First half sending off costs Burren Rangers in Leinster tie
Burren Rangers captain Billy Shanahan Photo: Pat Aher
Brownstown got the better of Burren Rangers in a rambunctious Leinster Junior Hurling Championship tie in Netwatch Cullen Park.
It was a hard hitting game with a referee happy to let the game flow that added to the spectacle but it was a referee’s call that had a huge influence on the outcome, although there could be no complaints with it.
In fact, if there were any complaints about the decision to send off Burren Rangers midfielder Conor Bolger in first half injury time it would have been whether his lashing out an opponent was worthy of a straight red card rather than the second yellow he was shown.
Burren had made a flying start when Tom Donald lashed home a goal after jut 12 seconds after a long ball aimed at Billy Shanahan fell favourably for him.
For the next 20 minutes or so, Brownstown had slight advantage and were finding their scores a little easier and the scores were tied at 1-3 to 0-6 with ten minutes left in the half.
The Carlow Junior champions answered back well though and scored five of the next six points to lead 1-8 to 0-7 but Bolger’s indiscretion late in the half gave Brownstown something to cling to going in for their break.
In the end, the extra man was to have a huge impact as Brownstown dominated the second half.
They were level by the 36th minute and although Dylan Townsend put Burren back into the lead, Brownstown scored the next five points with their free taker Jamie Fitzsimons greedily gobbling up the mounting opportunities he had from dead ball.
Burren kept battling and a huge late score from Jim Nolan got them back to within two points in injury time but it was Brownstown who finished strongest and scored the last two points of the game to leave four between the sides at the end.
James Moore; Oisin Kiernan, Philip Gilsenan, Kenny Higgins, Cormac Foley, Conor Shaw, Anthony Mulvaney; Tom Flynn 0-1, Patrick O’Reilly 0-1; Donal Lane, Robbie Dugdale 0-2, Jamie Fitzsimons 0-8 (7fs,1’65), Niall Leonard 0-2, Brian Guerin 0-2, Emmet Cunneen 0-3. Subs: Rory Carolan for Higgins, 25.
Ciaran Caffrey; Jimmie Carroll, Lorcan Moore, Joe Holden, Evan Corr, Lorcan Doyle, Eoin Doyle; Conor Bolger 0-2, Seamus English Hayden; Cathal Healy 0-1, Tom Donald 1-0, Dylan Townsend 0-5 (4fs, 1’65), Daniel Bolger 0-1, Billy Shanahan, Billy Nolan 0-2. Subs: Billy Molloy for English Hayden, 13; Jim Nolan 0-1 for Moore, 25; Padraig Roche for Corr, 56.
Richard Holland (Kilkenny).
