Carlow miss the chances in opening Kennedy Cup defeat
Carlow Juveniles Kennedy Cup squad that lost narrowly to Donegal in their group opener at UL.
There was heartbreak for the Carlow Juveniles League in their opening SFAI Subway Kennedy Cup clash with the Donegal Schoolboy League played at a showery UL on Monday evening as they missed a hatful of chances in a narrow 1-0 defeat.
There’s no doubting that Carlow were dominant in the opening 20 minutes, but they were caught on the counterattack as tricky left-winger Davyn McGlynn struck for the only goal of the contest in the first-half.
It will remain a mystery how Carlow didn’t manage to find the back of the net as they were thwarted by a couple of fine saves from Donegal netminder Sean Enright and also by the width of the left-hand post.
From the opening whistle, the young Carlow lads were on the attack with Aidan Fitzharris failing to get the break of a bouncing ball inside the danger area on five minutes before the impressive Conor Whelan was unlucky not to get his head on a teasing Adam Rowan set-piece soon afterwards.
Rowan pulled a left-footed shot inches wide of the target on 14 minutes as Carlow continued to pepper the Donegal goal before Cailean McMillan put in a great cross for Frankie Doyle a minute later, only for his goalbound effort to be superbly blocked.
A great corner-kick routine off the training ground nearly brought Carlow their opening on 18 minutes when Rowan and Patrick Cranny linked up to tee up Aidan Fitzharris, but his stunning effort was tipped over.
Doyle was denied by the post seconds later when getting on the end of Adam Rowan’s right-wing delivery, but his header struck the woodwork with keeper Sean Enright well and truly beaten.
Donegal broke at the other end for the only goal of the clash when captain Jamie McGee slipped the ball into the path of Davyn McGlynn, and he applied the close-range finish past Carlow keeper Darragh Maher.
McMillan had a chance to level for Carlow almost immediately, but he fired inside wide from an acute angle. The second-half lacked the same intensity from Carlow, but they still had one big moment, but Adam Rowan was denied by Enright with neither McMillan nor Doyle able to force home the rebound.
