Mullaly glad to see Carlow back to winning ways

After a chastening defeat to Kildare the previous, it was all about returning to winning ways when Carlow took on Westmeath in Round 4 of the McDonagh Cup. The team duly obliged in a remarkable high scoring affair. Marty Kavanagh scored an incredible 3-12 as Carlow saw off Westmeath on a score of 7-23 to 4-22 and manager Tom Mullally said it was a good days' work.

“Delighted. Especially after the last weekend. The questions over what we brought to last weekend we started on the front foot today,” said Mullally. 

“Westmeath have shown over the last few matches that they are a second half team anyway. With the wind behind them, they were always going to come strong. To be fair to the bench it took twenty lads to get us there and that is good. It gives us two more points and that was what we came for.” 

The Kilkenny man suggested that, such was the wind advantage, it was a day when any player on the pitch could have scored.

“They got scores from the half-back line. Jack McCullagh put two points over the bar. When has he done that before? I think he was around his own 45 metre line. He had a third chance and drove it wide,” pointed out Mullally.

“The same with Westmeath. When momentum goes your way as it did for Westmeath in the second half and we did inflict some troubles on ourselves too. I think we learned from it and worked our way out of it.” 

Carlow’s joint-captain, with Marty Kavanagh, James Doyle scored 1-4 over the hour. His second half three-pointer hurt Westmeath deeply. It was needed.

“Looking at the first half we knew we had to come out strong and put a big performance in the second half,” agreed the St Mullins man.

“We were happy going in at half-time. Coming back out, we said we had to push on. It was shaky in the second half to say the least. We let them back into it and God only knows if there was 10-15 minutes left they would surely have come back.” 

Was it possible that when Carlow scored their fifth goal just seconds into the second half that they lost their concentration a bit and eased up?

“If it had been the other way round and they got the first goal would it have put a damper on us and they would have gone on and won the game,” mused Doyle but pointed out Westmeath hit back well with two goals.

“The fact that we got a goal but it does shake a team when they go down and score themselves. We were maybe a bit lucky to hold on for the win but it is two league points at the end of the day and that is what we wanted.”

Kildare's upset win over Laois the following leaves Carlow facing a huge against their neighbours on Saturday in the final round of games with a place in the McDonagh Cup final at Croke Park at stake. Laois have the slight advantage of the better scoring difference so a draw will be enough for them to reach the final but Carlow know that must win to keep things in their own hands, although a draw would be enough if Kildare failed to beat Down in Newbridge