Carlow finished this National Football League Division 4 tie at Páirc Sean Mac Diarmada today with twelve players when Jamie Clarke, Mikey Bambrick and Ciarán Moran were all red-carded in a crazy few minutes midway through the second half.
irst half goals from Keith Beirne and Jack Heslin were the platform for the Leitrim win who led 2-7 to 0-8 at the break. In Beirne, they had a player who was not lacking in confidence and he added to his three-pointer with a string of points from placed balls and play. Heslin also picked off two points to go with his three-pointer and he always posed a threat.
Despite the concessions Carlow never dropped their heads and were very much in the game with Darragh Foley scoring seven points (6 frees) before the break.
On the restart, the away side looked set to make a real game of it. Particularly when Ross Dunphy scored two points in five minutes. From a Leitrim point of view, the accuracy of Keith Beirne from frees kept the scoreboard ticking over.
Then came those crazy moments with possibly a smidgen of sympathy for Ciarán Moran who may have reacted to the concession of a free. The referee changed his mind and gave Carlow the free instead which was converted. Bambrick got his marching orders for charging into a Leitrim player, while a Jamie Clarke punch ended his day out for the Barrowsiders.
Against inferior numbers Leitrim nailed points from all angles as Carlow waited for the final whistle which brought an end to their agony.
Right at the end, Emlyn Hughes brought a rousing cheer from the jubilant home support when he scored a point to go with the many more he scored over a long and glittering career.
Scorers – Leitrim: K Beirne 1-10 (7fs), J Heslin 1-3, M Plunkett, E Sweeney 0-2 each, B McNulty, E Mulligan, D Rooney, T Prior, P Keaney 0-1 each. Carlow: D Foley 0-10 (9fs), R Dunphy 0-2, J Morrissey 0-1.
Leitrim: D Maxwell, P Maguire, M Diffley, C Reynolds, C Farrell, S Quinn, M Plunkett, A Flynn, D Wrynn, D Rooney, J Heslin, P Keaney, T Prior, K Beirne, J Reynolds. Subs: J Rooney for Reynolds (55), E Sweeney for Prior (55), E Mulligan for Plunkett (59), B McNulty for Heslin (6),
Carlow: C Cunningham, L Roberts, M Bambrick, D Curran, S Bambrick, J Morrissey, S Clarke, N Hickey, C Moran, J Moore, R Dunphy, J Clarke, C Hulton, D Foley, C Crowley. Subs: E Molloy for Crowley (6), C Lomax for Molloy (32), F Kavanagh for Hulton (55), D O’Brien for S Clarke (57), S O’Neill for Lomax (66)
Referee: N McKenna (Monaghan).
