Carlow SFC: Éire Óg and Rathvilly set for final showdown

Éire Óg completed four-in-a-row titles in the delayed 2020 final so Rathvilly will be going all out to stop their arch rivals completing a second five-in-a-row in their history.

Éire Óg and Rathvilly will meet in the Carlow senior football championship final next Sunday. Both sides enjoyed relatively easy victories over Mount Leinster Rangers and Bagenalstown Gaels respectively at Netwatch Cullen Park yesterday.

Éire Óg completed four-in-a-row titles in the delayed 2020 final so Rathvilly will be going all out to stop their arch rivals completing a second five-in-a-row in their history.

Brian Murphy scored 0-10 for Rathvilly as they kept dangerous opponents at distance in a 0-17 to 1-9 success. They were never headed. At half-time in an open first half Rathvilly led 0-8 to 0-5. Immediately after the break Kevin Murphy and Brendan Murphy both added points to the Rathvilly total and from there they were never going to be caught. Going into the closing stages there were eight points between them but there was some measure of satisfaction for the Gaels supporters when one of their favourites sons, Jamie Clarke, brought his total to 1-4 when getting through the Rathvilly defence for a well-worked goal.

In the second semi-final the champions, Éire Óg, swept into an early 0-5 to 0-0 lead against Mount Leinster Rangers. Most of the Rangers players will be lining out against Ballyhale Shamrocks in the forthcoming Leinster senior club championship so their mind tends to wander when it comes to football.

They did threaten the champions at times with Diarmuid Byrne, Kevin McDonald and Fiachra Fitzpatrick all raising white flags. Éire Óg remained patient, drawing their opponents onto them and then releasing their fast forwards into space where they excelled.

There was never any doubt about the result. Top scorer for Éire Óg was Colm Hulton with five points from play while Darragh O’Brien landed four, with three coming from frees. Right on the full-time whistle substitute, Niall Quinlan, scored the only goal of the game which will act as a signal to the Éire Óg manager, Joe Murphy, that he is fit and looking for a starting place next Sunday.

A winning scoreline of 1-16 to 0-9 doesn’t tell any lies.