O'Brien not happy with 'ridiculous' ordeal with substitution
SEMI FINAL BOUND: Jordan Molloy of O'Loughlin Gaels celebrates his side's second goal during the AIB Leinster GAA Hurling Senior Club Championship quarter-final against Moand O'Loughlin Gaels, Kilkenny, at Netwatch Cullen Park in Carlow. Pic: David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile
A turning point? That would be stretching it given that O'Loughlin Gaels always looked like winning this Leinster club SHC encounter but the 53rd minute dismissal of Diarmuid Byrne was certainly a talking point.
Mount Leinster Rangers, surprise winners of this competition a decade ago, had reduced a nine-point half-time deficit to just four when substitute Byrne was sent off in the 53rd minute.
He picked up two yellow cards but the first of those was controversial as it was apparently brandished by referee Eamonn Furlong for coming onto the field of play too soon in the 41st minute.
Maybe Brian Hogan's O'Loughlin Gaels would have finished as strongly as they did anyhow but they certainly took full advantage of the extra man, outscoring Rangers by 1-4 to 0-2 after that episode.
They will return to provincial duty on November 25 to face Kilcormac-Killoughey and while all the focus in recent seasons has been on Ballyhale Shamrocks - whom the Gaels beat in last month's county final - they carry an impressive tradition themselves with nine wins now from the 11 games they've played in Leinster.
Manager Brian Hogan said they have set their sights on capturing a third Leinster title though MLR manager Paul O'Brien cut a more downbeat figure after the reversal, pointing to missed opportunities in the first-half and also lamenting Byrne's red card.
"We tried to do things right when we had a free - get a fella on, get a fella off," said O'Brien of the substitution debacle. "The fella that came off was off the field, he was up in the stand and had to (then) go from the stand back onto the pitch.
"Like, that kind of stuff is ridiculous. And I'm not making an excuse out of it, it's just silly. Just trying to put a sub on and there's a f***ing ordeal to it."
Mount Leinster Rangers were always up against it as they hadn't played a competitive game since the county final win over St Mullins 13 weeks earlier. They played Ballygunner, Raharney, Lucan Sarsfields, DCU and Naas in challenges and, to their credit, reached the pitch of battle but lacked the required efficiency, in front of the posts at least.
Nine first-half wides cost them while O'Loughlin Gaels, in turn, converted the majority of their chances. Backboned by a solid defence containing Kilkenny trio Mikey Butler, Paddy Deegan and Huw Lawlor, they raced 1-3 to 0-1 clear after nine minutes with speedy corner-forward Owen Wall hitting their opening goal after a lung-bursting run.
Free-taker Mark Bergin, Jack Nolan and Cian Loy added points and their 1-10 to 0-4 half-time lead didn't flatter.
Brothers Chris and Jon Nolan hauled Mount Leinster Rangers back into it with a series of third quarter scores but the red card, followed by Luke Hogan's goal for the Gaels three minutes later, did for them.
"This is the lads' opportunity to leave their mark in the club at provincial level, it's a great competition and there's a great opportunity there for them," said Gaels boss and former Kilkenny star Brian Hogan.
: M Bergin (0-8, 4 frees, 1 65); O Wall, L Hogan (1-0); J Nolan (0-3); Conor Heary (0-2); P Butler, M Butler, C Loy (0-1).
: C Nolan (0-9, 6f, 1 65); J Nolan (0-3); D Tobin (0-1).
: S Murphy; M Butler, H Lawlor, A Forrestal; D Fogarty, P Deegan, J Molloy; J Nolan, C Loy; C Heary, M Bergin, E O'Shea; O Wall, P Butler, S Bolger.
L Hogan for O'Shea (38); J Ryan for Loy (45-f/t blood); C Kelly for Paddy Butler (51); K Murphy for J Nolan (58).
: D Grennan; S Joyce, J Murphy, M Doyle; T Lawlor, K McDonald, R Coady; F Fitzpatrick, E Kealy; T Joyce, D Murphy, J Nolan; C Kavanagh, E Byrne, C Nolan.
P Coady for Ted Joyce (h/t); D Byrne for Lawlor (41); D Tobin for E Byrne (51); T Brennan for Kavanagh (57); M Malone for Kealy (61).
: E Furlong (Wexford).
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