Doyle scores two late winning points as Bagenalstown give champs a mighty scare
James Doyle proved the hero for St Mullins Photo: Pat Ahern
Bagenalstown Gaels almost caused the shock of the Carlow senior hurling championship as they fell to a one-point defeat to the reigning champions in this third round game at Netwatch Cullen Park on Saturday.
While St Mullins opened the scoring with two points in a row from James Doyle (Dranagh) and James Doyle (Drummond), they soon found themselves in a battle. The underdogs dominated the exchanges and the scores soon followed.
Jake Doyle punished St Mullins indiscretion converting frees while Alan Corcoran and Darragh Nolan controlled matters in the middle of the Gaels defence.
With 13 minutes to go to half-time, the sides were tied at 0-6 each. Bagenalstown Gaels turned it up and when their rivals failed to deal with a long-range free from Nolan, Jake Doyle was on hand to fire to the bottom left-hand corner at the scoreboard end of the ground. The same player added a free and the Gaels led 1-10 to 0-8 at the interval.
St Mullins hit the ground running at the start of the second half scoring three points on the trot. Bagenalstown hit back and when Jake Doyle broke up a short puck-out, he made no mistake when firing to the net.
The champions found the net themselves when the sliotar skewed off the hurley of Paddy Boland as he went for a point. Having just entered the action, Mosie Murphy’s first touch was to flick the ball to the net.
As St Mullins snipped away at the lead Bagenalstown persisted and picking up a loose ball inside their own 22, they worked it through the hands all the way up the field. When the ball came to TJ Darcy in space on the right side of the pitch on the 20 metre line, his rocket flew into the top left-hand corner of the net. With minutes left Kavanagh hit back with a St Mullins point but Bagenalstown suffered a hammer blow when Jake Doyle picked up a second yellow. St Mullins made the most of the reprieve and two late points from James Doyle was enough to clinch a hard-earned win against an opposition who finished with fourteen players.
M Kavanagh 0-10 (9fs), J Doyle (Dranagh) 0-5, Mosie Murphy 1-0, P Boland, C Kehoe 0-2 each, J Doyle (Drummond) 0-1
J Doyle 2-7 (7fs), TJ Darcy 1-4, JP Treacy, J Clarke 0-1 each
Seamus Murphy; Paidi O’Shea, Paul Doyle, Ciaran Harris; Ger Coady, Paudie Kehoe, James Doyle (Drummond); Eamonn O’Shea, Laurence Brennan; James Doyle (Dranagh), Conor Kehoe, John Doyle; Oisin Ryan, Marty Kavanagh, Paddy Boland. Subs: Oisin Boland for Brennan (41), Mosie Murphy for Ryan (51).
Andrew Townsend; Ross O’Neill, Darragh Nolan, Darren Crooks; Cian Doyle, Alan Corcoran, Alan Wall; Sean Wall, Jamie Clarke; Jake Doyle, Jason Wall, Danny Doyle; TJ Darcy, JP Treacy, Mark McDonald. Subs: Adam Walsh for J Wall (55), Patrick Kelly for McDonald (64).
David Hickey (Fenagh).
