Goals win it for St Mullins
The victorious St Mullins U20 team
Two long range goals which dropped under the crossbar, coming towards the end of the third quarter, one each from James Doyle and Sean Kavanagh were crucial as St Mullins won their third trophy of the season in Netwatch Cullen Park on Saturday. With the senior and intermediate championships already in the trophy cabinet this was the icing on the cake for the South Carlow club.
Naomh Bríd will be kicking themselves that they didn’t take a more comprehensive advantage into the second half. In the opening period, they registered eight wides when at least four of those should have raised white flags. In the opening quarter they also created two goal chances but an alert St Mullins back line along with keeper, Diarmuid Power, doing enough to keep the goal-line intact.
Sean Connolly scored the first of his five first half points to put St Mullins ahead. Ros Connolly equalised and for the remainder of the half it was blow for blow.
Coming towards the end of the half, Conor Carew converted a free and with his confidence soaring he added two more points from play. One from inside his half and into the O’Hanrahan’s end of the ground. Just on the half-time whistle, Charlie Nolan’s point nudged Naomh Bríd into a 0-7 to 0-5 advantage.
If Naomh Bríd struggled to get their shots on target then St Mullins also erred. Two wides and a scorable free dropping short hurt them before another Carew point pushed Naomh Bríd’s advantage out by three points.
Then came the brace of St Mullins goals which all but decided the destination of the title. The eventual runners-up hit back but were unlucky to see a shot come back off the crossbar while two oncoming forwards were unable to force the sliotar over the line. Credit, the St Mullins defence who put their bodies on the line to keep a clean-sheet.
With the game heading into injury time, James Doyle successfully went for goal to clinch the victory. In keeping with Naomh Bríd’s night of woe, Carew also went for the maximum from a similar position but the ball flew just over the crossbar.
It summed up the respective fortunes of both teams. One got the breaks and took them while the other were left to rue those missed opportunities. Fine lines even if the margin of victory at the end was seven points.
J Doyle 2-2 (1-1fs 65), S Connolly 0-5 (3fs), S Kavanagh 1-1, M Murphy 0-1.
C Carew 0-7 (65 3fs), R Dermody, C Nolan, D Fitzgerald, J Connolly 0-1 each.
Diarmuid Power; Andy Ralph, Brian Collier, Kian Foley; James Doyle, Conor Ryan, Mark Gladney; Eamon O’Shea, Sean Kavanagh; Mark O’Shea, Ciaran Harris, Mosie Murphy; Colm Kavanagh, James Murphy, Sean Connolly. Subs: Sean Grennan for M O’Shea (44), Sean Collier for Connolly (51).
Simon McDonald; Matt Burke, Mike Geraghty Glynn, Brian O’Dwyer; James Maher, Tadgh O’Neill, Bobby Daly; Conor Carew, Ros Dermody; Ruarc O’Neill, Shane Kirwan, Jack Connolly; Daragh Fitzgerald, Eoin Bambrick, Charlie Nolan. Subs: Conor Delacey for Bambrick (37), Alfie Barcoe for Delacey (45), Daniel Roche for Burke (58).
Seamie Doyle
