Carlow footballers deliver rare victory over Laois
Colm Hulton celebrates scoring Carlow's vital second half goal. Photo: Pat Ahern
Carlow recorded a rare victory over Laois in Rathvilly on Saturday to qualify for the Dioralyte O’Byrne Shield final.
It was a victory thoroughly deserved and after conceding two goals midway through the second half, they came back with Colm Hulton nailing a crucial three-pointer on 58 minutes.
Carlow dominated for long stretches of the opening half with scores from Tadgh Roche, Sean Murphy, Paddy McDonnell (2-pointer), Conor Doyle and Conor Crowley (f) after Laois goalkeeper, Matthew Byron, opened the scoring from a 45.
The visitors got back into the game with an Alan Kinsella goal but Carlow replied with their own three-pointer when Ross Dunphy beat the advancing Laois keeper when guiding his effort just inside the right-hand post.
Right on the half-time whistle the visitors held possession to register a Byron two-point free but Carlow led 1-8 to 1-6 at the break.
When Paul Kingston converted a penalty and Kinsella scored his second goal, it looked as if Laois were going to pull away. Carlow responded with Hulton and Doyle in particular leading the fight-back.
With time ebbing away, Hulton found space through the middle and making ground, his shot beat Byron all ends up to give Carlow the lead. Laois responded with a point from Cian Nolan but the home side saw out the game with Hulton knocking over a point to all but confirm the win.
C Hulton 1-2, C Doyle 0-5 (1 tpf), R Dunphy 1-1, P McDonnell 0-2, S Clarke, S Murphy, M Bambrick, C Crowley 0-1 (f), T Roche 0-1 each.
A Kinsella 2-0, P Kingston 1-1 (1-0 pen, 0-1 f), M Byron 0-3 (1'45, 1 tpf), C Nolan 0-3, J Darcy, N Corbet 0-1 each.
Harry Clarke; Lee Moore, Colin Byrne, Dara Curran; Tadgh Roche, Mark Furey, Padhraig Bolger; Adam Burgess, Conor Doyle; Ross Dunphy, Mikey Bambrick, Paddy McDonnell; Colm Hulton, Sean Murphy, Conor Crowley.
Shane Clarke for Furey (20), Jamie Clarke for Murphy (33), Cian Cashman for Byrne (42), Liam Gavin for Crowley (55).
Matthew Byron; Eoin Montague, Daniel Boland, Eoghan Slattery; Conaire Gee, Liam Knowles, Joey Shelly; Ciaran Burke, Mikie Dempsey; Cian Nolan, Niall Corbet, Darren Brennan; Alan Kinsella, Cathal Lee, Paul Kingston.
Aaron McEvoy for Lee (h/t), Daragh Galvin for Shelly (h/t), Jake Darcy for Kinsella (44), Ben O’Connor for Montague (58).
Darragh Byrne (Wicklow).
