scott Treacy (Naomh Eoin) for P Boland (59), Jack Kavanagh (St Mullins) 0-1 for JM Nolan (64), Ciarán Whelan (Ballinkillen) for C Kehoe (66), Niall Bolger (Bagenalstown Gaels) for C Lawlor (69)

LAOIS: Enda Rowland (St Lazerian’s Abbeyleix) 0-1f; Ian Shanahan (Ballinakill), Ryan Mullaney (Castletown), Diarmuid Conway (Clough-Ballacolla); Liam O’Connell (Rathdowney-Errill), Podge Delaney (The Harps), Tom Cuddy (Camross); Paddy Purcell (Rathdowney-Errill) 0-1, Aidan Corby (Clough-Ballacolla); John Lennon (Rosenallis) 0-2, Aaron Dunphy (Borris-in-Ossory-Kilcotton) Capt 0-8, 3f, David Dooley (Rosenallis) 0-2; Jer Quinlan (Borris-in-Ossory-Kilcotton) 1-1, Martin Phelan (Castletown) 0-1, Tomás Keyes (Camross) 1-4, 0-1 l-b. Subs: Fiachra C Fennell (Rosenallis) 0-1 for J Lennon (55), Donnchadh Hartnett (Rosenallis) for T Cuddy (58), Eric Killeen (Rathdowney-Errill) for D Dooley (64), Lee Cleere (Clough-Ballacolla) for A Dunphy (66)

Referee: Thomas Gleeson (Dublin)

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