Carlow 2-9
London 0-13
Allianz Division 4 Round Two
At Netwatch Cullen Park
By John Whelan
Carlow have continued their positive start to this year’s league campaign with a hard fought two point victory over London. Most of this match was played in an eye straining fog but it didn’t seem to faze the players. On 71 minutes Darragh O’Brien clinched the winning point for Carlow that prompted a knee buckling sigh of relief from the Carlow supporters.
Carlow opened the scoring when a Daniel St. Ledger free dropped short to Hugh Gahan who popped it over the bar after 8 minutes. Darragh Foley, Ed Finnegan and Alan Kelly would all add scores for Carlow. The efficient London attack added five scores to Carlow’s four with Lorcan Mulvey, Scott Conroy and Adrian Moyles all putting scores on the scoreboard. Carlow amassed nine first half wides to London’s tally of zero making the one point London lead at half time all the more frustrating.
Scott Conroy opened the scoring for London at the start of the second half but Hugh Gahan would respond with a goal. Gahan got the vital touch on a fisted ball to ignite the Carlow supporters in the stand. London weren’t rattled by the goal and added two points to regain the lead in the early going of the second half.
On 50 minutes Carlow made two changes, introducing Derek Hayden and Jack Kennedy. Shane Redmond made one of his three vital interceptions on 51 minutes, when , with a London man in behind him Redmond with hands high over his head plucked it out of the sky and immediately looked for the support runner. Carlow moved the ball at speed and the end product was a Jack Kennedy point, quickly followed by a Ciaran Moran score to put Carlow two points up. Once again London didn’t panic and Conor Sheridan would add a point to keep things tight and tense
On 57 minutes Derek Hayden won the ball in his own half and as he sent the ball he took a late hit which prompted a signal of advantage from referee Brendan Cawley (Kildare) but Carlow didn’t need it as moments later Darragh O’Brien was the in the right place to take a sidestep and place the ball in the bottom corner of the London goal to give a four point lead.
London still wouldn’t give it up and Scott Conroy, Conor Sheridan and Lorcan Mulvey would add four points from play . Daniel St. Ledger unleashed a shot from around forty metres which sailed between the posts to settle the Carlow side. Moments later as Captain St. Ledger was down the other end of the pitch trying his best to thwart another dangerous situation,the ball squirted out to a London player but it was Shane Redmond who was there for Carlow to win the ball and dispose of the danger and prevent a London score.
Redmond pulled one more vital catch from the foggy sky as we headed for stoppage time, once again preventing a London score that would have levelled the game. Darragh O’Brien clinched the win with a point with one minute of stoppage time remaining to leave Carlow on 3pts in Division 4. Next stop for Carlow is Waterford and Fraher Field on Saturday the 28th of February.
Carlow Scorers:
Darragh O’Brien 1-1
Hugh Gahan 1-1
Darragh Foley 0-2(f)
Daniel St. Ledger 0-1
Alan Kelly 0-1
Ciaran Moran 0-1
Jack Kennedy 0-1
Ed Finnegan 0-1
Division 4 Results
Wicklow 0-11 Leitrim 0-10
Offaly 0-13 Waterford 1-4
Longford 0-14 Antrim 0-13
Division 4 Table
Offaly 4
Carlow 3
Longford. 3
Waterford 2
Wicklow 2
Leitrim 1
Antrim 1
London 0