Carlow U15 footballers lift Shield at Netwatch Cullen Park
Carlow u15 colts captain Nathan Walsh raises the sheild in celebration after their win over Tipperary.
Kieran Murphy Carlow won the Under 15 Football Humphrey Kelleher Millstreet Cup in what was an excellently contested affair at Netwatch Cullen Park on Saturday.
Tipperary started well and a two-pointer a piece from MJ Kennedy and Pat Caffrey pushed them clear.
Carlow hit back scoring 1-2 without reply through points from Dan Kehoe and Danny McMahon. The goal was fortunate with Paddy Doyle’s shot dipping underneath the crossbar on 10 minutes.
The sides swopped points and Carlow did well not to concede a goal when a defender blocked Jack Guilfoyle’s effort at close range. At the other end, another last ditch tackle denied Carlow full-forward, Masfie Islam.
The home side made good their escape when Rian Nolan’s shot was deflected to the net by a defender. At the break, the Barrowsiders led 2-4 to 0-9. If the contest was close in the opening half, then the second thirty minutes buzzed with excitement. Danny McMahon was on the end of a passing movement into the scoreboard end of the ground and he made no mistake when shooting low and hard to the net. He added two more points and Carlow were looking good.
Tipperary dug deep and never allowed a big gap to develop between the teams. Carlow had a two-point advantage going into the final ten minutes but they lost their lead when Tipperary attacked down the left and MJ Kennedy shot low into the right hand corner for the lead goal. Oscar Caffrey’s punched point put the Premier side ahead but it was to be their final score.
Carlow grew in strength and McMahon converted a free. Nathan Walsh came forward and he levelled as the game went into seven minutes of injury time. A sabre like attack set up McMahon and he gave Carlow a one-point but narrow lead which they never looked like losing.
The game finished with a free to Carlow on the 30 metre line. The referee must have told the taker that this was the last kick if the ball went dead. In rugby style, there was no heroics and Carlow went for the safe option. Picking an easy target between the left-hand post and the side-line, the kicker kicked the ball the proverbial mile wide. That ensured the game would end and Carlow emerged victorious.
D McMahon 1-6 (4fs), P Doyle, R Nolan 1-0 each, N Walsh, C Howard, O Rice, D Kehoe (f) 0-1 each.
P Coffey 0-6 (1-2p, 1-2pf), MJ Kennedy 1-4 (1-2p, 1f), J Blaszczyk 0-2, M Duggan, O Caffrey, C O’Dwyer 0-1 each.
Nigel Coughlan; Cian Dolan, Bobby Mulhearn, Daniel Custerson; Paddy Doyle, Nathan Walsh, Cian Howard; Ben Nolan, Shay O’Grady; Rian Nolan, Tadgh Deane, Dan Kehoe; Tadgh Campbell, Masfie Islam, Danny McMahon. Subs: Jack Ivers for Coughlan, Oisin Rice for Campbell, Shay Ryan for Kehoe, Brendan Byrne for Custerson (all h/t), Senan Sheehan for Nolan (39), Jake Shaw for O’Grady (53).
Finn O’Brien; Hugo Massey, David Ahearn, Charlie McGonigle; Mark Duggan, Luke Slattery, Julian Blaszczyk; David McCarthy, Cillian O’Dwyer; Oscar Caffrey, Pa Coffey, Jimmy Higgins; Jack Guilfoyle, Nathan Young, MJ Kennedy. Subs: Leo Hanton for Higgins (h/t), Noah McCarthy for Guilfoyle (43), Dan Boland for Young (55), Harry Walsh for Caffrey (58).
David Hickey (Fenagh).
