Encouraging start to the year for Carlow's footballers
Brothers Ben and Adam McCarron, who represented Carlow in the O'Byrne Cup Photo: Pat Ahern
A valiant effort from Carlow came up just short in this first round Dioralyte O’Byrne Cup first round game at Pairc Ui Bhriain on Saturday.
They had gone head to head with Offaly in the opening half and no doubt the visitors had to be worried when, after playing with a considerable breeze, they only led 1-7 to 1-6 at the break.
That goal came when a dropping ball which was not dealt with by the home defence gave Offaly’s Rory Egan a close range chance which he did not miss when rifling to the net.
Carlow hit back and Adam McCarron’s goal on 20 minutes was deserved.
A Mark Furey point early in the second half levelled matters and when Sean Murphy passed to McCarron, the corner forward was on hand to force the ball across the line. The centre-forward, who had scored 2-3 from play, was forced to leave the field.
Carlow were somewhat the authors of their own misfortune when they were found guilty of breaking the three-up, three-back breach rule and Harry Plunkett converted the two easy frees in succession. Yet Paddy McDonnell was on hand and even though he was at an acute angle on the left at the dressing room end of the ground, his shot had goal written all over it.
Offaly responded scoring 2-1 without reply in the closing minutes. Darragh Flynn scored his second point of the half. Cormac Egan then netted a killer goal for Offaly and they made the game safe when a Carlow attack broke down. Not looking a gift horse in the mouth, Aaron Leavy was on hand when pouncing from close range after another high ball caused confusion in the home defence.
It wasn’t to be for the home side on the day but the home crowd were certainly not disappointed with what they saw.
R Egan 1-4 (1-2p), H Plunkett 0-4 (fs), A Leavy, C Egan 1-0 each, C Murphy (1-2p), K O’Neill, D Flynn 0-2 each.
A McCarron 2-3, P McDonnell 1-0, C Hulton 0-3, D Foley 0-2 (fs), M Furey (0-1 (mark).
Sean O’Toole; Cathal Ryan, David Dempsey, Lee Pearson; Shane O’Toole Greene, Marcas Dalton, Rory Egan; Jack McEvoy, Eoin Dunne, Ciaran Murphy; Keith O’Neill, Jordan Hayes; Eoin Sawyer, Harry Plunkett, Darragh Flynn. Subs: Cormac Egan for Sawyer (h/t), Daire McDaid for Ryan (h/t), Diarmuid Egan for Murphy (40), Aaron Leavy for Dunne (45), Jack Bryant for Plunkett (58).
Ben McCarron; Lee Moore, Niall Roche, Colin Byrne; Tadhg Roche, Dara Curran, Padhraig Bolger; Adam Burgess, Mark Furey; Paddy McDonnell, Colm Hulton, Conor Doyle; Adam McCarron, Darragh Foley, Jamie Clarke. Subs: Sean Murphy for Foley (h/t), Eoghan Ruth for A McCarron (39), Evan Corr for Burgess (42), Paddy Regan for Byrne (45), Shane Clarke for Clarke (47), Emmet Moran for N Roche (61).
Ryan Moran (Kildare).
