An amazing game that went to extra-time saw Carlow lift the Christy Ring Cup for the first time with a hard-fought three-point victory over holders Westmeath at O'Connor Park in Tullamore.
There was nothing to separate the sides in the opening half, with Carlow recovering from an indifferent start to level matters by the break at 1-10 apiece.
Eoin Price opened the scoring for Westmeath inside the opening minute, with Mark Brennan getting Carlow off the mark with a point on five minutes.
The first goal arrived after ten minutes with some route one hurling paying off for the Lake County.
Mark Briody's puck out fell to Brendan Murtagh who set up Derek McNicholas and the corner-forward slipped the ball to the net to put Westmeath 1-03 to 0-03 ahead. Two further Murtagh points stretched the lead to five but Westmeath then had to wait a further ten minutes to score as Carlow took command.
Jim Greene's men scored a 1-04 without reply to lead by two points with 20 minutes gone as Craig Doyle raised the green flag with a neat finish from close range after good work from Robert Foley in the build up. Westmeath then outscored Carlow before the half time whistle by 0-05 points to 0-02 to leave the score level at half-time.
A scoring blitz on the resumption of play saw Carlow score 2-04 without reply in the first ten minutes. Foley and Doyle found the net as Carlow lead by ten points against the bewildered Lakesmen.
The holders, however, were not about to hand over the cup without a fight and had reduced the deficit to just three points with ten minutes remaining, helped by 1-02 from star forward Murtagh.
Carlow edged further in front as full-time approached but in an amazing five minutes of stoppage time Westmeath forced extra-time with a goal from John Shaw and a last gasp converted penalty from Murtagh which ended the contest in normal time at 3-18 to 4-15.
A missed penalty for Westmeath in the third minute of extra-time ultimately proved costly as goalkeeper David Miley made the save from Murtagh's strike.
Paul Greville got the only score in the first period with a point for Westmeath, but four unanswered points in the second period from Carlow sawGreene's men win by three points and lift the Cup with Craig Doyle pointing for the last score of the game.
Westmeath: M Briody; G Gavin, P Greville (0-01), A Price; B Connaughton, D McCormack, P Dowdall; L Smyth (0-01), P Clarke; A Mitchell, B Murtagh (2-10, 0-07f), E Price (0-03); R Jackson, D McNicholas (1-01), J Shaw (1-00).
Subs used: B Smyth (for Jackson 24 mins), C Jordan (for Greville 42), N Gavin (for G Gavin 49), P Gilsenan (for Smyth 57), Greville (for Mitchell 70), C Flanagan (for Smyth extra-time).
Carlow: D Miley; A Gaul (0-01), D Shaw, J Rodgers; E Coady, S Kavanagh (0-04, 0-03f), R Coady (0-01); D Roberts (0-01), A Brennan; R Dunbar (0-03), C Hughes (0-07, 0-04f), M Brennan (0-02); J Coady, R Foley (1-01), C Doyle (2-01).
Subs used: J Hickey (for Brennan 60 mins), K English (for Dunbar 61), D Murphy (for Foley 63), B Lawler (for J Coady 70), S Murphy (0-01) (for Roberts 73), J Doran (for R Coady extra-time), Foley (for Hughes extra-time), Dunbar (for Murphy extra-time).
