Hurlers bow out to strong Carlow side
WHEN Carlow midfielder Jack Kavanagh rifled over the game’s opening score after 30 seconds, something in your gut was telling you this was going to be a tough day at the office for the Wicklow hurlers.
The manner in which Carlow engineered that first score made it abundantly clear that the neighbours were operating at a slightly elevated level towards Seamus Murphy’s men and, given their loftier placement in the national leagues, this was only to be expected. If Wicklow were to reach Croke Park then they were going to have to produce a monumental performance in Netwatch Cullen Park.
That first score had seen the ball swept upfield from the throw in, whipped across the field where it was gathered by Jack Kavanagh who was standing with two of his colleagues in acres of space and he had all the time in the world to fire over and get his side off to a flying start.
Athletically speaking, Carlow were significantly superior to Wicklow; their team littered with big, strong men who were more than capable of some fine hurling. In terms of touch and striking and overall play, the last few years of hard work at the coalface and the constant challenge of high class opposition as well as the reasonable standard of club hurling have put Carlow in a place where Wicklow must now aim to reach.
However, with the well documented problems at underage and the stunted club scene in the county, it’s going to take quite a while for such a destination to be arrived at. Prior to that, Wicklow will have to rely on courage and good fortune in their bid for glory, and while there was plenty of the former on show on Saturday, the latter was sorely absent.
The loss of captain Christy Moorehouse was a blow for the Garden county and the subsequent uncertainty from placed balls did nothing to help Seamus Murphy’s men’s cause. Everything needed to fall right for Wicklow on Saturday and that just did not happen.
Carlow’s electric start pushed them out to a 0-04 to 0-00 lead with Denis Murphy, John Michael Nolan and Martin Kavanagh – a pure peach - all adding to Jack Kavanagh’s opener as Wicklow struggled to gain any sort of footing in the game.
Key to this victory for Carlow was the display of their full-back line, most notably Alan Corcoran and full-back Paul Doyle who combined to seriously hamper Wicklow’s goal-scoring threat.
The Garden side were always going to need majors in this game and while they did manage to fire home two goals, the overall impotence of the inside pairing of George O’Brien and Andy O’Brien thanks to the hurling of the aforementioned duo left Wicklow looking decidedly blunt high up the field.
Wicklow’s opening score came from the hurl of midfielder Danny Staunton and it was badly needed. Martin O’Brien was fouled at the back under a high ball and Eoghan O’Mahony swept the free down the field where Eoin McCormack broke and then won possession. He handpassed it out to Staunton who rifled over from distance to raise the white flag. More of that, please!
Carlow were hurling well, though. The 50-50 balls were generally being won by the home side and their touch was very impressive.
Jack Kavanagh added his second before Denis Murphy showed sweet skill with the hurl to control a pacey ball before lofting over a marvelous score despite the close proximity and attention of Warren Kavanagh.
Wicklow were creating chances but they recorded only wides, and then they got a great boost when George O’Brien slipped out a nice pass in heavy traffic to Eoin McCormack and the Bray man lashed home to the back of James Carroll’s net to make it 0-05 to 1-01 after 15 minutes.
Carlow clocked up a few wides of their own but were soon coasting again and opened up a 0-13 to 1-01 lead after half an hour with Wicklow only registering wides, one from an Andy O’Brien longrange free as Wicklow’s difficulties from placed balls continued.
Seamus Murphy decided to send Anto Byrne for Peter Keane in a bid to add some physicality to Wicklow’s challenge. Meanwhile, Carlow’s Gary Bennett was enjoying his sweeper role much more than Wicklow’s John Henderson.
Andy O’Brien won and pointed his own free before Eoin McCormack went wide after a lovely ball from Danny Staunton but Carlow were just way ahead all over the field and they took to the dressing rooms leading by 0-15 to 1-03 and they were thoroughly deserving of that lead.
Wicklow needed to start the second half like a train and they did that with Andy O’Brien finally showing those lightening hurling skills by emerging for a ball and turning and firing over the bar.
Wicklow’s hunting ethic was more pronounced early in the second half, their hunger around the breaking ball more keen and from this they engineered their second goal.
Carlow were being hounded in their own defence so the ease with which that had been finding colleagues was gone. Eamon Kearns won a dirty ball around the middle, fed Danny Staunton who whipped in a dangerous ball. Gary Bennett looked to be in control but he fumbled the catch, there was Eoin McCormack who flicked the ball into the path of George O’Brien, ball gathered, the Pat’s man walzted around James Carroll and fired home. The perfect start.
O’Brien went wide from a free. Masterson converted, six on the clock, 0-16 to 2-05. Denis Murphy is on target from a free, Carlow always seem able to notch scores much easier than Wicklow. Ronan Keddy and Andy O’Brien pull Wicklow to within four points but Carlow put down the boot and points from Paul Coady, John Michael Nolan and two from the impressive Denis Murphy scuppers all hope of a Wicklow revival.
It was all over bar the shouting with a fair bit left but credit to Wicklow they battled right to the end to bring the curtain down on what has been a very positive year with a Kehoe Cup and league final and a Christy Ring semi-final being the heights scaled after the difficulties in 2016.
Wicklow had some good performers on the day in Netwatch Cullen Park and a glance at the scoreline will tell you that the trio of Warren Kavanagh, Stephen Kelly and Martin O’Brien were committed and willing all day and they, together with Eoghan O’Mahony, who has enjoyed a wonderful year between the sticks, managed to prevent Carlow from notching any goals.
Hurling is a ruthless teller of the truth and the reality of where Wicklow hurling is at in comparison to that of the likes of Carlow or Antrim was made abundantly clear on Saturday.
To be fair to Seamus Murphy’s men, very little went right for them, either on the day or in the lead up to this game, and that match sharpness that was evident in other games was certainly absent for long periods in Netwatch Cullen Park, so, Wicklow, on their day, and with all soldiers hitting form, wouldn’t be 10 points off Carlow.
But there is a gap, a big one. Closing that gap is the problem.
Scorers - Carlow: Denis Murphy 0-8 (6f), John Michael Nolan 0-5, Martin Kavanagh 0-3, Jack Kavanagh, Paul Coady, Chris Nolan 0-2 each, Kevin McDonald, Eddie Byrne 0-1 each.
Wicklow: Andy O’Brien 0-4, Eoin McCormack, George O’Brien 1-0 each, Danny Staunton, John Henderson, Diarmuid Masterson, (f), Ronan Keddy 0-1 each.
Carlow: James Carroll; Aalan Corcoran, Paul Doyle, Gary Bennett; Richard Coady, David English, Richard Kelly; Jack Kavanagh, Paul Coady; John Michael Nolan; Martin Kavanagh, Jack Murphy; Denis Murphy, Kevin McDonald, Chris Nolan. Subs: Eddie Byrne for Murphy (47); Gerard Coady for P Coady (64); James O’Hara for R Coady (69); Eoin Redmond for English (70 + 1); Eoin Nolan for Bennett (70 + 2).
Wicklow: Eoghan O’Mahony; Warren Kavanagh, Stephen Kelly, Martin O’Brien; Gary Byrne, John Henderson, Eamonn Kearns; Danny Staunton, Ronan Keddy; Peter Keane, Padraig Doyle, Diarmuid Masterson; George O’Brien, Andy O’Brien, Eoin McCormack. Subs: Anto Byrne for Keane (31); Jamie Byrne for McCormack (60); Luke Maloney for Kearns (61); Michael Verney for A Byrne (68); Wayne Kinsella for Keddy (70).
Referee: J Keane (Galway).