Search Results for 'Brendan Murtagh'

What it was like on the sideline

On the computer I use to type out my weekly ramblings for Carlow First there’s an inbuilt thesaurus. I’d never thought of using it before until now. Why now? Well until last Sunday night I thought I had seen it all as both a player with and follower of the Carlow senior hurling squad. How wrong could I have been!

Carlow 3-22

Éire Óg played one of their “get out of jail free” cards last Sunday as they managed to scrape a draw from their encounter with Longford champions Colmcille. When this game is analysed as no doubt it has by the Teach Asca management they will surely look to the paltry scoring return of just 2-4. That's only six scores over an hour and forty or so minutes of football when extra time plus injury time is taken into account. Indeed going the entire second half without registering a score is almost unheard of for the Carlow champions. Finding themselves down three points early in the game it was 18 minutes before Éire Óg got themselves in on the scoring act. As in the county final replay that first score was a goal as ace poacher Eric McCormack added to his tally for the year. Two further scores, a point from Brian Carbery and Mark Kelly's goal provided a nice four point cushion at the half time break. Having weathered that early storm the home side would have been fancied to push on and finish the job in the second half but the Longford men had other ideas. In completely dominating the second half they almost caused the shock of the round by dumping the strongly fancied Carlow men out of the competition. At this stage of the game it was left to the home sides defence to keep them in the game. While forwards often take the plaudits, this time Éire Óg have their magnificent defence to thank for giving them another chance to progress to the semi final. With Colmcille dominating midfield they came in waves at Éire Óg. On two occasions they seemed sure to score what probably would have been a match winning goal but both efforts were saved magnificently by goal keeper Michael Hennessy. Having brought the game to extra time they were then dealt the blow of Shane Myers sending off. Without their regular full back they had to dig even deeper to live to fight another day. That they did is a testimony to the renowned never say die spirit and inner belief that the club has built up over the years. When Colmcille twice took the lead in extra time Eric McCormack showed his worth by holding his nerve to knock over the equalising frees. I always say that there's no such thing as an easy free but when your clubs continued involvement in the competition is at stake you could say there is just a little extra pressure. Well having got the draw out of the game they now must travel to Longford for the replay. For a team with Éire Óg's experience this will not worry them unduly. As has been well documented they have an outstanding record in replays. Hopefully the conditions will lend themselves more to good football unlike what we had last Sunday. Even though they will be away from home I still feel that Éire Óg will be favourites for this one and justifiably so. The forward line will be anxious to put more scores on the board this time round. A similar scoring return next weekend might not be enough. Simon Rea's injury is a blow but Éire Óg are well known for having strength in depth. Cormac Mullins came on the last day to score an important point at the start of extra time and could start in the replay. Experience could be the key to the result on Sunday and Éire Óg have this in spades. This I feel should be enough to see them progress.

St Lomans 1-13

What do the Government and the GAA have in common? Despite laying claim to protecting the most vulnerable and needy members of our society and sporting communities respectively, both have made decisions in recent weeks which will have drastic repercussions for those who are most deserving of protection.

he Mayo hurlers caused one of the shocks of the year on Saturday last in Westport GAA Grounds, as they dumped early season favourites Westmeath out of the Christy Ring Cup for 2009. Westmeath came into the tie as 1/7 on favourites, but the bookies got it all wrong as Mayo kept their championship aspirations alive thanks to a dogged display of power and skill.

It’s a big weekend for the footballers of Garrycastle as they travel to Pearse Park, Longford on Sunday to contest the quarter-final of the Leinster club championship. Longford champions Clonguish, backboned by the Barden brothers, provide the opposition.

What an intriguing county final pairing this year’s Westmeath senior championship has thrown up. And what a final lies in store. In the green and red corner we have a Garrycastle outfit hungry to make amends for last year’s county final defeat to Castledaly. In the blue corner are the underdogs, St Loman’s, making their first county final appearance in 41 years. Indeed it was 1963 when the Saints won their third and last county senior title. Aside from the medals on offer, neither set of players will be lacking in motivation to play the game of their lives when the ball is throw in at 3.30pm.