Old Leighlin 1-11 Rathvilly 0-13
A point from Cathal Coughlan with the last kick of the game won Old Leighlin a first Carlow senior football final in 12 years at Netwatch Cullen Park on Sunday.
The eventual winners will wonder how it ever came to it but with just ten minutes to go, they were six clear and seemingly in command.
An Adam Burgess point for Rathvilly didn't look that significant but those around him rallied to the cause and two points each from Daire Byrne and Dara Curran narrowed the gap to the minimum with the game heading towards four minutes of injury time.
Old Leighlin looked set to wilt when Kevin Murphy converted a 13-metre free and no doubt they would have welcomed the full-time whistle at that point. Somehow, they dug deep, won a side-line ball decision and when they worked play from right to left, Coughlan was on hand to slot the winning point.
The first half had been tight. Both sides play a similar running game but this time, they probed and prodded each other looking for a way through.
A Mikey Bambrick two-pointer for Old Leighlin lifted a somewhat lethargic crowd while Brandon Kelly’s two points for Rathvilly were the best of the scores. At the interval the sides were tied at 0-06 each.
Then came the lead up to all the drama. Bambrick raise a white flag. He then set up his side’s only goal when he ran at the Rathvilly defence and off-loaded to James Dowling who found the net.
Old Leighlin could have had a second goal but Rathvilly keeper, Harry Clarke, thwarted James Dowling at his near post.
Liam Gavin’s point for Rathvilly was cancelled out when Seamus Kinsella pointed for the champions in waiting. Aaron Amond added a two-point free.
It was looking comfortable for Old Leighlin at that stage. They had opportunities to kill off their opponents but mistakes cost them with turnovers and conceding frees hurt them.
Rathvilly lost Conor Doyle to a black card at this crucial time.
The 14-men put everything into those final minutes and almost pulled it off.
Old Leighlin also had Tadhg O’Neill black carded but they held out and Coughlan stepped up when needed most.
Old Leighlin: Steven Scallan; Jordan Kelly, Niall Roche, Tadhg O'Neill; Tadhg Roche, Sean Bambrick, Jamie Doyle; Ian Atkinson (0-01), David Bambrick; Aaron Amond (1-02pf), Mikey Bambrick (0-4,1-2p), James Dowling (1-00); Cathal Coughlan (0-02 1f), Seamus Kinsella (0-2 1f), Darragh Fitzgerald.
Subs: Sean Taylor for Dowling (53), Ruarc O’Neill for Doyle (57), Mark Brennan for D Bambrick (59),
Rathvilly: Harry Clarke; Robbie Ryan, Dara Curran (0-02), Paraic Deering; Padhraig Bolger, Josh Moore, Brian Smith; Adam Burgess (0-01), Conor Doyle; Peter Burgess, Brandon Kelly (0-02), Ed Finnegan (0-01); Liam Gavin (0-03), Kevin Murphy (0-2 1f), Jake Elliott.
Subs: Brendan Murphy for Elliott (42), Brynn Nolan (0-02) for Finnegan (42).
