Footballers riding on a crest of a wave
Ben McCarron makes a crucial second half penalty save from Sean O'Connor during Carlow's win over Tipperary last weekend
In some ways results in Division Four have gone as anticipated but then again who would have predicted that Antrim would be sitting alongside Waterford at the bottom of the table with zero points each from three games. The league season unfolds.
Carlow have three home games left and that includes Waterford in Netwatch Cullen Park on Saturday next. Eight days later they travel to Longford. On Saturday March 14th they entertain London and have Leitrim in Netwatch Cullen Park on Sunday March 22nd.
Three home games out of four would suggest that Carlow are in prime position for one of the top two spots. Yet no-one in the Carlow team or anyone else who knows their football is even looking ahead that far.
Certainly not Colm Hulton who, as he left the Semple Stadium pitch on Sunday, articulated that the only game that matters now is Waterford next weekend.
“We have a six day turnaround now,” he pointed out.
“We are not looking past Waterford now. All our focus will be on them. It will be a tight game. In Division 4 anyone can beat anyone on a given day. We have to get the bodies right on Tuesday and focus in on Waterford next weekend,” he stressed.
Carlow will have injury concerns surrounding their captain, Mikey Bambrick who has been troubled since the very start of the season. Certainly the Old Leighlin man is not the player he was last season. The old adage when it comes to players such as Bambrick is that form is temporary but class is permanent surely rings through. He showed some flickers of what he is capable of but it was disappointing seeing him limp off the field in the second half at the weekend.
Now his possible absence will afford another Carlow player an opportunity to state his claim for a starting place. After that the management team seems to have little to worry about.
Waterford will come here on Saturday looking for a win to break their poor run. The Carlow manager, Joe Murphy, is certain to treat them exactly the same way he has treated the teams he has already met this year. Any players who don’t will get short shift from the manager who has total respect for the game of football. Every county is a potential banana skin. The manager and his players know that too. The season continues. One step at a time.
|
ALLIANZ NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION 4 |
||||||
|
P |
W |
D |
L |
+/- |
Pts |
|
|
Carlow |
3 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
10 |
6 |
|
Longford |
3 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
9 |
4 |
|
Leitrim |
3 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
6 |
4 |
|
Wicklow |
3 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
3 |
4 |
|
London |
3 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
3 |
|
Tipperary |
3 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
|
Waterford |
3 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
-11 |
0 |
|
Antrim |
3 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
-21 |
0 |
