McDonnell and Darcy net to set Bagenalstown on course for victory
Bagenalstown trio Darragh Nolan, Niall Bolger and Paddy Abbey chase down Ballinkillen's Ciaran Whelan
Bagenalstown Gaels opened up the Carlow Senior Hurling Championship with a full deserved win over Ballinkillen who were unable to produce the heroics of their opening two games. Only a mathematical miracle, and that might not be enough, can prevent Naomh Eoin and Naomh Bríd finishing at the bottom of the table. That will leave these two sides, Mount Leinster Rangers and St Mullins filling the semi-final places.
The Bagenalstown side got off to a great start with a Paddy McDonnell goal on two minutes. With Jake Doyle in devastating form, they built on their lead while TJ Darcy had a half to remember scoring 1-1.
Ballinkillen lived on crumbs where they depended on the accuracy of Ciaran Whelan from placed balls. At the interval, the eventual winners led 2-7 to 0-6.
The Gaels held their lead with a bit to spare until the end of the third quarter. Ballinkillen had their good spell and Whelan found the bottom left hand corner of the net at the O’Hanrahan end of the ground.
With two minutes of the extra four which had been announced the Bagenalstown lead was down to three points thanks to Whelan’s dead ball accuracy. In a dramatic last few exchanges the veteran Craig Doyle won a free for Bagenalstown Gaels and his younger brother, Jake, converted it.
In the closing moments, the sides exchanged a point each but on 64 minutes when the Barrowsiders won possession going forward that was good enough for referee, Paud O’Dwyer to blow the final whistle which saw them take the vital points.
Jake Doyle 0-8 (7fs), TJ Darcy 1-3, P McDonnell 1-0, Cian Doyle, J Clarke 0-1 each.
C Whelan 1-10 (8fs 65), J Treacy, C Wall, D Wall (f) 0-1 each.
Andrew Townsend; Eoghan Dowling, Niall Bolger, Alan Wall; Cian Doyle, Darragh Nolan, Sean Wall; Jack McCullagh, Paddy Abbey; James Doyle, Jamie Clarke, Danny Doyle; TJ Darcy, Jake Doyle, Paddy McDonnell. Subs: Aodhan Hickey for A Wall (h/t), Craig Doyle for D Doyle (40), John Lillis for Darcy (58), Oisin Dillon for Abbey (58).
Thomas Dowling; Jamie Wall, Dion Wall, Mark Foley; Craig Foley, David English, Eric English; Cormac Lomax, Sean Brennan; Adam Ryan, Ciaran Whelan, Padraig Hynes; Ciaran O’Neill, Thomas Sheehan, Jack Treacy. Subs: AJ Dooley for Brennan (26), Marty Dalton for Sheehan (38), Ian Craddock for Ryan (47), Cian Meaney for Hynes (52), Padraig Kearney for C Wall (61).
Paud O’Dwyer (Palatine).
