Slow start costs Pres Carlow

SOUTH LEINSTER SENIOR FOOTBALL C QUARTER-FINAL 

ST KEVIN’S CS DUNLAVIN 4-5 PRESENTATION CARLOW 0-8

 A disastrous start for Presentation College Carlo proved to be their undoing in this South Leinster Senior Football Quarter-final at the Dunlavin GAA grounds on Wednesday. With only eight minutes gone they found themselves 3-1 to 0-0 behind and after that it was just a matter of playing for pride. They couldn’t really blame the wind either as it was blowing across the pitch rather than favouring one side.

It was one of those days where, initially, nothing went right for the losing side. Keeper, Tommy Cooney was brave when stopping a close range shot from Stephen Anderson but Tom Doyle followed up as he drove the ball to the net.

The same for the second goal when this time Liam McDonnell latched onto a loose ball to fire home. Eoin Miley added a third goal and Anderson another point to leave the eventual winners ten in front before 13 minutes had elapsed.

The Carlow side finally got on the board when Lorcan O’Connor’s 45 was flicked over the bar by a nervous looking defence. By half-time the midfielder had added two more points from placed balls as St Kevin’s turned around 3-4 to 0-3 ahead.

St Kevin’s went for broke early in the second half as they pressurised a defence who was trying to manoeuvre the ball forward out of danger. This time Pres found Gael O’Rock who, after a sustained effort from his colleagues, was able to move the ball forward. It was a mini-battle won and the sense of satisfaction gave them the confidence to keep pressing. They were rewarded when John O’Neill raised a white flag.

That joy was short-lived as Doyle swooped for another St Kevin’s goal. Again, their rivals refused to drop their heads. Jack Keating raised an orange flag with a well-struck two-pointer. O’Connor also converted a free as the Carlow school pressed.

Time ran out for them. Conor McDaid did score with a late strike for the visitors but this was cancelled out by a Pauidi Daly point which finished the scoring.

Scorers:

St Kevin’s: T Doyle 2-1, L McDonnell 1-1, E Miley 1-1, R Kavanagh Flood 0-1, P Daly 0-1.

Presentation: L O’Connor 0-4 (2-45s f), J Keating 0-2 (1-2p), J O’Neill 0-1, C McDaid 0-1.

ST KEVIN’S CS: Jamie Dillon; Josh Byrne, Jamie Burke, Eoin Craigie; Josh Warren, Chris Kehoe, Peadar O’Toole; Liam McDonnell, Sean Corrigan; Aaron Geoghegan, Eoin Miley, Ruairi Kavanagh Flood; Pauidi Daly, Stephen Anderson, Tom Doyle.

Subs: Cian Bruce for Anderson (h/t), Danny Farrell for Burke (h/t), Cillian Wright for Geoghegan (40), Darragh Hussey for Kavanagh Flood (44), Jer Moore for Warren (45).

PRESENTATION CARLOW: (all Palatine unless stated otherwise); Tommy Cooney (Éire Óg); Kyle Maher, Ronan Kelly, Callum Martin; John O’Neill, Luca Kavanagh (Rathvilly), Gael O’Rock (Askea); Conor Buggy, Lorcan O’Connor (Tinryland); Adam Haughney (Éire Óg), Jack Keating, TJ Brennan; Dylan Farrell, Peter Lynch, Conor McDaid.

Subs: Kevin McGinn (unattached) for McDaid (50), Cathal Flynn for O’Neill (57).

Referee: Larry Murphy