Naomh Eoin produce the shock of the Championship
Ciarán Abbey scored 11 points in Naomh Eoin's win over St Mullins this evening Photo: Pat Ahern
Naomh Eoin produced a shock result in this senior hurling championship fifth round game at Netwatch Cullen Park on Saturday when a super charged final quarter saw them beat the reigning champions.
The vagaries of the Carlow championship sees the two sides meet again in the semi-final next weekend so both sides will be hoping they got something out of their meeting.
The eventual winners dominated the first quarter and, by the 13th minute, thanks to the accuracy of Ciaran Abbey they slipped into a five-point lead. The County Champions just about hung in there and managed to contain Naomh Eoin for whom Andy Jordan, John Michael Nolan and Cian Quirke featured on the scoreboard.
St Mullins had to have been inspired by a super point from James Doyle who broke from just outside his own 22, rode several tackles and from half-way drove the ball over the bar at the O’Hanrahan end of the ground. Oisin Ryan scored three points for St Mullins in the second quarter to help them into a narrow 0-10 to 0-9 lead at the interval.
The second half was equally contested and when St Mullins took a four-point lead on 42 minutes with a great Cathal Connolly point, they would have been expected to drive on. Naomh Eoin kept replying to what was thrown at them. Cathal Tracey’s 48th minute point was huge and even though Paddy Boland cancelled it out for Mullins, there was a feeling Naomh Eoin had more to offer.
The clinching goal came on 52 minutes when Cian Quirke broke down the left. His shot hit the right-hand upright but he was on hand to tip the rebound over the line.
It was nip and tuck all the way to the final whistle and a great catch from Micheál Mullins on the edge of the big square ensured there would be no late equaliser for the champions.
C Abbey 0-11 (8fs), C Quirke 1-2, J M Nolan, J Kelly, P Abbey 0-2, A Jordan, D Dunne, C Tracey 0-1 each
O Ryan, James Doyle, C Kehoe 0-4 each, John Doyle 0-3, P Boland, C Connolly, C Kavanagh 0-2 each, O Boland 0-1.
Brian Tracey; Diarmaid Deacon, Michael Kavanagh, Tadgh Daly; Michael Nolan, Eoin Hosey, Diego Dunne; Ciaran Abbey, Andy Jordan; John Michael Nolan, Peter Abbey, Cathal Tracey; Paddy Doyle, James Smithers, Cian Quirke. Subs: Jamie Behan for Smithers (h/t), Jack Kelly for Jordan (h/t), Ger Kavanagh for Daly (40), Michéal Mullins for JM Nolan (45), James O’Hara for Quirke (51).
Seamus Murphy; Laurence Brennan, Paul Doyle, Stephen O’Brien; Eamonn O’Shea, Paidi O’Shea, James Doyle (Dranagh); Oisin Boland, John Doran; Oisin Ryan, Conor Kehoe, John Doyle; Colm Kavanagh, Cathal Connolly, Mosie Murphy. Subs: Jack Kavanagh for James Doyle (38), Paddy Boland for John Doyle (38), Gary Bennett for Mosie Murphy (46), Sean Doyle for E O’Shea (61).
Patrick Murphy (Ballinkillen).
