Leinster Senior Hurling Championship Round 3 Kilkenny 5-18, Carlow 1-9 Nothing to see here, move on, the usual carnage when Kilkenny and Carlow’s flagship hurlers clash ash, a yawning 21 points the gulf in Netwatch Cullen Park on Saturday evening as the stripey men put the willing but limited 2023 Joe McDonagh champions to the […]
Leinster Senior Hurling Championship Round 3
Kilkenny 5-18, Carlow 1-9
Nothing to see here, move on, the usual carnage when Kilkenny and Carlow’s flagship hurlers clash ash, a yawning 21 points the gulf in Netwatch Cullen Park on Saturday evening as the stripey men put the willing but limited 2023 Joe McDonagh champions to the sword.
Oops, oh wait, sorry, my mistake, that was your scribe in an alternative universe that wasn’t that alternative until Saturday, May 11, 2024 when eyebrows were raised across the hurling world when hearing ion the shock result from Carlow’s County Grounds…
Kilkenny 1-20, Carlow ……….. 1-20!
That 5-18 to 1-9 tally above is not plucked from the sky, it is based on the average score of the seven previous competitive meetings, all competitions …
1964 Walsh Cup: Nowlan Park, Kilkenny, Kilkenny, 7-14, Carlow 4-3 {-20}
1981-82 NHL: Nowlan Park, Kilkenny 8-20, Carlow 0-6 {-38}
1993 Leinster SHC: Dr Cullen Park: Kilkenny 5-19, Carlow 0-16 {-18}
1997 Oireachtas, Dr Cullen Park: Kilkenny2-9, Carlow 0-7 {-8}
2019 Leinster SHC: Dr Cullen Park: Kilkenny 3-22, Carlow 1-14 {-14}
2020: NHL: Dr Cullen Park: Kilkenny 3-21, Carlow 0-9 (-21)
2024: Walsh Cup: Dr Cullen Park: Kilkenny 5-22, Carlow 0-9 {-28}
Put them altogether and that’s a combined tally of Kilkenny 33-127 (226), Carlow 5-64 (79) {-147), hence over average score above
Right, add in 6 Leinster U-21 HC meetings (6-nil to the Cats, a one point defeat in ’64, a two point defeat in 2014 the closest we got), 6 Leinster MHC meetings (6-nil to the Cats, the closest we got 12 points in ’08) and the combined inter-county meetings a premier level reads Played 19, Kilkenny 19, Carlow 0, Draws 0.
So if you didn’t already, you must realise now that magnitude of the Carlow achievement on Saturday night. And that that first ever ‘result’ was in the senior championship magnifies it even further.
Elsewhere you will read of the ‘Scores by the Clock’ and ‘How they Played’ articles including the players flagship statistics, their underage pedigree, all vital nuggets of information to be consumed for avid followers of the small ball code but also capturing for posterity and generations yet unborn of the events of what I would argue is the greatest day in Carlow hurling history.
Here we will try and still an adrenaline fuelled head to analyse a few salient talking points.
IMPACT SUBSTITUTES: Against both Galway and Dublin our talking points included the fact that our opponents brought on impact subs who contributed to the scoring, Conor Whelan most notably in Salthill, the fresh Dublin legs yielding 1-3. Snap! Carlow’s fresh legs v Kilkenny yielded 1-3 on the scoreboard and were involved in a number of assists too.
It was a tactical stroke of genius on behalf of Tom Mullally and his selectors to introduce three selected starters at half-time, all three making a huge difference, another tactical stroke of genius to bring on a crafty old soldier and an energetic skilful recruit down the final stretch. All five made an impact, a huge impact.
CARLOW 1-10, KILKENNY 0-5: In the Galway and Dublin reports we bemoaned how Carlow were heavily outscored in the final quarter. Role reversal against Kilkenny. 1-15 to 0-10 the Cats led with the scoreboard clock showing 43 minutes played. In the ending 27 minutes plus seven minutes stoppage time Carlow outscored Kilkenny 1-10 to 0-5. Simply superb!
RED CARD: By the letter of the law Killian Doyle was probably the correct call by Dublin referee Chris Mooney who in fairness didn’t rush in to the decision and talked to his umpires for quite some time.
Personally I wouldn’t have thought so, I’m a half-believer in the law of the jungle and a man’s game rather than the powers that be’s apparent determination to ‘clean up Dodge City’. Put it this way, if one of our lads had been sent off for a similar slapping offence many of our followers would have been incensed.
DISCIPLINE: “Ye find it hard to keep men on the field” says an old Cork man to me one night at a Fitzgibbon Cup game in the Mardyke, “nearly every Monday I read of red cards or maybe more than one”. ’Twas true for him.
In previewing Carlow’s 2024 Leinster campaign and the difficulties of so many games in such a a short space of time I stated we were sure to pick up injuries and guaranteed suspensions. Injuries we have had, suspensions none, proof of much improved discipline and that in the heat of intense championship battle.
LINE-BALL CONVERTED TO FREE: To be honest I wasn’t aware of the rule on delaying tactics that yielded the levelling free instead of the awarded line-ball but was delighted to see it clarified on Sunday that Chris Mooney was indeed 100% correct. ‘Tis great when these decisions go your way.
SUPPORT: Dr Cullen Park with a big crowd present was strangely quiet for long periods. The expected rout keeping both sets of supporters silent but when it became apparent that this might not be a rout after all the noise levels rose as roars of encouragement mingled with roars of abuse echoed from stand and terrace. The Carlow supporters really got behind their team and a number of players commented that it was like a 16th man.
TEAMS:
CARLOW
1. Brian Tracey (Naomh Eoin, Myshall)
2. Paul Doyle (St Mullins)
3. Dion Wall (Ballinkillen)
4. Niall Bolger (Bagenasltown Gaels)
5. Tony Lawlor (Mount Leinster Rangers, Ballymurphy, Rathanna, Borris)
6. Kevin McDonald (Mount Leinster Rangers, Ballymurphy, Rathanna, Borris) 0-1 f
7. Fiachra Fitzpatrick (Mount Leinster Rangers, Ballymurphy, Rathanna, Borris) 0-2
8. Richie Coady (Mount Leinster Rangers, Ballymurphy, Rathanna, Borris)
9. Sean Joyce (Mount Leinster Rangers, Ballymurphy, Rathanna, Borris)
10. Jon Nolan (Mount Leinster Rangers, Ballymurphy, Rathanna, Borris)
11. Chris Nolan (Mount Leinster Rangers, Ballymurphy, Rathanna, Borris) 0-4
12. Marty Kavanagh (St Mullins) 0-9 8f, ’65’
13. Jack McCullagh (Bagenasltown Gaels)
14. John Michael Nolan (Naomh Eoin, Myshall) 0-1
15. Scott Treacy (Naomh Eoin, Mysall) for C Nolan (65)
Subs: Ciaran Whelan (Ballinkillen) for S Joyce (h-t)
Conor Kehoe (St Mullins) 1-0 for S Treacy (h-t)
Paddy Boland (St Mullins) 0-1 for JM Nolan (h-t)
James Doyle (St Mullins) 0-1 for P Coady (50)
Donagh Murphy (Mount Leinster Rangers) 0-1 for J Nolan (62)
– KILKENNY –
1. Eoin Murphy (Glenmore)
2. Mikey Butler (O’Loughlin Gaels)
3. Huw Lawlor (O’Loughlin Gaels) 0-1
4. Killian Doyle (Emeralds, Urlingford)
5. David Blanchfield (Bennetsbridge)
6. Darragh Corcoran (Shamrocks Ballyhale)
7. Shane Murphy (Glenmore) 0-1
8. Jordan Molloy (O’Loughlin Gaels)
9. Cian Kenny (James Stephens) 0-3
10. Martin Keoghan (Tullaroan) 0-3
11. John Donnelly (Thomastown)
12. Tom Phelan (Conahy Shamrocks) 0-2
13. Billy Ryan (Graigue Ballycallan) 0-1
14. TJ Reid (Ballyhale Shamrocks) 0-6 5f
15. Owen Wall (O’Loughlin Gaels) 1-3
Subs: Tommy Walsh Jnr (Tullaroan) for B Ryan (h-t)
Conor Fogarty (Erin’s Own, Castlecomer) for J Molloy (42)
Billy Drennan (Galmoy) for O Wall (58)
Referee: Chris Mooney (Dublin)
