St Mullins ... 3-10 O'Toole's ... 3-7 For only the second time in its 33-year history a Carlow club has qualified for the Leinster Club SHC semi-final. In Dr Cullen Park yesterday St Mullins, the Barrowside champions, hurling with great passion and a high degree of skill, came from five points in arrears to shock Dublin champions O'Toole's in a hugely entertaining quarter-final.
When the visitors, backed by the wind, got off to the ideal start with a fortunate goal from a speculative delivery by full-forward Peter Pringle in the second minute, it looked as if the Dubliners had put a major dent in St Mullins' hopes. However, the Carlow men were on level terms by the 10th minute, put there by Davy Doyle who flashed a ground shot to the net from close range after Seán Gahan had cut in from the left corner.
At the end of the first quarter O'Toole's held a 2-2 to 1-1 advantage, Pringle also striking for the Ayrfield club's second goal. Come half-time it was 2-5 to 1-3 in favour of O'Toole's. The Carlow men were on level terms eight minutes after the re-start, Pat Coady firing over two frees ahead of a smashing goal.Their third goal was fired home by Paul Keogh after an astute ground flick from Pat Coady. Keogh followed that with a point two minutes later to leave St Mullins six points to the good (3-9 to 2-6).
O'Toole's hit back with a Brendan McLoughlin goal but powerful defending by St Mullins kept them at bay and they now advance to a semi-final meeting with All-Ireland champions Birr.
An elated manager Tommy Buggy said: "It was brilliant, but this is all about the players; it is recognition for a lot of hard work."
ST MULLINS: P Fenlon; E McDonald, T Doyle, M Kehoe; R Dreelan, S O'Shea, A Ralph; D Kavanagh, Paddy Coady (0-1); P Kehoe (1-1), Pat Coady (0-7, 6f), W Coady; D Doyle (2-1), M Ryan, S Gahan. Subs: D Murphy for W Coady, P Murphy for M Ryan, J Coady for Dreelan.
O'TOOLE'S: K McLoughlin; M Cox, L. O'Donoghue D O'Reilly; K Ryan 0-1, B McLoughlin (1-1, 1-1f), K Wilson; M Carton, S Kearns; M Healy, D McLoughlin (0-2), K Flynn (0-2, 1f); K Horgan, P Pringle (2-1), G Morris. Subs: D Hoare for Kearns.
Referee: J Guinan (Kilkenny).
