Rangers reign supreme in Carlow once again
Mount Leinster Rangers captain Kevin McDonald lifts the Senior Hurling Championship trophy after the final win over St Mullins
Mount Leinster Rangers regained the Carlow senior hurling championship title at Netwatch Cullen Park on Sunday which they last won in 2023.
The winners got off to lightning start with Donagh Murphy flashing over two points while Chris Nolan was on the end of a quick exchange of passes to find the top right hand corner of the net. Nine minutes in, they led 1-6 to 0-1 with Colm Kavanagh scoring the solitary St Mullins point.
Rangers had chances to extend the lead but they registered a number of wides. Their opponents fed off those let-offs and with Marty Kavanagh scoring four points from placed balls, the Rangers lead was down to 1-10 to 0-9 at the interval.
They kept their noses in front in the early stages of the second half but when the St Mullins full-back, Paul Doyle, scored two points from play to level matters at the end of the third quarter it looked as if the reigning champions were in the ascendancy.
The eventual winners dug deep and with Nolan, his brother Jon, and Ted Joyce combining to score the final five points of the game, the Willie O’Connor Cup was on its way back to Borris.
C Nolan 1-10 (7fs 65), D Murphy 0-4, T Joyce 0-3, J Nolan 0-2.
M Kavanagh 0-7 (65 6fs), P Boland 0-3, P Doyle 0-2, John Doyle, J Kavanagh, C Kavanagh, J Doyle (Dranagh) 0-1 each.
Frank Foley; Michael Doyle, Tony Lawlor, Sean Joyce; Richard Coady, Kevin McDonald, Conaill Fitzpatrick; Fiachra Fitzpatrick, Tim Brennan; Ruairi Murphy, Jon Nolan, Donagh Murphy; Chris Nolan, Eddie Byrne, Ted Joyce. Subs: Dean Tobin for R Murphy (38), Evan Kealy for Coady (44), Michael Malone for S Joyce (60).
Seamus Murphy; Paidi O’Shea, Paul Doyle, Ciaran Harris; Ger Coady, Paudie Kehoe, James Doyle (Drummond); Eamonn O’Shea, James Doyle (Dranagh); Jack Kavanagh, Conor Kehoe, John Doyle; Colm Kavanagh, Marty Kavanagh, Paddy Boland. Subs: Oisin Boland for O’Shea (44), Oisin Ryan for C Kavanagh (56), Laurence Brennan for J Doyle (Drummond 59).
David Hickey (Fenagh).
