Bagenalstown retain Bolger Cup
Bagenalstown Gaels captain Craig Doyle makes his speech after receiving the Bolger Cup
BAGENALSTOWN followed up their excellent semi-final performance against St Mullins with another fine display against Mount Leinster Rangers as they retained the Bolger Cup at an unseasonably chilly Netwatch Cullen Park last Tuesday evening.
Craig Doyle was the star of the show as they tore into Rangers in the opening period and although the majority of his scores came from frees, the former intercounty star was also a thorn in Rangers' side from open play.
The opening exchanges had been even enough with Doyle at one end and Rangers’ Ted Joyce at the other showing good accuracy from frees and by the midway stage of the first half the scores were tied at 0-7 apiece.
The game swung in Bagenalstown favour in the 16th minute when they scored the opening goal, although it may have to be marked down as an own goal for Rangers’ goalkeeper Dean Grennan. Doyle did well to win the ball after Mark McDonald’s pass and feed it inside to Jason Wall. The centre half forward crashed his shot off the crossbar but the sliotar rebounded off the unwitting and unlucky Grennan and into the net.
There was nothing lucky about Bagenalstown’s second goal five minutes later when Darragh Nolan and Richie Whelan combined to work the ball into Keelan Guidera and he drilled his shot into the bottom right hand corner of Grennan’s net.
Bagenalstown led 2-13 to 0-7 at half time and in response Rangers manager Paul O’Brien made three half time changes. It took just 20 seconds for one of those to have an impact when Denis Murphy got the last touch to divert the ball into the net after Ted Joyce floated the ball towards the square.
It took just three minutes for Bagenalstown to reply in kind when McDonald swiped the ball into the net after a ball in by Darren Crooks.
There seemed to be a certain inevitability about the result of the game after that moment and it almost felt that those on the pitch began to let their mind wander to the real stuff just around the corner when the Championship begins.
That's not to say there weren't moments of good play in the remainder of the game. Darragh Nolan drew huge applause from the stand after a superbly struck sideline ball in the 40th minute but mistakes were creeping into the game and it even affected Doyle, who hit three successive wides midway through the half.
Another sideline cut at the far end caused problems for Bagenalstown when Tim Brennan's ball in found Jack Flood but although his shot beat Andrew Townsend, there was a defender on the line to make a block.
Joyce's free taking kept the scoreboard ticking over and helped Rangers back to within six points before Doyle found his scoring touch again to fire over from just outside the 45 in the 52nd minute.
There was another goal line block by Bagenalstown as Rangers pushed hard in the closing minutes but Eddie Scally's team weren't to be denied and Richie Whelan made sure of the win with the final point of the match.
After the game, Bagenalstown Gaels captain Craig Doyle, who would surely have been collecting the man of the match award if there was one, was understated as he was presented the Bolger Cup by county board chairman Jim Bolger but said he is looking forward to the start of the championship.
“It’s nice to get a run out at this time of year in Dr Cullen Park. We took this competition very seriously, other clubs might not have done that but we got a lot out of it. Thanks to all in the club for all they have done for us so far this year, hopefully this won’t be the last trophy we win this year. Thanks to Rangers for a good sporting game, we’ll see you in a few weeks,” said Doyle.
Bagenalstown start their championship against Naomh Bríd, while Mount Leinster Rangers meet St Mullins in the first round when the real stuff begins at the weekend.
