Early dismissal costs Rangers as St Mullins crowned champions
A delighted Ger Coady raises the cup for St Mullins after their victory over Mount Leinster Ranger in the JJ Kavanagh & Sons Senior Hurling Championship final replay Photo: Pat Ahern
St Mullins are the Carlow senior hurling champions for the 29th time in their history. On Sunday in Netwatch Cullen Park they had the game all but won by half-time when they led by 2-17 to 0-10.
Rangers had lost their right-half forward, Dean Tobin to red card, for a helmet offence on seven minutes. They were in deep trouble against a side who had momentum but hadn’t made it tell on the scoreboard.
St Mullins arch rivals started well but three wides threatened to derail the momentum they were building. After the dismissal, the challengers went for broke aga with four of their starting forwards all scoring from play. Some of those points were of the highest quality from a range of different angles.
Jason O’Neill scored the first Mullins goal on 19 minutes when he took a pass from Kavanagh to find the net from close range. Shortly afterwards, Kavanagh beat his opposite number and gave Dean Grennan no chance in the Rangers goal.
Rangers scores came from Chris Nolan with five points from play and Ted Joyce converted three frees. Kevin McDonald landed a free and Jon Nolan pointed from play The attempted comeback gathered momentum when Chris Nolan rifled in a goal on 38 minutes. He was on the mark with another three-pointer as Kavanagh’s free steadied St Mullins A late Kevin McDonald free dropped under the crossbar and over the line for Rangers third three-pointer. It came all in vain as Rangers battled but St Mullins won back the title which they last held two years ago.
M Kavanagh 1-10 (3-65s 5fs), P Boland 0-6, J O’Neill 1-3 (1-sl), James Doyle 0-3 (1f), C Kehoe 0-2, J Kavanagh 0-1.
C Nolan 2-5, T Joyce 0-6 (fs), K McDonald 1-3 (all fs), Jon Nolan, D Murphy 0-1 each.
Kevin Kehoe; Paidi O’Shea, Paul Doyle, Eamon O’Shea; Ger Coady, Michael Walsh, Paudie Kehoe; Conor Kehoe, Ciaran Harris; Jack Kavanagh, James Doyle, Patrick Boland; Marty Kavanagh, John Doyle, Jason O’Neill. Subs: John Doran for Harris (57), Oisin Ryan for M Kavanagh (58).
Dean Grennan; Michael Doyle, Michael Joyce, Sean Joyce; Evan Kealy, Kevin McDonald, Tony Lawlor; Richie Coady, Jon Nolan; Dean Tobin, Ted Joyce, Donagh Murphy; Jamie Nolan, Eddie Byrne, Chris Nolan. Subs: Paul Coady for Jamie Nolan (h/t), Diarmaid Byrne for M Joyce (h/t), Ciarain Kavanagh for Kealy (57), Eoin Doyle for Murphy (57).
Patrick Murphy (Ballinkillen)
