Leinster Club SHC quarter-final: St Mullins (Carlow) 1-19 Ferns St Aidan’s (Wexford) 1-17
Carlow hurling champions St Mullin’s set up a Leinster club semi-final meeting with Dublin’s Kilmacud Crokes following this narrow but merited win over Ferns St Aidan’s in a magnificent quarter-final tie at Netwatch Cullen Park on Sunday.
The hurling was of the highest order in a game played at a frantic pace before an attendance of 2,500 in temperatures borrowed from summer.
After Marty Kavanagh had scored two early points, St Aidan’s struck for 1-2 in three minutes, their goal coming from Wexford senior star Paul Morris after great work from Corley Byrne Dunbar.
But with Jack Kavanagh, the rangy St Mullins midfielder, in dominant form, St Mullin’s hit a necklace of six unanswered points to lead 1-12 to 0-6 at the break.
Marty Kavanagh contributed a dozen points to his side’s total, 11 from placed balls in a flawless exhibition of free-taking as St Mullins maintained their second-half lead.
It took a superb save from St Mullin’s goalie Kevin Kehoe to deny Ferns midfielder Ian Byrne on 53 minutes and keep his side’s lead intact. Byrne showed wonderful accuracy from frees for the visitors, scoring 0-8 from placed balls.
In a thrilling finish the Carlow side just held out for a victory they just about deserved.
St Mullin’s: K Kehoe; J Doran, P Doyle, P Kehoe; P O’Shea (0-1), M Walsh, G Coady; J Kavanagh, C Kehoe (1-0); James Doyle (0-3), M Kavanagh (0-12, 0-11 frees), P Connors; John Doyle, J O’Neill (0-1), P Boland (0-2). Subs: O Ryan for O’Neill (44) S Murphy for J Doyle (60).
Ferns St Aidan’s: J Lawlor; J Tonks, N Murphy, C Scallan; P Breen, E Murphy, C Roberts; R Scallan, I Byrne (0-8, frees); T Dwyer, C Turner (0-1), C Byrne Dunbar (0-1); D Doyle (0-2), P Morris (1-1), J Dwyer (0-3). Subs: D Byrne for C Scallan (35); B Jordan (0-1) for Turner (45); J Breen for Dwyer (53); R Nolan for R Scallan (57).
Referee: S Cleere (Kilkenny).
