Carlow up ante in final quarter to see off Tralee

IT Tralee0-7 IT Carlow0-10

A depleted IT Tralee bowed out of the Sigerson Cup after a brave performance against IT Carlow came up short in Tralee yesterday.

The hosts were without Austin Stacks’ duo Denis McElligott and Ciarán O’Connell, along with Kerry senior panel member Paul O’Donoghue yet showed huge resolve against the fancied visitors who were minus star man Brendan Murphy (fractured foot).

Tralee started brightly and led for the most of the first-half, as Carlow played an extremely defensive game.

However, Tralee found it hard to get any primary possession in their inside line, where Conor Keane and Gavin O’Shea were well shackled by Anthony Forde, Conor Lawlor and Declan Smyth.

The home side were reliant on Jack Savage for scores and he landed all of their first-half points.

At the other end Liam Boland and Barry McHugh were Carlow’s chief attacking threats and their points left the sides level at the break (0-4 apiece).

The Tralee defence, with Mark Egan, Sean Flynn, Cian Horan and Gavin Crowley to the fore, dominated the third quarter as three more Savage points edged them 0-7 to 0-6 ahead.

But Carlow came good down the home stretch as points from Tom Shiels, Eoin Lynch, Boland and McHugh got them through.

Scorers for IT Carlow: W Boland 0-4 (0-1 frees), B McHugh 0-4 (0-3 frees), E Lynch and T Shiels 0-1 each.

Scorers for IT Tralee: J Savage 0-7 (0-4 frees)

IT TRALEE (Kerry unless stated): S Kenny, M Egan, J Lyne, S Flynn (Cork), G Crowley, C Horan, C Cromwell (Monaghan), G Bastible, P McMahon, P Nash (Limerick), J Savage, A Duggan, G O’Shea, C Keane, P O’Shea.

Subs: D Wallace for P O’Shea (B/C 13), K Mulvihill for A Duggan (47), L O’Sullivan for P McMahon (47), P Quille for G Bastible (54).

IT CARLOW: S Murphy (Kerry), T O Connell (Kildare), C Lawlor (Carlow), D Smyth (Meath), E Lynch (Meath), T Featherson (Roscommon), E Walsh (Galway), A Dever (Mayo) , M Sherry (Kildare), K Ryan (Limerick) , A Forde (Meath) , W Young (Laois) , W Boland (Tipperary) , T Shiels (Laois) , B McHugh (Galway).

Subs: K Mulvany (Cavan) for A Dever (50), M Russell (Tipperary) for T Shiels (58).

Referee: M Collins (Cork).