A fair contest which couldn’t throw up a winner.
2024 Carlow Junior Hurling Shield Final
Carlow Town 2-11
Naomh Brid 2-11
The curtain raiser to Carlow’s flagship hurling final ,the Junior Shield equivalent, brought together the holders Naomh Brid and Carlow Town, Gary Dunne’s late equaliser ensuring another day out for both, with the more efficient Town almost across the winning line, a scenario that looked most unlikely following Naomh Brid’s blistering scoring blitz of 2-1 in the opening minutes of the second half
Though it was Naomh Brid playing in to the stiff breeze it was Dermot Lawless who got the scoreboard moving in the 4th min with a sweet strike, the evergreen pair of stalwart clubmen, Brian Delaney (f) and Shaun McMahon by the 8th min had the Town in front before just a minute later the alert Mark Reade’s ground stroke from a breaking ball found the Naomh Brid net to which Charlie Nolan replied to almost immediately for 1-2 to 0-2 in the 10th minute. A period with a series of missed chances ( particularly by Naomh Brid ) was eventually broken by a trio of Brian Delaney placed balls in the 17th, 19th and 25th minutes, all coincidentally given for over carrying in the middle third brought on by and reward for incessant Carlow Town hunting and harrying .
It was the turn of the men in maroon to eventually find their range , Lawless with his 2nd following a good move , Alan Brennan with a trademark score had it back at 1-5 to 0-4 before Delaney and Eanna Holland traded frees for a halftime score of 1-6 to 0-5 in favour of Carlow Town.
The new half was still in it’s infancy when Alan Brennan’s shot (in to the same goal his late goal won the 2008 SHC Co Final) via a deflection found the net to give Naomh Brid back the lead. A further boost time was the switch of Eanna Holland to the ‘edge of the square ‘, a blistering shot rifling the net and a point for good measure in successive attacks all by the 32nd minute, though any idea The Town would capitulate were soon eased with a schemozzle in the Naomh Brid goal ending in a goal (possibly Paul Gray the scorer but no certainty at all on this call ), draw game at 2-6 apiece!
Holland and Mark Fitzgerald had it 2-8 to 2-6 by the 35th minute before Carlow Town were reduced to 14 men soon after but as is often the case it wasn’t apparent they were the side a man light, John Cleary with a beautiful turn and shot and Dylan McGrath from the corner had us level again in the 41st minute.
Naomh Brid were again guilty of missed chances to pull ahead but pull ahead they eventually did with a Mark Fitzgerald point from a free in the 48th minute , Delaney’s deadly accuracy from frees never more apparent than with an equaliser in the 50th min, yet another leveller in the 58th minute to Fitzgerald’s lead free minutes earlier before the roar from their bench told you his 59th minute free had them in front and sensing victory, Naomh Brid’s attention now turning towards alotted additional time. 3 minutes announced and it took every second of it to eventually gain parity , frenetic defending allied to missed chances saw us reach minute 62 before a half blocked shot gave Naomh Brid one last throw of the dice, a 65.
The angle for Mark Fitzgerald could have been worse, the positioning of Garry Dunne couldn’t have been better, free to his left, Fitzgerald’s quick thinking complimented by Dunne’s nerveless strike, an honest hour’s work by all 35 players involved earning another day out , 2-11 to 2-11 it finishes.
Carlow Town – Adam Maher, Stephen Gleeson , Michael Shanahan, Simon Walsh, Lee Carpenter, Eoghan Townsend, John Paul Lee, Brian Delaney ( 0-8f ) Brandon Cassidy, Dylan McGrath ( 0-1) Shaun McMahon (0-1) Shaun Geoghegan, Paul Gray (1-0) John Cleary (captain) (0-1) Mark Reade (1-0)
Subs -Jason Kenny , Andy Murphy, Dan Culleton , Jay Barcoe
Naomh Brid – Eoin Bambrick, Daniel Roche, Timmy Clarke, Jack Dunne , Caoimhin Ryan , Garry Dunne (0-1) Martin Mullins , Colin Byrne, Eanna Holland (1-3, 0-1f) Dermot Lawless ( 0-2 ) Alan Brennan ( 1-1 ) Charlie Nolan,( 0-1) Mark Fitzgerald ( 0-3, 0-2f ) Liam Brennan, Brian O’Dwyer
Subs – PJ Haughney
Referee – Shane Foley ( Naomh Moling )
