Carlow topple league leaders to keep slim promotion hopes alive
John Lyons gets over the line for Carlow's first try. Photos: Aisling Hyland.
There was a surreal ending to this Leinster League Division 1B tie at Oak Park on Sunday. As Garrett Weldon, the referee, blew the final whistle both sets of mentors punched the air in delight. Carlow had taken a bonus point win against the promotion chasing visitors but Dundalk had collared two hard earned bonus points which propels them to the top of the table on points difference from De La Salle Palmerstown.
It is all to play for at the top and while Carlow can mathematically catch both sides above them it is only fanciful thinking. Home delight can be interpreted as a good win against a top side which is ideal preparation for a second round Provincial Towns Cup game in three weeks’ time.
Carlow all but blew the visitors out the door in the opening quarter but they still only led 12-5 on eighteen minutes. A relieving Michael Dempsey clearance gave the home side field position and as the home side camped on the Dundalk line, John Lyons, forced his way over for a try converted by Ben Crotty.
The County Louth side hit back and a passing movement put in Conall O’Callaghan for an 18th minute try. Two minutes later, Carlow scored another try when Sean Quinlan touched down at the dressing room corner of the ground.
The game was humming as both sides threw caution to the wind and played running rugby. The reward for Dundalk was a Bradley Nealon try and Ultan Murphy levelled with a successful conversion.
The final ten minutes of the half will surely be a memorable one for Paddy Rogers who scored a 35th minute try and then he was on the end of a Carlow drive to touch down again. As it turned out Ben Crotty’s brace of successful conversion attempts was vital giving the home side a healthy looking 26-12 lead at the break.
Carlow looked to be heading to a comfortable win in the third quarter with neither side adding to their total.
The game turned when Wes Shirley picked up a yellow card but then Dundalk also found themselves with a player in the bin when hooker, Zak Coan, followed the former Carlow captain to the side-line. The brief period of yellow card madness continued when, with almost his first time to see action, Carlow substitute, Diarmuid Long, was also given a ten-minute unwanted rest on the side-line. Dundalk availed of the extra player and Deshawn Ighodaro forced his way over for an unconverted try.
Carlow forced the initiative from the resultant kick-off but were caught on the hop when Bradley Nealon intercepted a Carlow attack on the opposition 22. He looked as if he would go all the way but Ben Crotty did brilliantly to get back and put in a last-ditch tackle inside his own 22.
Dundalk now had a platform and while the huffed and puffed, they got a stroke of luck when Carlow turned an attacking line-out over on the right almost on their own goal-line. Fortune favoured the visitors when Carlow failed to gather and all Joshua O’Hare had to do was fall on the ball.
Carlow did create some outside chances of depriving the visitors of a crucial bonus point but by that stage their energy had dissipated and the stage is set for other sides to play out the rest of the league season.
In the meantime there is the small matter of a Provincial Towns Cup second round game at Oak Park against Wicklow on March 8.
P Rogers (2 tries), S Quinlan and J Lyons (1 try each), B Crotty (3 cons).
C O’Callaghan, B Nealon, D Ighodaro and J O’Hare (1 try each), U Murphy (1 con).
Ben Crotty, Jonathan Crossley, Sean Quinlan, Evan Jordan, Caomhán Brennan, Matthew Dempsey, Daniel Crotty; Patrick Rogers, Evan Gordon, Tadhg Ronan, Wes Shirley, John Lyons, John Murphy, Rhys Edghill, Cormac McElligott.
Scott Neale for Gordon (h/t), Caolan Fitzhenry for Ronan (60), Alan Owens for Brennan (60), Ronan for Rogers (67), Diarmuid Long for McElligott (70).
Bradley Nealon, Deshawn Ighodaro, Conall O’Callaghan, Ultan Murphy, Robert Williams, Conor Hennessy, Luke McDonough; Jamie Rafferty, Zak Coan, Darragh Maher, Joshua O’Hare, Fionn Duffy, Philip Shekleton, David Feenan, Tiernan Gonnelly.
Simon O’Shea for Rafferty (h/t), Robert Farrell for Maher (h/t), Darragh Conroy for McDonough (45), Laurence Steen for Duffy (60), Luke Andrews Walsh for Nealon (70).
Garret Weldon
