Carlow continue winning ways
Conor Crowley scores a fine point for Carlow during the win over Waterford
A good result. A worthy effort and two more league points.
Carlow manager, Joe Murphy, expressed satisfaction with this National Football League Division 4 victory in Netwatch Cullen Park on Saturday but he was not getting carried away with this comprehensive victory over a Waterford side who are struggling in the lower reaches of the table.
“The guys put in a solid effort on heavy ground. We are happy enough.
We probably left a few more goals out there which is unfortunate. It is another two points on the board and we will move on,” Murphy articulated.
The visitors asked an early question when taking an early lead after Dermot Ryan converted a 45 when the Carlow defence had been stretched and were glad not to concede a goal.
It didn’t take the home side long to get into an upper gear as a point from Conor Doyle levelled and Colm Hulton landed a two-pointer from play. Chris Blake also raised a white flag. The Barrowsiders built on their momentum.
The home side were unlucky not to find the net when Conor Crowley took the ball in space but pulled his effort to the right and wide. At the other end, Billy Hynes delivered a long ball into the edge of Carlow’s small square but the home keeper, Ben McCarron, kept his eye on the ball and punched safely to his left.
The only goal of the game came on 23 minutes when Sean Murphy powered through the centre of defence and in a quick exchange of passes with Niall Roche the Fenagh veteran took the return pass and scored from close range.
Carlow created goal chances but Conor Crowley and Roche both failed to find the target. While goals were proving elusive, Hulton still finished the first half with three two-pointers from play.
Yet for a short spell in the second quarter Carlow let their momentum slip when a succession of attempted short passes had the ball receivers checking their strides in an effort to secure possession.
It was the kind of situation which drives mentors to distraction but this time Waterford were not good enough to make Carlow pay for their inaccuracies.
“Towards the end of the first half we were knocked back a bit. Instead of moving forward we were chasing the ball backwards. It was from our own sloppiness,” agreed Murphy.
For Waterford in the opening half, Ryan was their leading attacker with five points which included a two-point free. At the interval, Carlow led 1-14 to 0-8. Full-forward, Stephen Curry, also scored two nice points from play but more was needed from those around him.
Just like they did at the start of the first half, Waterford scored the opening point of the second period with Alan Dunwoody coming forward from deep to bisect the posts. The big Carlow support would have been a lot happier if the home side had put the game to bed a little earlier. Certainly Waterford threatened and if they had scored a goal in the third quarter, it might have asked questions of Carlow.
The Decies almost secured a goal when Michael O’Brien gathered a Carlow kickout but to the relief of Ben McCarron between the Carlow sticks, who was fast retreating, the ball hopped over the bar for an opportunistic two-pointer.
Carlow heeded the warning. They would have been relieved when Ryan pulled his free left and wide and now they were not taking any more chances.
The home side finally found another gear and exploited their advantage. Substitute, Darragh Foley converted a Carlow two-pointer. When the home side raided, Colm Hulton became yet another home forward to hit the woodwork when he looked certain to find the net. At that stage, the only question mark was what the winning margin would be.
“It was good in patches. I guess when we needed to play we did. Then in other places we were a little bit sloppy. Casual in places. In the second half our tempo dropped a little bit which you wouldn’t be happy about.
The home side turned the screw with Blake converting a free and added another point from play. For Waterford, Stephen Curry’s pointed but they needed more.
Aaron Amond became the second Carlow substitute to score while Paddy McDonnell ran at the visiting defence before slotting over. It was all too easy in the end.
“There is loads to work on but still at the end of day we are four out of four and we can move on. Before the game we would have taken that scoreline. It is two points and we move on.”
Scorers:
Carlow: C Blake 0-8 (6f), C Hulton 0-8 (3 tp), C Doyle 0-4 (1 tpf), S Murphy 1-0, D Foley (1 tp), C Crowley 0-2 each, A Amond, P McDonnell 0-1 each.
Waterford: D Ryan 0-6 (1 tpf, 1 '45, 1f), S Curry 0-5 (2f), M O’Brien 0-2 (tp), A Ryan, A Dunwoody 0-1 each.
CARLOW: Ben McCarron; Dara Curran, Niall Roche, Lee Moore; Jamie Clarke, Mark Furey, Padhraig Bolger; Ian Atkinson, Eoghan Ruth; Paddy McDonnell, Colm Hulton, Conor Doyle; Conor Crowley, Chris Blake, Sean Murphy.
Subs: Aaron Amond for Murphy (h/t), John Murphy for Roche (h/t), Tadgh Roche for Ruth (43), Liam Gavin for Clarke (53), Darragh Foley for Bolger (57).
WATERFORD: Paudie Hunt; Alan Dunwoody, Billy Hynes, Conor O Cuirrín; Conor Murray, Adam Crawford, Michael O’Brien; Michael Curry, Caoimhin Walsh; Tommy Martin, Aaron Ryan Liam Mulligan, Dermot Ryan, Stephen Curry, Darragh Walsh.
Subs: Adam Murray for Martin (h/t), James Walsh for Walsh (h/t), Conor Keating for Ryan (64), David Butler for Dunwoody (66).
Referee: Christopher Ryan (Galway).
