Carlow's attentions turn to League after exit from pre-season competitions
Paddy Boland finds himself faced by Fiachra C Fennell from Laois
Carlow’s pre-season tournament programme all but died in the opening minutes of this Dioralyte Walsh Shield Quarter-final in Stradbally on Thursday when they conceded 1-3 without reply.
Even though Laois had the benefit of a stiff breeze on a bitterly cold evening, it was not the start the visitors would have envisaged. They hardly touched the ball as Aidan Corby knocked over two points from play and Cillian Dunne also raised a white flag. Sandwiched in between those scores was a Colin Byrne goal before Paddy Boland got Carlow off the mark with a point.
Carlow found themselves and Fiachra Fitzpatrick and Kevin McDonald flashed over a point each. In reply, Laois will have been kicking themselves for missing an open goal after they snaffled an attempted Carlow pass as the home side tried to work the ball out of defence.
The visting defence was found wanting as James Keyes scored another three-pointer and from there to half-time it was damage limitation for the side who were in arrears. Coming up to half-time, Marty Kavanagh converted a free into the dressing room end of the ground but Laois led 2-8 to 0-4 at the change of ends.
Carlow started the second half on the front foot. Colm Beck pointed and Kavanagh was also on the mark. When Jack Treacy was pulled down going through a possible Carlow goal was stopped. Yet the offender got away with it and no card was given. In fairness, later in the game, a Carlow defender tripped up a Laois attacker in full-flow and the referee showed a level of consistency when just awarding a free.
Paddy Boland scored the first Carlow goal when taking a pass from Ted Joyce and shooting home. When Kevin McDonald added another three-pointer the lead was down to the minimum.
James Keyes secured his second and the Laois third goal when the ball was worked down the field and the half-forward did the needful. It was the killer blow and even though Carlow battled to the end, the victors had been decided.
Without James Doyle, who is injured, and Chris Nolan, who is suspended, for the opening league game, it will be an anxious two weeks before they face Down in the opening league game at the end of the month.
J Keyes 2-1, T Keyes 0-4 (2fs), A Dunphy 0-3 (2fs), C Byrne 1-0, A Corby, J Kelly 0-2 each, C Dunne, D Dooley 0-1 each.
M Kavanagh 0-6 (1'65 4fs), P Boland, K McDonald 1-1 each, D Murphy 0-2, C Beck, F Fitzpatrick 0-1 each.
Eoin Fleming; Diarmaid Dooley, Ryan Mullaney, Padraic Dunne; Eoghan Murphy, Padraig Delaney, Eoghan Cuddy; Eoin Gaughan, Aidan Corby; Jack Kelly, Fionn Holland, James Keyes; Colin Byrne, Cillian Dunne, Tomás Keyes. Subs: Cody Comerford for Dooley, Eoin Reilly for Fleming, Aaron Dunphy for C Dunne, Lee Cleere for P Dunne, I Shanahan for Delaney (all h/t), Jack Breen for T Keyes, Fiachra C Fennell for Murphy, David Dooley for Gaughan, Cormac Byrne for Byrne, Ciaran McEvoy for Holland.
Brian Tracey; Jamie Wall, Dion Wall, Conal Fitzpatrick; Fiach O’Toole, Kevin McDonald, Paidi O’Shea; Evan Kealy, Fiachra Fitzpatrick; Colm Beck, Jon Nolan, Conor Kehoe; Marty Kavanagh, John Doyle, Paddy Boland. Subs: Lorcan Doyle for Doyle, Ted Joyce for J Wall, Tadhg O’Neill for O’Shea (all h/t), Jack Treacy for O’Toole (40), Donagh Murphy for Nolan, Eric English for Beck, John Michael Nolan for Kavanagh (50).
Richard Holland (Kilkenny)
