CARLOW 2-10 WICKLOW 2-10
Ciaran Moran is tackled by Mark Kenny of Wicklow during Saturday’s draw game
Photo: ©INPHO/Evan Treacy
CARLOW overcame a number of setbacks to earn a hard fought draw against Wicklow in Netwatch Cullen Park on Saturday thanks to an injury time free from Shane O’Neill.
It took Wicklow less than a minute to score the first goal of the game through Padraig O’Toole and there was still barely 60 seconds on the clock when Kevin Quinn tagged on a point.
Despite that early blow, Carlow steadied themselves and grew into the game and took a three point lead at one stage after goals from Ross Dunphy and Jordan Morrissey.
However, SETU Carlow Sigerson Cup player Eoin Murtagh scored the fourth goal of the first half for Wicklow and they led by a point at the break, 2-6 to 2-5.
Carlow’s task grew even tougher again when they went down to 14 men in the 39th minute after Conor Doyle was shown a second yellow card.
Wicklow moved into a three point lead by the 54th minute but Carlow’s determination meant they hung on in the game.
Darragh Foley and Shane O’Neill scored to leave just one in it and the tension in the large crowd was palpable as 14 man Carlow pushed for an equaliser.
That arrived in the first minute of injury time when Conor Crowley found the target but that good work was undone just a minute later when Thomas Kelly put Wicklow ahead again with their first score in almost 20 minutes.
However, there was just about time for Carlow to snatch a well deserved late draw through O’Neill’s free.
Carlow will play Waterford away in the next round of the league next Saturday afternoon and you can read a full report and analysis of the draw against Wicklow and the build up towards that Waterford game in Tuesday’s edition of The Nationalist.
CARLOW: Ciaran Cunningham, Shane Buggy, Mikey Bambrick, Jonah Dunne; Sean Bambrick, Jordan Morrissey (1-1), Conor Doyle; Niall Hickey, Liam Brennan; Josh Moore, Ciaran Moran, Jamie Clarke (0-1); Ross Dunphy (1-0), Darragh Foley (0-5, 3fs), Conor Crowley (0-1). Subs: Colm Hulton for Dunne (h/t), Mark Furey for Moran (53), Shane O’Neill (0-2fs) for Brennan (55), Eric Molloy for S Bambrick (60).
WICKLOW: Mark Jackson (0-3fs); Tom Moran, Eoin Murtagh (1-0), Malachy Stone; Zach Cullen, Patrick O’Keane, Paul McLoughlin; Padraig O’Toole (1-0), Jack Kirwan; Rory Stokes, Dean Healy, Cathal Baker; Mark Kenny, Kevin Quinn (0-1), Eoin Darcy (0-4fs). Subs: Andy Maher (0-1) for Stokes (h/t), Thomas Kelly (0-1) for Baker (64), JP Hurley for Kirwan (64).
REFEREE: Fintan Pierce (Offaly).
