Murphy hopes Rangers can mount another challenge next year

In the fullness of time, they will view it as a remarkable journey and a breakthrough season, but Mount Leinster Rangers’ desolation at full-time reflected their lofty ambitions.

There was simply no accepting that reaching an All-Ireland final and then being beaten represented a positive outcome for a side from Carlow.

Talisman forward and chief scorer Denis Murphy said: “We’ve won three in a row in Carlow and the Leinster title and got to the final but I have to say, we still didn’t win it, it’s not much good getting here if you don’t win it. But this gives us hope that we can get here next year, maybe the year after. There’s no reason why we can’t.