Carlow beat local rivals to give survival hopes a massive boost
County Carlow's players celebrate after their win over archrivals Tullow RFC in the Leinster league Div 1A in Oak Park on Saturday. Photo: Thomas Nolan Photography.
The cat is among the pigeons now. On Saturday at Oak Park, Carlow put their county rivals to the sword with relative ease in this crucial Leinster League Division 1A tie.
Having played one game less, Carlow meet Wicklow at home next Saturday while Tullow have the day off. A win, without a bonus point, for the home side would see them draw level with the Slaneysiders. With three games to go, the league relegation play-off couldn’t be tighter.
Carlow got off to a great start. Two penalties on the trot were kicked into the corner as the home side laid down the gauntlet. On the second coming, Evan Gordon, powered over for the opening try. Alan Owens added the extras and Carlow were set to go head to head against Tullow.
Yet the lead didn’t last and minutes later, Tullow mauled their rivals over the line at the dressing room end of the ground. Martin Cole was credited with the touchdown as Adam Johnson converted.
When Carlow kicked a 50 metre penalty dead and conceded the scrum back on the half way line some of their old frailties looked set to return. If Tullow thought they were set to take over they were made to think different.
With the minutes ticking up to half-time players from both sides stuck into each other underneath the stand. It took a while for common sense to manifest itself and the match referee, yellow-carded Ryan O’Neill the Tullow scrum half and Carlow tight-head, Tadgh Ronan. Carlow had already lost another front-row player to the bin and with the loss of two front-rowers, there was one uncontested scrum.
It was frantic. In that second quarter, Tullow easily coughed up a line-out and Carlow failed to punish them by having a tactical kick blocked down. At the break the sides were level at 7-7. Entertaining? Hardly. Absorbing? Most definitely.
The second half was a stop-start affair. Carlow had two chances to stretch their lead with penalties. In the tricky cross-field wind, Alan Owens knocked one over but pulled another left and wide. Adam Johnson also had a penalty attempt drift ever so narrowly wide at the arch end.
By this stage, the referee was blowing everything. At least one side couldn’t feel they were being victimised. A lineout for either side in a short space of time was adjudged to have been crooked. Players and spectators scratched their heads alike. Carlow lost Cormac McElligott to the bin but it didn’t seem to hurt them.
The home side never allowed their concentration to waver. Owens kicked a late penalty and it looked as if they had all but decided to hold what they had. They did so with panache putting in the big tackles and cutting out the space which Tullow needed to exploit.
It looked easy in the end. No doubt it wasn’t but Carlow came away a precious win which has Tullow nervously looking over their shoulders.
Try - Evan Gordon (1) Con - Alan Owens (1) Pens - Alan Owens (2)
Try - Martin Cole. Con - Adam Johnson
Will Casey, Jonathan Crossley, Sean Quinlan, David McDermott, Jamie McCabe, Brian Broderick, Alan Owens; Patrick Rogers, Evan Gordon, Tadhg Ronan, Wes Shirley, John Lyons, Cormac McElligott, Joel Brown, Conor Tracey. Replacements: Ross Byrne for Ronan (70), Scott Neale for Gordon (70), Patrick Mackey for Rogers (70), Rhys Edghill, Fionnan Burke.
Adam Burgess, Jack Hanlon, Ryan Jordan, Adam Johnson, Jack Johnson, Peter Burgess, Ryan O’Neill; Scott Caldbeck, Daniel Culleton, Tom Cashen, Joe Waters, Martin Cole, Jack McDonald, Fiach O’Byrne, Mark Ashton. Replacements: Colm Gorry for Waters (55), Shane Murphy, Fiach Kavanagh, Garrett Fitzgerald.
Rory O’Keeffe (LAR)
