Glory for Rathvilly as they end Éire Óg's five in a row bid

Netwatch Cullen Park. File photo: INPHO/Oisin Keniry

Carlow SFC final: Rathvilly 2-12 Éire Óg 1-10

Rathvilly deprived Éire Óg of a five in a row of senior football titles in a gripping Carlow SFC final at Netwatch Cullen Park.

They got off to a great start when Brian Murphy outwitted the defence to score a goal. Éire Óg hit back and Chris Blake found holes in the challengers’ defence when accounting for 1-3 in the first half.

Rathvilly were hungry. They pressed the Éire Óg kick-out and the champions were never able to get going. With Murphy punishing every foul, the sides were level at 1-6 each at the break.

It was tight in the second half. Murphy and Darragh O’Brien for Éire Óg knocked over frees but Murphy offered more up front for Rathvilly. In the end, he ended up with an imperssive 1-8 from play and frees.

It was one moment of inspiration that was going to win this one. Rathvilly found it when they broke forward. When the first shot was blocked, Eric Molloy was on hand to blast the ball home soccer style. That was the clinching score and helped to secured Rathvilly’s ninth senior title in all.

RATHVILLY: R Molloy; BJ Molloy, P Curran, D Curran; J Moore, C Doyle, P Deering; B Murphy (0-1), E Finnegan; K Murphy, A Kelly, C Byrne; B Murphy (1-8 6fs), B Smith, J Elliott (0-3 1f).

Subs: E Molloy (1-0) for Kelly (42), D Molloy for Byrne (54), T Bolger for Deering (56), P Bolger for Elliott (62).

ÉIRE ÓG: R Moore; J Lowry, M Fitzgerald, B Kavanagh (0-1); J Morrissey, M Furey, P McElligott; K Chatten, S Gannon; R Dunphy, A Murphy, R Denieffe; D O’Brien (0-5fs), C Blake (1-3), C Hulton.

Subs: M Ware for Denieffe (h/t), N Quinlan (0-1f) for Hulton (51), E Ruth for Murphy (51), S Buggy for Fitzgerald (56), L Moore for Furey (62).

Referee: Paud O’Dwyer (Palatine)