CARLOW 3-20 WICKLOW 0-9
A brilliant first half display was at the heart of an excellent win for the Carlow minors in the semi-final of the Peadar O’Laithain Cup today in Aughrim.
The Carlow Minor Hurling team
Photo: Pat Ahern
Alan Roche’s side made the ideal start when Alan Wall got in for a goal inside the opening minute.
With the confidence of that goal, Carlow surged on and scored some terrific points, with all six forwards contributing handsomely but it was wing back Ruarc O’Neill who scored the best point of the game from the left sideline in the 10th minute.
Carlow were 1-11 to 0-6 ahead going into the last six minutes of the first half and they then added well taken goals from James Brennan and Ciaran Kavanagh to lead 3-13 to 0-6 at half time.
Perhaps understandably, Carlow took the foot off the pedal in the second half and their cause wasn’t helped when Charlie Byrne, who had an excellent game up to that point, was sent off in the 42nd minute.
The highlight of the second half for Carlow, apart from some excellent free taking by Shane McCarthy, came in the 52nd when Peter Lynch brilliantly saved Adam Lifely’s well struck penalty but in the end it was comfort for Carlow and they deservingly march on to the final.
SCORERS – Carlow: S McCarthy 0-7 (5fs, 1’65), C Kavanagh 1-2, J Brennan 1-1, A Wall 0-1, R Ward 0-3, C Byrne 0-3, K Nolan 0-2, R O’Neill 0-1, T Sheehan 0-1f.
Wicklow: A Lifely 0-4 (3fs), M O’Shea 0-2, P Marrinan 0-1, C Goff 0-1, J O’Leary 0-1.
CARLOW: Peter Lynch (Carlow Town); Seanie McMahon (Carlow Town), Mike Geraghty (Naomh Bríd), Kieran Donald (Bagenalstown Gaels), Aodhan Kehoe (Naomh Eoin), Ruarc O’Neill (Naomh Bríd); Shane McCarthy (Setanta/Carlow Town), Martin Carroll (Burren Rangers); Kyle Nolan (Mount Leinster Rangers), James Brennan (Bagenalstown Gaels), Ciaran Kavanagh (Naomh Eoin), Robbie Ward (Burren Rangers), Alan Wall (Bagenalstown Gaels), Charlie Byrne (Ballinkillen). Subs: Niall Power (Bagenalstown Gaels) for O’Neill, 47; Thomas Sheehan (Ballinkillen) for Carroll, 49; Aaron Walsh Myles (Carlow Town) for McMahon, 54; Jack Joyce (Mount Leinster Rangers) for Brennan, 54; Sean Grennan (St Mullins) for Wall, 54.
WICKLOW: Keith Lawless; Sean Byrne, Cillian Goff, Sé Killoran, Rian Rooney, Chris O’Toole, Donnacha Murphy; Jack O’Leary, Adam Lifely; Jack Gregan, Luke Cotter, Paddy Marrinan, Tom Brennan, Marc O’Shea, Finian Hughes. Subs: Sean Craig for Cotter, 26; Darragh Leacy for Hughes, h/t; Noah Hayes for Killoran, 53; Eoin Lalor for Gregan, 53; Callum Clark Toomey for O’Leary, 53.
REFEREE: Sean Michael Maher (Offaly).
