Mount Leinster Rangers 1-21
Carlow Town 1-12

By Kieran Murphy

WITH only four teams in the intermediate championship this was the fourth and final game of the group stages for both teams. It is hard to know how much was riding on this clash in Netwatch Cullen Park on Saturday. Yes, Rangers would have wanted to finish top and had to win to do so. When this little skirmish ended they did claim top spot in the group on the head-to-head rule over Naomh Eoin.
Carlow played well in patches, had a great goal chance in the last quarter and if that had gone in who knows whether they would have gone on and won the game.
That is all speculation now. These sides could meet again in the final but first of all Rangers will have to get past St Mullins while the Oak Park side face Naomh Eoin. The shadow boxing is over. It’s knock-out from here on.
John Coady made an early impact with a point while Conor Fenlon and Padraig Nolan also obliged for Rangers. Barry English got their rivals off the mark. Carlow Town took a grip with an odd looking goal from Brian Lawlor. Bearing down on Seamus O’Brien in the Rangers goal, his shot was weak but just over the heads of the keeper and a defender. It was the sort of ball that is plucked out of the sky without difficulty. Neither player claimed ownership and the sliotar found its way to the net.
Carlow Town showed more enterprise in that first half with Cian Clancy and Peter Doran scoring two points each. Coady was Rangers’ most influential player and David Grennan converted four frees. At half-time Rangers led 0-9 to 1-5. There was an element of confusion about the actual scoreline but referee David Hickey confirmed a point noted by him had not been flagged.
Rangers tacked on two second-half points. Lawlor replied with one of his own. At 0-15 to 1-8 came that goal chance when Lawlor looked certain to find the net but was twice blocked when he looked certain to score.
That was a let-off for the eventual winners. They made good their escape in the final 10 minutes outscoring Carlow by the odd point in nine. A little battle won but that’s all.
Mount Leinster Rangers: Seamus O’Brien; Luke Roche, Seamus Kelly, Shane O’Neill (Borris); Shane O’Neill (0-1), Daniel Ryan, Gary Lawlor; Conor Fenlon (0-2), Padraig Nolan (0-2); James Kelly (0-1), Denis Roche (0-1), David Grennan (0-8, 7fs 65); Dean Grennan (0-2), John Coady (0-4), Niall Lynam. Subs: Paddy Malone for Lynam (52 mins).
Carlow Town: Sean McCormack; Tom Fanning, Larry Farrell, Aidan Curran; Brian Cawley, Conor Lawlor, Sean Gannon; Karol English (0-2), Pauric Ahern; Barry English (0-2), Peter Doran (0-2), Cian Clancy (0-5,4fs); Brian Lawlor (1-1), Robbie Moore, David Walsh. Subs: Richie Sullivan for Farrell (38 mins), Ger Brennan for Walsh (48 mins), Gerry Glennon for Ahern (51 mins), Ahern for B. Lawlor (57 mins).
Referee: David Hickey (Fenagh).