Rangers pushed all the way by battling Bagenalstown
Mount Leinster Rangers were made to work hard by Bagenalstown Gaels before securing their place in the Carlow SHC final
Rank outsiders, Bagenalstown Gaels gave the reigning champions the fright of their lives in this senior hurling championship semi-final at Netwatch Cullen Park on Sunday.
Needing to stay in the game for as long as possible and limiting their opponents any clear chances, it wouldn’t have bothered the Gaels that the first half was a relatively low-key affair. Within seconds they were a point up thanks to Sean Wall. Any notion that Rangers were going to dominate quickly dissipated. Chris Nolan converted a 65 and a free but Jake Doyle’s placed ball levelled for Bagenalstown. It was even-steven at three points each after ten minutes and Rangers looked to be taking the initiative when leading by 0-5 to 0-3 on twenty minutes. The Gaels remained unruffled and the sides were tied on two further occasions before Nolan converted a free to give Rangers the lead once more.
Coming up to half-time, there seemed little danger when Bagenalstown Gaels were awarded a side-line cut about thirty metres out on the right at the scoreboard end of the ground. As the ball was delivered into the edge of the big square, the experienced Craig Doyle acted first. Taking possession he still needed to find space. This he did and his low shot squeezed in just inside the left-hand post. Just before the break, the goal-scorer’s brother, Jake, converted a free to leave the rank outsiders 1-7 to 0-7 ahead at the change of ends.
While Rangers scored the next three points through Ted Joyce, Chris and Jon Nolan, Bagenalstown continued to ask probing questions. Doyle scored another point and when Jamie Clarke drew the penalty, Jake Doyle buried the ball in the bottom right hand corner of the net.
Rangers struck back and when Jamie Nolan looked set to break through he lost control of the ball. Quick as a flash, his brother, Chris secured possession and he got his side back into the game with an expert finish. The younger Nolan then levelled the game with 15 minutes to go.
Eddie Byrne put Rangers in front but they could never relax. Chris Nolan put in a huge block on an attempted clearance and when the ball popped up in front of him, he made no mistake when making ground before finding the net for his second three-pointer.
That was a massive turning point. Rangers kept their distance from there and the Gaels couldn’t create another chance which might have rescued them. In the end, a seven point margin only tells a fraction of what happened.
C Nolan 2-8 (4fs), Jon Nolan 0-3, D Murphy, R Murphy (2fs), 0-2 each, T Joyce 0-1, E Byrne, Jamie Nolan 0-1 each.
Jake Doyle 1-8 (1-0 pen 6fs), Craig Doyle 1-0, J Wall 0-2, S Wall 0-1.
Dean Grennan; Michael Doyle, Evan Kealy, Conaill Fitzpatrick; Kevin McDonald, Diarmuid Byrne, Fiachra Fitzpatrick; Richard Coady, Joe Dundon; Donagh Murphy, Jon Nolan, Paul Coady; Chris Nolan, Ted Joyce, Kyle Nolan. Subs: Jamie Nolan for K Nolan (40), Eddie Byrne for P Coady (44), Ruairi Murphy for Joyce (58).
Andrew Townsend; Eoghan Dowling, Niall Bolger, Alan Wall; Cian Doyle, Alan Corcoran, Sean Wall; Jack McCullagh, Paddy Abbey; Jason Wall, Jamie Clarke, Craig Doyle; James Doyle, Jake Doyle, Paddy McDonnell. Subs: Aodhan Hickey for Cian Doyle (37), John Lillis for James Doyle (52), TJ Darcy for J Wall (52), Jake McAssey for Corcoran (58).
Conor Daly (Tinryland).
