Kavanagh embraces the pressure to seize Carlow’s big moment against Cats

Marty Kavanagh felt the pressure, but that didn’t stop him seizing the moment as he nailed his effort to seal a deserved point for Tom Mullally’s side.

SEIZING PRESSURE: Carlow players Martin Kavanagh, right, and Conor Kehoe after the drawn Leinster SHC Round 3 match against Kilkenny. Pic: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile

Leinster SHC: Carlow 1-20 Kilkenny 1-20 

Marty Kavanagh said that he was shaking with the pressure as he lined up the free that simply had to go over for Carlow to draw with Kilkenny.

Kavanagh felt the pressure, but that didn’t stop him seizing the moment as he nailed his effort to seal a deserved point for Tom Mullally’s side.

Cue scenes of unbridled joy for the sizable home support on the final whistle.

The subsequent pitch invasion may not have been at the same scale as the Páirc Uí Chaoimh edition later on in the night but it was just as passionate, because it meant just as much to them.

“Today is a great day, and we will enjoy it.” reflected their captain Kevin McDonald after the game.

“Were we thinking before the game that we’d get a draw or a win, probably not,” he said, “but it’s great that we’ve a point on the board now,” he added.

Kilkenny were the better team in the first half and took a five point lead into the break, but a terrific trio of Chris Nolan scores gave Carlow something to cling to.

The wides, the sloppy use of the ball and the numerical disadvantage all worked against the favourites in the second half and from the moment Conor Kehoe finished off a well-worked team-goal in the 63rd minute of the game, the possibility of a shock was very much on.

The final free was a contested one, with referee Chris Mooney opting to upgrade a Carlow sideline after Kilkenny’s Tom Phelan threw the ball into the stand to waste time.

But that moment of indiscipline was symptomatic of Kilkenny’s whole display.

Sub James Doyle had brought Carlow back into the game, with Fiachra Fitzpatrick and Marty Kavanagh also impressing for the home side.

On the other hand, Derek Lyng’s side hit seventeen wides on a day when championship debutante Killian Doyle was sent off for striking Chris Nolan off-the-ball, but Lyng didn’t use his club-mate’s dismissal as a crutch.

“There’s no excuse,” Lyng said after the game. “Carlow were first to the ball, they were fighting harder.

“We weren’t good enough today and that’s my responsibility. Carlow deserved that result.” 

“The red card didn’t help us, it was early in the game,” he continued.

“But at the same time, we got a bit ragged in the second half, and lost our shape a bit, which is disappointing.

“We had a chance at half-time to reset but look when you’re creating chances and not taking them. It put pressure on the team, and the frustration seeped through.” It seeped through to their supporters in Cullen Park too, who were at pains over the string of late wides as well as the numerous aimless deliveries into the chest of Carlow sweeper Kevin McDonald.

There is now a bit more pressure attached to Kilkenny’s visit to Parnell Park next weekend, with Jordan Molloy’s muscle injury adding to their list of walking wounded that already includes key attackers Adrian Mullen and Eoin Cody.

In their absence, Owen Wall more than took his chance, scoring 1-3 in his first championship start.

But that was one of very few positives on a disappointing day for the Cats.

“We have to dust ourselves down now, get ready for next weekend (against Dublin), it’s going to be a huge battle,” surmised Lyng.

Scorers for Carlow: M Kavanagh (0-9f), C Nolan (0-4), C Kehoe (1-0), F Fitzpatrick (0-2), K McDonald (0-1f), J M Nolan (0-1), D Murphy (0-1), J Doyle (0-1), P Boland (0-1) 

Scorers for Kilkenny: TJ Reid (0-6, 0-5f), O Wall (1-3), M Keoghan (0-3), C Kenny (0-3), T Phelan (0-2) B Ryan (0-1), S Murphy (0-1), H Lawlor (0-1) 

CARLOW: B Tracey; P Doyle, D Wall, N Bolger; T Lawlor, K McDonald, F Fitzpatrick; S Joyce, R Coady; J Nolan, C Nolan, M Kavanagh; J McCullagh, J M Nolan, S Treacy.

Subs: C Kehoe for S Tracey, P Boland for JM Nolan, C Whelan for Joyce (all ht), J Doyle for Coady (58), D Murphy for J Nolan (62) KILKENNY: E Murphy; M Butler, H Lawlor, S Murphy; D Blanchfield, D Corcoran, K Doyle; C Kenny, J Molloy; M Keoghan, J Donnelly, T Phelan; B Ryan, TJ Reid, O Wall.

Subs: T Walsh for Ryan (HT), C Fogarty for Molloy (40), B Drennan for Wall (58) 

Referee: Chris Mooney.