Three goals send Carlow into knockout stages
Kieran Donald carries the game to Kildare Photo: Sean Brilly
Carlow are through to the knock-out stages of the Leinster minor hurling championship after this Group 2 Round 3 tie at Newbridge on Saturday. It was a reward well deserved after this superb performance at a venue where heartache has often been the case for Carlow GAA teams.
There was an intensity to the opening half where points were regularly swopped. Ben Shortt and Callum Durnin led the way for the home side with two points each. Vital for Carlow was the display by full-back, Aodhán Kehoe, who was a rock at the heart of the visiting defence.
In a short spell midway through the half, Ben Kelly scored three fabulous points for Carlow from different areas of the field. With the break approaching it looked as if there would be little between the teams but in the space of a minute, Carlow scored two goals.
The first came when Ciaran Kavanagh weaved his way in from the right and shot low too the right hand corner. As Kildare absorbed that shock, they were picking the ball out of their net once again as a delicate touch from close range by Peter Lynch saw him steer the ball over the line.
Kildare had the final say of the half when Durnin fired over a long range point to leave Carlow leading 2-7 to 0-8 on the resumption.
Kildare came at their opponents in the second period but Kehoe led the defence and the eventual winners put in the tackles and spoiled the Kildare attack. Durnin and Eoghan Lyons added points for Kildare as the Barrowsiders held on. On 53 minutes, the visiting keeper, Daragh Coleman, brought off a great save to deny Oisin McAfee. From there, Carlow never looked back and Ciaran Kavanagh ran from half-way before netting the clinching goal for Carlow.
C Kavanagh 2-2, T Sheehan 0-5 (4fs), B Kelly 0-3, P Lynch 1-0, J Lillis (f), A Joyce, J Brennan 0-1 each
C Durnin 0-3 (1f), B Shortt 0-2 (1f), L Cahill (65), S Maher, O McAfee, S Quigley, R Byrne, E Lyons, B Gallagher 0-1 each.
Darragh Coleman; Michael Shanahan, Aodhan Kehoe, Niall Power; Seanie McMahon, Alex Doyle, Kieran Donald; John Lillis, Peter Lynch; Thomas Sheehan, James Brennan, Ciaran Kavanagh; Eoghan Treacy, Ben Kelly, Adam Joyce. Subs: James Bergin for Treacy (38), Harry Delaney for Lillis (45), Liam Murphy for Kelly (59).
Jack O’Dea; Cian O’Sullivan, Tom Wright, Rian Cramer; Jack Cahill, Eoghan Lyons, Ciaran Ward; Oisin McAfee, Callum Durnin; Sean Quigley, Ben Short, Conor Lawless; Robbie Byrne, Bobby Gallagher, Ben Angland. Subs: Colm Walsh for Gallagher (32), Sean Maher for Short (35), Luke Cahill for Lawless (45), Dylan McBride for Angland (45), Oisin Dwane for Quigley (60).
James McGrath (Westmeath).
