Carlow battle hard but Kildare U-20 hurlers come through test
Under-20 Leinster HC Kildare 1-13 Carlow 1-7
Kildare did not have it all their own way against Carlow
Pre-match favourites Kildare had to battle all the way in this Leinster Under-20 Hurling Championship third-round game at Netwatch Cullen Park on Saturday.
The Lilywhites opened the scoring with points from Killian Harrington and Charlie Sheridan (free).
Dylan Townsend converted a Carlow free to get the home side off the mark. While Sheridan scored six points in the first half, an Eoghan Doyle goal for the outsiders on 12 minutes ensured Kildare were not going to get too far ahead. At the interval, the away side, who registered nine wides, led 0-10 to 1-4.
The second half was a turgid affair, with Kildare lacking shape and enterprise. Carlow had lost their opening two games but showed a level of determination which their position in the group didn’t reflect.
Cian Boran, Senior squad member for the visitors, fired over a point, but Townsend converted another Carlow free. He repeated the feat minutes later after Sheridan was on target with a placed ball.
Both sides introduced their full quota of substitutes, and on his introduction, James Dolan took a pass from Boran and found the net with an unstoppable shot.
That killed Carlow’s attempted revival. Seven scores shared between the sides in that second period told its own story. Late on, Carlow lost Jake Doyle to a second yellow.
Scorers – Kildare: C Sheridan 0-7 (2fs); J Dolan 1-0; C Kehoe, C Treacy, K Harrington, D Guerin, C Boran, F Maher 0-1 each. Carlow: D Townsend 0-6 (fs); E Doyle 1-0; J Doyle 0-1.
Kildare – B Loughlin, E O’Briain, L O’Reilly, C Kirwan, S Gleeson, A Goss, B Hennessy, D Guerin, D O’Meara, C Flanagan, C Sheridan, C Kehoe, K Harrington, C Treacy, C O’Grady. Subs: C Boran for Treacy (h/t), F Maher for Harrington (42), James Dolan for Kirwan (50), O Lynam for Hennessy (57), C Nolan for Kehoe (59).
Carlow – D Byrne, S Kirwan, D Nolan, J Maher, P Stafford, S Wall, E English, C Beck, K Kavanagh, J Dundon, D Murphy, E Kealy, E Doyle, J Doyle, D Townsend. Subs: E O’Shea for Kealy (12), B Nolan for Dundon (39), R O’Neill for Wall (45), C Quirke for Murphy (49), P Kavanagh for Kavanagh (57).
Referee – O Beehan (Kilkenny).
