Solid Carrig-Riverstown pull away for convincing win – with assistance of soft goals

A DREAM year for Carrig-Riverstown will continue into December after they got away in the second half for a convincing win over Kildare vistors Leixlip in the Leinster Club Junior Hurling Championship semi-final at Birr's St Brendan's Park on Sundat afternoon.

Leinster Club Junior Hurling Championship semi-final

Carrig-Riverstown 4-14

Leixlip 3-8

1-6 to 1-5 ahead at half time, the Offaly intermediate hurling champions controlled the second half from start to finish and were fully deserving winners. They will face their toughest task of the season in the Leinster final against a highly rated Kilkenny side, Tollogher Rosbercon in the final in O'Connor Park on December 9 but they won't worry about that at the moment as they reflect on a very successful provincial campaign.

The victory was not as clearcut as the final scoreline suggests. There was very little between the sides in the first half with Leixlip the better side in the first quarter but Carrig-Riverstown finding something approaching their real form coming up to half time.

In the second half, however, they outscored their opponents by 3-8 to 2-3 and it is a sign of how much in control they were that Leixlip were displaying all the hallmarks of a beaten team from an early stage – with heads dropping and players going through the motions.

The Offaly-Tipperary border side had their task made a lot easier than it should have been with some soft goals as Leixlip custodian Keith O'Callaghan had a real topsy turvy afternoon. He got away with things in the first half, almost dropping one ball into the net and then making a spectacular penalty save from his opposite number, Liam Hoare after he dropped another and then fouled.

In the second half, he was a bit slow to advance off his line as Conor McDowall put the winners in the driving seat with a 35th minute goal. O'Callaghan made an excellent save to deny Conor McDowall a hat trick of goals in the 36th minute and it was not his fault that Cathal King was able to tap the rebound into the net. The fourth goal in the 44th minute, however, was at his door as he batted a Joe Hoctor ball out and Cathal King did very well to volley it straight into the net.

That fourth goal gave Carrig-Riverstown a 4-9 to 1-6 lead and it was over as a contest. King ended up with 2-1 and that was a great return as it looked like Carrig-Riverstown might have to replace him early on – he had got treatment a couple of times and the Offaly U-20 star was moved into full forward as it was clear he was unable to keep going at midfield.

The lively Conor McDowall also netted two goals as Carrig-Riverstown gave a very hard working, honest performance to advance.

A very exciting, keenly contested tussle emerged in the first half and it did not take Carrig-Riverstown long to realise that they would have their hands full with the visitors.

Leixlip started very well and were full value for their 1-2 to 0-1 lead after eleven minutes with Cormac Keegan firing home the goal in the 11th minute after a Ben Travers pass.

The Offaly intermediate champions got going after that with Conor McDowall getting the break they needed, finding the net in the 14th minute after a David Egan pass.

Carrig-Riverstown were the better team from here to the interval and led by 1-6 to 1-5 at the break,. They should have been further ahead as they missed a penalty with C-R net minder, Liam Hoare drawing a fantastic save from Keith O'Callaghan in the 27th minute. O'Callaghan owed his team mates that one as it was his error that led to the penalty with him fumbling a long Lee Hogan ball and then fouling David Egan – O'Callaghan almost fumbled another long ball into the net in the 19th minute but got away with it.

Flying corner forward Darragh Melville caused fierce problems for the home side in the first half, scoring five points, four from play, and oozing danger every time the ball went in. C-R never got to grips with him while their star midfielder, Cathal King was in injury trouble from an early stage before going in to full forward.

C-R were 1-6 to 1-3 ahead after 25 minutes but Melville got free for two excellent points and hit the post with another shot.

The half time score was just about right but those early second half goals knocked the life and fight out of Leixlip, who waved the white flag from a long way out. They had looked like they could bring it down to the wire at half time but the goals were a disaster for them. Carrig-Riverstown led by 4-11 to 1-7 after 47 minutes and had the luxury of emptying their bench from then on.

Leixlip did get in for two goals but they had no bearing whatsoever on the outcome. The first came from a John Roche free in the 49th minute and the fourth was the best goal of the day, as sub Alan Murphy riffled the ball to the net three minutes into injury time but at that stage, Carrig-Riverstown's attention was beginning to drift towards the Leinster final.

MATCH ANALYSIS

MAN OF THE MATCH

Patrick Bergin (Carrig-Riverstown): There is a strong case to be made for Leixlip corner forward Darragh Melville who probably was the best hurler on the field. He scored five points, four from play and was the reason why Leixlip still had a chance at half time. The C-R defence were very uncomfortable any time the ball went near him but he didn't score in the second half, his interest seemed to wane a bit when the game went out of sight and Thomas Hogan tightened up on him a lot more.

Carrig-Riverstown won because they had a much more balanced team. They had a lot of players who gave a very solid display and worked much harder as a unit for the duration. Cathal King made a great impact with 2-1, despite carrying an injury, Conor McDowall showed fine opportunism, Lee Hogan got better and better as the game wore on and Joe Hoctor worked very hard. The choice is C-R centre half back Patrick Bergin. In a rich vein of form, he never really put a foot wrong in the heart of defence, cut out a lot of ball and displayed a good physical presence.

THE SCORERS

Carrig-Riverstown: Lee Hogan 0-8 (7f), Cathal King 2-1, Conor McDowall 2-0, Joe Hoctor 0-2, Brendan Hoctor (f), Liam Hoare (f) and David Egan 0-1 each.

Leixlip: Darragh Melville 0-5 (1f), John Roche 1-2 (all frees), Cormac Keegan and Alan Murphy 1-0 each, Ben Travers 0-1.

THE TEAMS

CARRIG-RIVERSTOWN: Liam Hoare; Thomas Hogan, Ross Connaughton, Dylan Hogan; Cathal Hanlon, Patrick Bergin, Michael Fitzgerald; Cathal King, Peter King; Joe Hoctor, Brendan Hoctor, David Egan; Conor McDowall, Daniel England, Lee Hogan. Subs – Kian McDowall for Firzgerald (48m), Conor Hanamy for Egan (51m), Andrew Coakley for England (51m), Kieran O'Brien for CathalKing (53m), Mark Hogan for Conor McDowall (57m).

LEIXLIP: Keith O'Callaghan; Jack McGonigle, Ryan Doyle, Dara Mooney; Conor Higgins, John Doran, Conor Burke; Sean O'Connor, John Roche; Ben Travers, Jack Travers, Tomas Seale; Darragh Melville, Stephen Ryan, Cormac Keegan. Subs – Alan Murphy for Ryan (40m), Cillian Nicholson for Seale (43m), James Canning for Mooney (57m).

Referee – Ciaran Goff.

REFEREE WATCH

Ciaran Goff had a good solid game. He used the advantage rule well for Leixlip's first half goal. Carrig-Riverstown put in a couple of heavy hits in the first half and while the Leixlip support were braying for blood, yellow cards were the correct calls for Ross Connaughton and Peter King.

MOMENT OF THE MATCH

Conor McDowall's goal in the 35th minute put Carrig-Riverstown 2-8 to 1-5 ahead. It was a huge lead at that stage, they pushed on after it and Leixlip heads began to sag.

VENUE WATCH

Birr GAA clearly did plenty of work on their pitch to have it as good as it possibly could be for this. It was not a nice day for hurling with a light rain making conditions difficult. It held up as well as could be expected in this weather. The grass looked a fraction long but it may have been difficult to get a mower onto the pitch in recent days, there is still some growth out as the temperature can be mild on some days and maybe that bit of protection was no harm. Birr had plenty of stewards as usual and hosted the fixture well – there wasn't a big crowd present with Leixlip not travelling in any great numbers and not much neutral support. .

WHAT'S NEXT

Carrig-Riverstown play Kilkenny's Tollogher Rosbercon in the Leinster final on December 9 in O'Connor Park.

STATISTICS

Wides: C-R – 10 (6 in first half); Leixlip – 6(4 in first half).

Yellow cards: Carrig-Riverstown – 3 (Ross Connaughton, Peter King and Kian McDowall); Leixlip – 0.

Red cards: 0.