Burren survive late comeback to keep 100% record
Burren Rangers Jack Cranny and Carlow Town's Eoin Townsend. Oisin DoylePhoto: Thomas Nolan Photography.
BURREN survived a late comeback from Carlow Town in the second half to keep their 100% record going. For Carlow Town, it’s yet another defeat, their fifth in five games and something that will spark concern for their management. They did show glimpses of what they were capable of, particularly in the second half but defensively they struggled, with a lot of the damage being caused in the first half, giving away frees and Burren easily sending in balls behind the Carlow Town defence. They were also wasteful in possession, often trying to do the spectacular rather than do the simple things.
It was Carlow Town who drew first blood as Brian Delaney sent over a free from distance. Burren replied with three straight points from Dylan Townsend. Burren went close on a couple of occasions but hit them wide. With ten minutes on the clock, Thomas McDonald hit an effort over from distance on the left before Townsend hit over a free from the right. McDonald then also hit an effort over from distance. DJ Sinnott went close for Burren but hit an effort straight into the ‘keeper. Midway through the half, Brian Delaney hit over a free for Carlow Town but three minutes later, it was cancelled out by a Billy Nolan effort from distance. McDonald also hit an effort over to bring them up to eight points. Tom Behan had a chance from a free on the right to make something happen but wasted it. Delaney had a free saved and cleared. With seven minutes to go until half-time, McDonald hit an effort over from the right. A minute later, Burren found the back of the net as Sinnott fired away a shot past the ‘keeper from the right into the far side of the net, just as he was getting tackled. Townsend hit an effort over from distance before sending a free over from the right. Delaney also hit a free for Carlow Town to leave the score at 1-12 to 0-3 at half-time leaving Carlow Town with a mammoth job to do in the second half. Whilst the score was impressive, Burren weren’t as clinical as perhaps they could have been with ten wides in the half.
Burrin started where they let off. Jim Nolan hit over a point for Burren before Delaney pulled back a free for Carlow Town. Evan Corr hit over a point for Burren. A minute later, McDonald piled further misery on Carlow Town when he struck in a goal from the left, hitting in at the near post. Nolan and Townsend both hit over efforts to extend the Burren lead. Townsend struck over an effort from halfway before a Conor Bolger free was hit over. The Carlow Town comeback started with 11 minutes left to go. Delaney hit over a free from the right before hitting over an effort from distance. With six minutes to go, Nolan struck an effort into the bottom left hand corner to pull back a goal. With four minutes to go, Delaney hit over a free from the right and with a minute to go, Andy Murphy put an effort into the back of the net before Delaney struck over another point but it was too little too late with a 10 point deficit still to chase down. More known for his cricket and being first team captain at Bagenalstown, Robbie O’Neill found room to hit over a point from the right at the death.
Burren Rangers: Ciaran Caffrey, Oisin Doyle, Billy Shanahan, Padraic Roche, Jimmy Farrell, Lorcan Doyle, Joseph Holden, Conor Bolger, Evan Corr (0-1) Dylan Townsend (0-8, 0-3 free) Thomas McDonald (1-5), Billy Nolan (0-2), Jack Dunphy (0-1), DJ Sinnott (1-0), Lochlan McGagh. Subs: Jack Cranny for Dunphy, 27, Jim Nolan, for Sinnott, ht (0-1), Robbie O'Neill for McGagh, ht (0-1) Aaron Gordon for Roche, ht, Darragh Byrne, for McGagh, 55.
