Carlow start league campaign with a win
Donagh Murphy celebrates scoring his goal, the Mount Leinster Rangers man contributed 1-4 in Carlow's win over Down
Carlow got their National Hurling League Division 1B campaign off to a bright start when they produced a good performance to see off the challenge of a hapless Down side today in Netwatch Cullen Park.
Playing in a strong breeze and with the rain making conditions just about playable, both sides went head to head in a tense first half.
Pearse Og McCrickard scored four points from placed balls while Carlow’s Marty Kavanagh and John Michael Nolan scored two points in the first period. Three minutes before the break, Liam Savage scored a Down goal after the Carlow defence stood off the marauding centre half back who took his chance well.
At the interval Down led 1-9 to 0-8.
Early in the second half, Donagh Murphy pointed from play and Kavanagh converted a free to get Carlow’s fightback on target. Nolan swooped for a 40th minute goal and as the home team upped the ante Murphy was credited with a three-pointer which seemed to take a deflection off a defender and one of his own players.
Down lost defender, Ruairi Og McCrickard to a helmet offence and a straight red card which all but ended their challenge.
Carlow were in no mood to let this one slip and kept the foot on the pedal. Fiach O’Toole, Kevin McDonald, Fiachra Fitzpatrick and Paddy Boland all scored points for the home side as Down lived on scraps. It wasn’t pretty in the awful conditions but the home side will be glad to have got over what will probably be a four point game as the competition unwinds.
Donagh Murphy 1-4, John Michael Nolan 1-2, Marty Kavanagh 0-4 (fs), Jack Treacy 0-2, Fiach O’Toole, Kevin McDonald, Fiachra Fitzpatrick, Paddy Boland, Ted Joyce, Conor Kehoe 0-1 each.
Pearse Og McCrickard 0-4 (fs), Liam Savage 1-0, Cathal Coleman 0-2 (1f), Donal Hughes, Ben Teggert, Caolan Taggart, Shea Pucci, Eoin Pucci 0-1 each.
Brian Tracey; Niall Bolger, Dion Wall, Conaill Fitzpatrick; Fiach O’Toole, Kevin McDonald, Evan Kealy; Fiachra Fitzpatrick, Colm Beck; Jon Nolan, Donagh Murphy, Conor Kehoe; Jack Treacy, John Michael Nolan, Marty Kavanagh. Subs: Paul Doyle for C Fitzpatrick (h/t), Paddy Boland for Beck (h/t), Ted Joyce for JM Nolan (50), John Doyle for Kehoe (64), Eric English for Treacy (67).
Pearce Smyth; Conor Cassidy, Matt Conlan, Niall McFarland; Caolan Taggart, Liam Savage, Ruairi Og McCrickard, Donal Hughes, Ben Teggart; Barry Trainor, Eoghan Sands, Ronan Beatty; Cathal Coleman, Shea Pucci, Pearse Og McCrickard. Subs: Daithi Sands for P Og McCrickard (40), Ronan Smyth for Cassidy (48), Michael Dorrian for Pucci (57), Eoin Pucci for Savage (60), Paul Sheehan for E Sands (64).
Niall Malone (Clare)
