Nolan hits 16 points as Rangers start with a win
Chris Nolan scored 16 points as Mount Leinster Rangers began the JJ Kavanagh & Sons Senior Hurling Championship with a win over Ballinkillen Photo: Pat Ahern
Mount Leinster Rangers all but cruised to victory in this Carlow Senior Hurling Championship first round game at Netwatch Cullen Park on Saturday.
Ballinkillen got off to a great start when a Rangers defensive pass went astray. Quick as lightning the ball was worked in to Padraig Hynes who beat Frank Foley.
The Borris side hit back and the game plan paid dividends where quick ball into the full-forwards stretched the Ballinkillen defence. They mixed that with a series of passing moves which yielded frees which Chris Nolan converted. The Carlow intercounty player scored eight of his side’s eight points which gave them a 0-13 to 1-7 interval lead.
With Nolan keeping the scoreboard ticking over in the second half, it was only a question of how much they would win by. Last year’s finalists gave away another simple goal with a misplaced pass and Jack Treacy nipped in to find the net at the scoreboard end of the ground.
Ballinkillen got within three points of Rangers in the final ten minutes but four points from Nolan and another from Donagh Murphy saw them take an important win.
C Nolan 0-16 (65, 13fs), D Murphy 0-3, E Byrne, T Brennan, C Fitzpatrick, E Byrne, T Lawler, J Dundon, F Fitzpatrick 0-1 each
C Whelan 0-7 (6fs), J Treacy1-2, P Hynes 1-1, S Murphy 0-2, E English 0-1
Frank Foley; Michael Doyle, Diarmuid Byrne, Conaill Fitzpatrick; Michael Malone, Kevin McDonald, Tony Lawlor; Tim Brennan, Fiachra Fitzpatrick; Ted Joyce, Eoin Doyle, Donagh Murphy; Joe Dundon, Eddie Byrne, Chris Nolan. Subs: Richard Coady for Malone (43)
Thomas Dowling; Sean Brennan, Dion Wall, Ciaran O’Neill; Eric English, David English, Fionn Hickey; Jamie Wall, Cormac Lomax; Ciaran Whelan, Sean Murphy, Craig Wall; Kevin Kavanagh, Padraig Hynes, Jack Treacy.
Sean McCormack (Carlow Town)
