Mount’s rise continues

MOUNT Leinster Rangers defied all the odds to reach the 2014 All Ireland club final — but then failed to get out of Carlow in any of the next three seasons. However they claimed the county title in October and now have a provincial semi-final to look forward to after beating Laois champions Camross in O’Moore Park. Camross were reduced to 14 men early in the second half following the sending off of wingback Darrell Dooley but the Laois men had the deficit back to a point with six minutes remaining. Mount Leinster Rangers finished strongly though and hit five excellent points in injury time to finally settle this contest. Zane Keenan, Mark Dowling, Niall Holmes and Damien Keenan all found the range to drag Camross back into the game but brilliant sub Ted Joyce as well as Chris Nolan, Derek and Diarmuid Byrne and Paul Coady were on target to set up a semi-final place against Offaly side Kilcormac-Killoughey in two weeks’ time. MOUNT LEINSTER RANGERS: F Foley; W Hickey, R Kelly, M Doyle; E Coady (G Lawlor 55), D Phelan, G Kelly; D Byrne, R Coady; P Coady, J Murphy (J Coady 45), E Byrne (T Joyce 36); D Murphy (Derek Byrne 38), C Nolan, K McDonald. Scorers: D Murphy 0-6 (4fs), C Nolan 0-4 (1f), T Joyce 0-3, P Coady 0-2, Derek Byrne, Diarmuid Byrne, J Coady and F Foley 0-1 (f). CAMROSS: T Doran; M Phelan (M Collier 55), M Burke, J Phelan; D Dooley, G Burke, D Keenan; D Delaney (A Collier 40), D Duggan (M Moloney 45); Z Keenan, T Burke, L Burke; N Holmes, M Dowling (A Mortimer 54), C Collier. Scorers: Z Keenan 0-8 (5fs, 1 ’65), N Holmes 0-2, D Delaney, M Dowling and D Keenan 0-1. Referee: J Owens (Wexford).