St Mullin's regain Carlow crown in style

St Mullin's Jason O'Neill.

Carlow SHC Final Replay: St Mullin's 2-25 Mount Leinster Rangers 3-16 

St Mullin's are the Carlow senior hurling champions for the 29th time in their history after beating Mount Leinster Rangers.

On Sunday in Netwatch Cullen Park, they had the game all but won by half-time.

Last week, reigning champions Rangers led by four points going into injury time but the Kingpins of Carlow senior club hurling forced a replay when Marty Kavanagh scored a late, late goal.

Rangers could be forgiven for thinking the day and the entire year was destined to go against them when they were reduced to 14. 

Their opponents, who had started well anyway, upped the ante and goals from Marty Kavanagh and Jason O’Neill helped the challengers into a 2-17 to 0-10 lead.

With intercounty players, Paddy Boland, Kavanagh and James Doyle all knocking over a succession of points, the eventual winners had led 0-10 to 0-4 after 18 minutes. 

Rangers lost their right-half forward, Dean Tobin, for a helmet offence on seven minutes. They were in deep trouble against a side who had momentum but hadn’t made it tell on the scoreboard.

Their arch-rivals started well but three wides threatened to derail the momentum they were building. 

After the dismissal, St Mullin's went for broke against the 14 men with four of their starting forwards all scoring from play. Some of those points were of the highest quality from a range of different angles.

Jason O’Neill scored the first Mullin's goal on 19 minutes when he took a pass from Kavanagh to find the net from close range. 

Shortly afterward, the provider turned goal-scorer when Kavanagh beat his opposite number and gave Dean Grennan no chance in the Rangers' goal.

Rangers lived on crumbs in the half with Chris Nolan scoring five points from play and Ted Joyce converting three frees. 

Also on the mark was Kevin McDonald with a free and Jon Nolan from play. 

With the wind behind them in the second half, the holders didn’t give up their title easily but it took them a while to get going. 

In the opening minutes of the second period, Kavanagh nailed two St Mullin's points and Jason O’Neill added another. Ted Joyce converted a Rangers free.

After that, the attempted comeback began in earnest. 

Chris Nolan rifled in a goal on 38 minutes. At the start of the final quarter, he was on the mark again with another three-pointer. Kavanagh steadied St Mullins' nerves with a free. 

Their last line of defence had to be on their toes in the final minutes as Rangers chased down what was an impossible deficit. 

A late Kevin McDonald free dropped under the crossbar for Rangers' third three-pointer. 

It came all in vain as Rangers regained some pride but St Mullin's won back the title which they last held two years ago.

Scorers St Mullin's: M Kavanagh (1-10, 3-65s 5f), P Boland (0-6), J O’Neill (1-3, 1-sl), James Doyle (0-3, 1f), C Kehoe (0-2), J Kavanagh (0-1).

Mount Leinster Rangers: C Nolan (2-5), T Joyce (0-6 f), K McDonald 1-3 (all f), Jon Nolan, D Murphy (0-1 each).

ST MULLIN'S: K Kehoe; P O’Shea, P Doyle, E O’Shea; G Coady, M Walsh, P Kehoe; C Kehoe, C Harris; J Kavanagh, James Doyle, P Boland; M Kavanagh, John Doyle, J O’Neill.

Subs: J Doran for Harris (57), O Ryan for M Kavanagh (58).

MOUNT LEINSTER RANGERS: D Grennan; M Doyle, M Joyce, S Joyce; E Kealy, K McDonald, T Lawlor; R Coady, Jon Nolan; D Tobin, T Joyce, D Murphy; Jamie Nolan, E Byrne, C Nolan.

Subs: P Coady for Jamie Nolan (h/t), D Byrne for M Joyce (h/t), C Kavanagh for Kealy (57), E Doyle for Murphy (57).

Referee: P Murphy (Ballinkillen)