Carlow 1-16
Mayo 0-17
If Carlow win this year’s Christy Ring Cup they will have contributed greatly to Tourism Ireland’s efforts to promote the country. They have travelled and played a game in the each of the three other provinces chalking up a total of 1,000 miles in round trips, and if you include playing a team from London in another country, they are really standing tall. They came ‘out of the west’ on Saturday evening with victory over Mayo in the Christy Ring Cup semi-final.
This is the second time that Carlow has reached the Christy Ring Cup final, the last time was in 2006. For the team and their loyal band of supporters who made the round trip of over three hundred and thirty miles, there were heart stopping moments during the game. Carlow were first to get on the score-board when Shane Kavanagh sent over a ninety metre free, in the second minute.
Mayo’s centre field man, Keith Higgins, cancelled out that score with a great effort from play a minute later. The same player gave his side the lead for the first time, with another long-range free after six minutes. The hurling was controlled as each side wanted to seek out the strengths and weaknesses of the opposition, as reaching the final was the goal on the player’s minds. Centre half forward Colin Hughes from a free tied the sides after eight minutes, 0-2 each.
Mayo began to dominate and with the Higgins brothers in control at midfield, they took the game to Carlow with four unanswered points, two from Adrian Freeman, one from play and a free. Stephen Broderick and Keith Higgins were on the mark from play as they led Carlow six points to two after eighteen minutes. The Carlow men had gone ten minutes without registering a score, before a Colin Hughes pointed free put a goal between the sides. Carlow reduced the lead further with a Shane Kavanagh ‘65 and Craig Doyle shooting over from the right wing as they trailed by a single point 0-6 to 0-5 eight minutes before the break. An Adrian Freeman free was quickly cancelled out by Robbie Foley from play at the other end. In the last five minutes of the first half, it was Mayo who finished the stronger with a cluster of late points from Freeman and Seamie Barrett, as they held a four-point lead at the break Mayo 0-10, Carlow 0-6.
The men from Leinster quickly set about their task on the restart as inside of seven minutes they had cut the lead to a single point with inspired hurling. Shane Kavanagh with a long-range free sent over his third point, Colin Hughes quickly followed with a close in free, and Ruairi Dunbar from play left it 0-10 to 0-9. Carlow allowed Mayo back into the game as they scored four unanswered points, and opened up a five point lead, 0-14 to 0-9 before Carlow scored again in the fifty-first minute.
The Carlow defence were coping very well with a menacing Mayo forward line. Des Shaw at full back, had a fine game along with John Rogers, Andrew Gaule, as they kept Adrian Freeman one of Mayo’s best forwards and Eoghan Madigan and Derek McConn at bay. Shane Kavanagh was a pillar at centre back aided and abetted by Edward Coady and his brother Richard as they broke up many dangerous Mayo raids. Carlow struggled at midfield, Damian Roberts and Alan Brennan never getting into their stride.
Two well-executed John Coady points from play, and the best score of the game from Ruairi Dunbar from eighty metres out, narrowed the gap. The home side kept their noses in front as they sensed they were at the point of making hurling history in Mayo.
With the hurling at fever pitch and Carlow trailing by two points, the clock counted down. Mayo had a good chance to add another point as they mounted an all out attack on the Carlow goal. However, excellent clearing and fantastic long shots from the Carlow backs ensured Carlow were safe. An excellent clearance from the backs found Robbie Foley at full forward who battled with Aidan Connolly at full back and goalie Michael Walsh. They tussled for possession but the sliother made its way to the back of the Mayo net. Carlow were back in front- 1-14 to 0-16.
Mayo were stunned as Craig Doyle added Carlow’s last point, but they didn’t give up without a fight as they came again at the Carlow defence. They needed a goal but the backs held off the tremendous pressure in the final seconds and Niall Murphy’s shot screamed over the bar and the final whistle sounded on the puck out.
Teams: Carlow: David Miley, Andrew Gaule, Des Shaw, John Rogers 1-0, Edward Coady, Shane Kavanagh 0-4 (1 ’65 3 frees ), Richard Coady, Damian Roberts, Alan Brennan, Ruairi Dunbar 0-3, Colin Hughes 0-2 (frees ), Robbie Foley 0-1, John Coady 0-2, Mark Brennan 0-1, Craig Doyle 0-3.
Substitutes: John Doran for Richard Coady, James Hickey for Damian Roberts, Karl English for Alan Brennan, Seamus Murphy for Colin Hughes.
Mayo : Michael Walsh, Derek Walsh, Aidan Connolly, Stephen Coyne, Paddy Barrett, Seamie Barrett 0-1, Conor Ryan, Pearse Higgins, Keith Higgins 0-4, Niall Murphy 0-1, Derek McDonnell, Stephen Broderick 0-1, Adrian Freeman 0-8, Eoghan Madigan, Derek McConn 0-1. Substitutes: Michael Cunnane 0-1, Kevin Healy, Ciaran Hayes.
Referee: Alan Barrett Galway.
