Doyle gets Bagnalstown up and running
John Michael Nolan from Naomh Eoin breaks through the tackles of Bagenalstown Gaels duo Niall Bolger and Jason Wall Photo: Pat Ahern
TIED at 0-8 each at half-time, the score-line told its own story with half of the total amount of scores coming from placed balls. Neither side were able to establish themselves. Craig Doyle picked off the first of his four first half Bagenalstown Gaels frees on two minutes. It took Naomh Eoin three minutes more to draw level with Cathal Tracey finding the posts from an acute angle on the right at the O’Hanrahan end of the ground.
Bagenalstown created goal chances in each of the halves. Doyle had the first opportunity in the first quarter but seemed to get his wires crossed to the right of the big square. Naomh Eoin were relieved to take possession and clear their lines.
It was a telling moment of the half with neither side playing with any high degree of intensity. It is understandable in many ways. Deep down, the players know this is not a do or die encounter. Yet of the two sides Naomh Eoin are at a different level of their development. They may have won last week but they are not bringing championship intensity to their game. It cost them here.
The second goal chance fell to Bagenalstown corner-forward, Kealan Guidera, just before the interval. While Brian Tracey made a good save, the shot was just under-hit which made life a lot easier for the Naomh Eoin keeper.
Sixteen minutes in, Bagenalstown led 0-4 to 0-2 but Abbey knocked over three points in a row for Naomh Eoin. In between, Doyle may have scored a Bagenalstown free but it didn’t stop Abbey who added another point from a placed ball. He was also given the benefit of the doubt by the umpires who signalled a point when initially the effort was waved wide by one of the men in white coats.
Bagenalstown finally got some momentum going and three points on the trot from Craig Doyle, Jake Doyle and Jason Wall levelled matters at the break. Twice in the opening minutes of the second half the lead changed hands with Bagenalstown going ahead with a Darragh Nolan long-range free and Naomh Eoin hitting back to take a slight advantage through Abbey. Doyle levelled yet again before Diego Dunne pointed for the black and yellows. That was as good as it got for Naomh Eoin.
The eventual winners found a little bit more and not surprisingly, it was two successfully converted frees from Doyle which put the Gaels two points clear. When Nolan added his second point, there was only going to be one winner.
Michael Kavanagh’s point gave Naomh Eoin hope but that score was quickly cancelled out by a Jason Wall white flag.
Late on, the game could have been put out of the reach of Naomh Eoin when Doyle found himself behind the Naomh Eoin defence. A certain goal looked on but the attacker was forced left. Even though he was on the edge of the big square, the first goal of the game looked a certainty. Doyle pulled first time watching as the sliotar whizzed right but wide.
The miss kept Naomh Eoin in the game. As it turned out, it was only on the scoreboard as Bagenalstown’s leading scorer tacked on two frees to confirm the win.
It was what was expected of a side who have designs on breaking the stranglehold that St Mullins and Mount Leinster Rangers have on the Carlow senior hurling championship. You have to go back to 2008 to the last time neither side won the title.
Bagenalstown look the team most likely to break that dominance but they will know that while this was a decent performance there is a lot more to be done. As for Naomh Eoin, this was hugely disappointing that they didn’t build on their victory last week.
The Myshall side last appeared in a final in 2017 when they came up against Mount Leinster Rangers where they lost 3-17 to 0-17. Three years previously they had their hearts broken when St Mullins edged them on a wet day in Netwatch Cullen Park by 0-9 to 0-7.
This performance on Saturday lacked intensity and while there are green shoots too many of the players don’t seem to have the ability to put two championship winning performances together. If they are to win another title they will have to build from last week’s performance which was decent because this one was anything but.
On another day, Styler, as he is better known, could well have ended up with 2-13. Not alone his scoring ability but his leadership ability is immense. Not one for roaring and shouting, it is what he does on the pitch which defines his leadership skills.
He does take responsibility with placed balls but it would be interesting to see how many miles he covers in a game where he roves out to get on the ball. In turn, off-loads to those around him or takes colleagues out of a hole by making himself available for the pass.
A Positive for Naomh Eoin The performance of goalkeeper, turned score taker, Ciaran Abbey, has been one of the positives for the losing side here. His two points from play where quality points which could have been confidence building scores if his colleagues had responded.
