Leinster Senior Cup Final / Co Carlow 23 DLSP 19: DLSP literally kicked away their chance to win the Leddin Finance Leinster Senior Cup for the first time when right wing Conor Hickey and outhalf Simon Broughton between them missed a total of five penalties, two conversions and two drop goals in their narrow loss to the holders at Donnybrook on Saturday.
That said, Carlow player-coach Dan van Zyl was relieved not to have wasted an early lead: "We went up 20-0 and looked comfortable until a few silly errors cost us two tries and, from there, we seemed to lose our confidence.
"All credit to them (DLSP) for the way they came back. They are a very good side. I can't believe they are not in Division One of the All Ireland League. We are just happy to hold onto the cup."
It didn't look in the opening quarter as though the kickers would be all that involved in the argument. Carlow's Ben Young, drifting outside the lumbering Francis Cooney, and Maurice Logue, affecting a steal on Hickey and with a subsequent dribble to the line, finished the tries. Michael Swetman struck a penalty from long range and Young executed both conversions and a penalty.
The ball had all the adhesiveness of a bar of soap for most of the Salmo players. They seemed destined for their third final defeat in six seasons. Slowly though, they worked their way into good positions. Conor Power drove over from close to home and Mihai Vioreanu replicated Logue's soccer skills to reduce the deficit to 10. Hickey booted two penalties, his only successes from nine attempts, and Broughton sent over an arcing drop goal to leave a single point in it at the end of the third quarter.
Thereafter, Broughton tried his luck at another two drop goals and a penalty and Hickey could not find the target from two placed balls.
It was left for Carlow to lift the siege and for Young to kick the clinching penalty.
SCORING SEQUENCE: 4 mins: M Swetman pen 3-0; 6 mins: B Young try, con 10-0; 19 mins: B Young pen 13-0; 20 mins: M Logue try, Young con 20-0; 26 mins: C Power try 20-5; 27 mins: M Vioreanu try 20-10; Half-time: 20-10. 48 mins: C Hickey pen 20-13; 52 mins: Hickey pen 20-16; 60 mins: S Broughton drop goal 20-19; 79 mins: Young pen 23-19.
COUNTY CARLOW: B Murphy; R Jackson, T Bonnefoy, M Swetman, M Logue; B Young, D van Zyl; K Ashmore, A Galavan, K Corrigan, R Sheriff (capt), W Whitten, D Cox, D Dillon, A Melville. Replacements: B Durran for Jackson, 26 mins; D Mallon for Whitten, 44 mins; C Gee for Galavan, 77 mins.
DLSP: D McCabe; C Hickey, M Vioreanu, F Cooney, C Dempsey; S Broughton (capt), B Hogan; M Kavanagh, A Davies, K Taite, A Toher, P Lennon, C Power, J Jones, D O'Brien. Replacements: C Lehmann for Power, 43 mins, temp; T Fanning for Toher, 54 mins.
Referee: A Rogan (Leinster Branch).
