Hungry Carlow edge out gallant Westmeath in thrilling Ring Cup final

Edward Coady"s long and passionate speech when he received the Christy Ring Cup sometime after 8 pm in O"Connor Park last Sunday evening said it all. The Carlow captain (who hardly needed a microphone, such was his unconfined joy) made it very clear to all and sundry just how much being crowned Tier Two hurling champions for 2008 meant to the Barrowsiders, who had just overcome Westmeath in a titanic final, which required extra-time to separate two well-matched sides.The otherwise low-key build-up to the final may have been dominated by the controversy over the time and venue for the fourth staging of the Ring Cup decider, but the 3,000 or so spectators (mainly sporting green, yellow and red colours) who turned up on a balmy bank holiday Sunday evening in Tullamore will ultimately remember the game for all the right reasons. The quantity and quality of scores from both sides and a tremendous Westmeath comeback to bring the game into extra-time, made for riveting entertainment.In the final analysis, Carlow probably just about deserved to dethrone the champions and they now face in to an intriguing clash with Laois for the right to compete in the Liam McCarthy Cup next year, while the failure to qualify for the championship proper in 2009 is undoubtedly a body blow to the Lake County.A pre-match parade, led by the Mount Bolus Pipe Band, added to the atmosphere and the presence of GAA President, Nickey Brennan (who rightly lauded the game in the highest possible terms in his presentation speech) gave the final some of the status which was thoroughly deserved by the participants and, indeed, the family of the late Cork hurling maestro, Christy Ring.In the first half, Westmeath had the advantage of a decent wind blowing towards the electronic scoreboard end of the splendidly-revamped Offaly GAA county grounds. After a scrappy opening half a minute, Westmeath"s Eoin Price neatly picked up the sliotar and popped over a fine point from 35 metres. The sides then exchanged wides, Brendan Murtagh shooting narrowly wide from a monster free (which seemed to be a harsh call on the winners), followed by a Robert Foley miss at the other end. Murtagh, who turned in yet another fabulous performance for the maroon and whites, found the range in the fifth minute from a free on the 65-metre line.From the puck-out, Carlow opened their account with a well-taken point by Mark Brennan. Soon afterwards, Adam Price, who was as outstanding throughout in defence as Brendan Murtagh was in attack, tidied up superbly after loose play near the Westmeath goal area. A successful free from the halfway line near the sideline by Brendan Murtagh was cancelled out within a matter of seconds by a terrific score from Ruairí Dunbar, who broke his hurley for good measure. The same player soon levelled the tie, after a Shane Kavanagh free was held up by the wind.Westmeath responded well with a haul of 1-2 without reply between the tenth and 12th minutes. Brendan Murtagh set up Derek McNicholas for the game"s opening goal, the Lough Lene Gaels man shortening his grip on the hurley before flicking the ball to the net from close range. A foul on the strong-running Paddy Dowdall gave Brendan Murtagh a simple chance from a 30-metre free and, almost immediately, the Clonkill star added another point from play, after a pass from the initially-hesitant John Shaw.However, Carlow went on an even bigger scoring spree which yielded an unanswered 1-4 in a five-minute spell midway through the first moiety. A tap-over free from Colin Hughes was followed by a splendidly-finished goal from Craig Doyle, having taken Robert Foley"s pass after the full forward appeared to nudge Paul Greville. A wonderful sideline cut from Damien Roberts brought the teams level and a rampant Carlow side added two more points in quick succession, Robert Foley capitalising on an error by an out-of-sorts Paul Greville for his first score and Shane Kavanagh pointing a free from just short of the 65-metre line.The deficit was halved courtesy of a fine individual score from Eoin Price, with Paddy Dowdall unlucky not to replicate this feat in the next passage of play. In the 24th minute, Colin Hughes pointed a 45-metre free for the winners, but well-taken points from play by Leo Smith and Brendan Murtagh left the teams tied at 1-8 apiece on the half-hour mark. Long-range points from Shane Kavanagh (from a free) and Richard Coady (from play) edged Carlow into a two-point lead, but two successful Brendan Murtagh frees meant that the teams went in for their half-time break on level terms, having both scored 1-10 in a very lively first half.Both sides made a number of positional changes prior to the re-start, but the Barrowsiders emerged with all guns blazing and they quickly raced into a seemingly unassailable ten-point lead. A pointed free from Colin Hughes (which many of those present, this reporter included, felt had drifted wide) was followed by a neat point from Ruairí Dunbar. However, worse was to follow from a Westmeath viewpoint, with a two-goal salvo in as many minutes from Robert Foley (a sublime mid-air pull from Shane Kavanagh"s "65", ironically awarded after Adam Price"s only error of the entire contest) and Craig Doyle (with another great finish for his second three-pointer, having taken Robert Foley"s astute pass). Two more converted frees from Colin Hughes left Johnny Dooley"s charges with a mountain to climb, trailing by 1-10 to 3-14 with just ten minutes elapsed in the second moiety.Any possible feeling of complacency in the Westmeath ranks was now well and truly dispelled and, to their great credit, the lads in maroon and white dug deep over the ensuing ten minutes to reduce the deficit to a single goal. A neat point from Eoin Price was followed by a pointed free from Brendan Murtagh. However, better was to follow from Westmeath"s prolific centre half forward when he buried a close-range free, awarded after Pat Clarke was cynically fouled by John Rodgers as the Castletown-Geoghegan man bore down on goals. Murtagh soon added a sublime point under pressure from near the terrace sideline, before Derek McNicholas fielded a pass from the imperious Adam Price and dissected the posts. Sandwiched between this brace of points, Philip Gilsenan replaced Brian Smyth (himself on as a substitute) as a "blood sub", but the Brownstown clubman played out the rest of the game, including extra-time.With five minutes of normal time remaining, Carlow corner back, Andrew Gaule popped up at the end of a sweeping move to pop over his team"s 15th point. The respective number 11s, Colin Hughes (play) and Brendan Murtagh (free) exchanged points, but Mark Brennan (after being gifted the ball by his opposite number, Eoin Price) and Colin Hughes (who was set up in acres of space by substitute Des Murphy) tacked on two further Carlow points, to leave them ahead by six points as the game entered added-time. The fourth official signalled five minutes of stoppage time but even this seemed to be insufficient for the champions to hold on to their title. However, Eoin Price and Brendan Murtagh were prominent as John Shaw managed to poke home a 39th-minute goal for the Lake County and, in the dying seconds, Brendan Murtagh fielded Shaw"s long delivery and he was bundled to the ground close to the Carlow goal. With 41 minutes and 15 seconds on the stopwatch, Murtagh broke Carlow hearts by rifling home the resultant penalty, leaving the sides deadlocked on a scoreline of Carlow 3-18 Westmeath 4-15.An air of unreality permeated the crowd during the break prior to extra-time, with the predominantly Carlow crowd sensing that they had left the Ring Cup behind them. Wind-assisted Westmeath now looked odds-on to regain their crown, but six wides to Carlow"s zero during the first of the two ten-minute periods of extra-time ultimately proved fatal. Indeed, two tired teams could muster only one score between them in this period, a returned Paul Greville now operating in attack and firing over a fine point in the sixth minute. Three minutes earlier, Brendan Murtagh showed that Homer can occasionally nod with a poorly-struck penalty which was comfortably saved by Carlow netminder, David Miley, after Murtagh, now operating at full forward, was again impeded close to goal. Indeed, the Clonkill man could easily have been allowed an advantage as he had found the net as the whistle blew for the penalty award. Murtagh was also unlucky in the ninth minute, his shot for a point from near the sideline just shaving the wrong side of the upright.The champions-elect were less profligate on the change of ends and a straightforward point from substitute Seamus Murphy, sandwiched between two converted frees from almost 80 metres from Shane Kavanagh, put the Barrowsiders two points to the good after five minutes.David Miley then produced a great diving save to thwart Derek McNicholas and Brendan Murtagh was short from the resultant "65". With that, Westmeath"s reign as Ring Cup champions effectively came to an end and a clearly-delighted Craig Doyle added the insurance point with a great strike from near the sideline in the eighth minute. Westmeath threw the proverbial kitchen sink at Carlow in the dying moments but a resolute defence held out, precipitating joyous scenes as multi-coloured Carlow fans celebrated a famous victory by swarming on to the lush O"Connor Park surface.This win was a definite setback for Westmeath hurling at the end of what has been something of a topsy-turvy year for Johnny Dooley"s men. However, the prospect of a number of games against more established counties in a revamped National League will definitely assist in the learning process for the Lake County, who remain well short of the standard consistently displayed by the elite counties. Last Sunday, Adam Price was arguably the best player on the pitch, time and again showing tremendous positional sense and following up with lengthy clearances. He was well supported in defence by Paddy Dowdall and Darren McCormack, but Westmeath were edged out in the midfield battle. Brendan Murtagh"s class shone throughout in attack and he certainly would not be out of place when the All-Star nominations are announced in December. Eoin Price also caught the eye and corner forward John Shaw, not for the first time, benefited from a move outfield.Carlow"s progress in underage hurling in recent years has been noteworthy and their hunger and intensity on Sunday evening was clear for all to see. Des Shaw and Shane Kavanagh formed a very solid defensive spine, while Damien Roberts was the best midfielder on show. Colin Hughes, Ruairí Dunbar and Craig Doyle were free-scoring forwards. In truth, Edward Coady"s vociferous post-match speech summed up just what this victory meant to the winners.Carlow: David Miley; Andrew Gaule (0-1), Des Shaw, John Rodgers; Edward Coady (capt), Shane Kavanagh (0-4, all from frees), Richard Coady (0-1); Damien Roberts (0-1, from a lineball), Alan Brennan; Ruairí Dunbar (0-3), Colin Hughes (0-7, 0-5 from frees), Mark Brennan (0-2); John Coady, Robert Foley (1-1), Craig Doyle (2-1). Subs: James Hickey (for A. Brennan, 60 mins), Karl English (for R. Dunbar, 62 mins), Des Murphy (for R. Foley, 64 mins), Brendan Lawler (for J.Coady, 70 mins), Seamus Murphy (0-1) (for D. Roberts, 70 mins), John Doran (for R. Coady, 77 mins), Robert Foley (for C. Hughes, 82 mins), Ruairí Dunbar (for S. Murphy, 85 mins).Westmeath: Mark Briody; Greg Gavin, Paul Greville (0-1), Adam Price; Brian Connaughton, Darren McCormack, Paddy Dowdall; Leo Smith (0-1), Pat Clarke; Andrew Mitchell, Brendan Murtagh (2-10, 1-0 from a penalty, 1-7 from frees), Eoin Price (0-3); Robbie Jackson, Derek McNicholas (1-1), John Shaw (1-0). Subs: Brian Smyth (for R. Jackson, 25 mins), Conor Jordan (for Greville, 43 mins), Noel Gavin (for G. Gavin, 50 mins), Philip Gilsenan ("blood sub", for B. Smyth, 58 mins), Paul Greville (for A. Mitchell, 70 mins), Christopher Flanagan (for L. Smith, 86 mins).Referee: Noel Cosgrove (Tipperary)