Battling Rathvilly earn replay with Palatine in Carlow

Rathvilly 1-10 Palatine 2-07

A point each from Rathvilly's Eric Molloy and Liam Gavin from a free ensured the Carlow Senior Football Championship final would go to a replay after the sides played out an intense but exciting draw at Netwatch Cullen Park on Sunday.

In front of a big crowd, Palatine got off to a great start when they raided down the right and Jamie Kenny off-loaded to Josh Egan.

The right-half forward had it all to do but he beat the advancing Robbie Molloy between the Rathvilly posts with an exquisite finish.

Palatine, who had won the title two years ago, were the better side in the first quarter. They didn’t fully capitalise and had to be content with a Conor Crowley point.

A '45 from goalkeeper, Craig Kearney increased their advantage.

Rathvilly were always going to have their period in the ascendancy and they hit back with a converted mark from Conor Doyle and a Kevin Murphy free. It was closely contested but Palatine had the edge.

Palatine began losing grip on the game as Rathvilly slowly lifted their intensity. Palatine made it hard on themselves and having been awarded a free out the ball was thrown up.

Gavin made full use of a stroke of fortune and was on hand to raise a white flag for Rathvilly. In a two minute spell, Rathvilly scored 1-02 with Eric Molloy running through the Palatine defence before expertly finishing to the bottom left hand corner of the net.

From there, Rathvilly took over and led 1-05 to 1-03 at the break. On the resumption, Egan took up where he had started the first half when he fired over a point.

Andrew Kehoe followed up with a point and with the sides level, the signs of a drawn game took shape.

Rathvilly were holding on to a one point lead when Palatine manufactured a goal when Stephen Reilly’s speculative effort found its way to the Rathvilly net.

They nearly created another one but overdid the passing and the ball ran loose. Yet they persisted and substitute Bryan McMahons point stretched the lead to two.

The champions of three years ago had the answer with those vital points which ensured the sides will have to do it all over again.

Rathvilly: Robbie Molloy; Colin Byrne, Dara Curran, Paraic Deering; Barry John Molloy, Josh Moore, Eric Molloy; Brendan Murphy, Adam Burgess; Brandon Kelly, Conor Doyle, Ed Finnegan; Jake Elliott, Kevin Murphy, Liam Gavin.

Subs: Brian Smith for Burgess (43), Darragh Murphy for Elliott (50).

Palatine: Craig Kearney; Conor O’Doherty, Cian Cashman, Jack Deacy; Stephen O’Reilly, Ciaran Moran, Cillian Duff; Finbarr Kavanagh, Jason Kane; Josh Egan, Shane O’Neill, Brandon Cassidy, Jamie Kenny, Conor Crowley, Andrew Kehoe.

Subs: Bryan McMahon for Cassidy (39), Conor Lawlor for Kane (46), Gavin Healy for O’Doherty (50), Tom Sheehan for O’Reilly (53).

Referee: John Hickey (Fenagh)

Scorers

Rathvilly: E Molloy 1-01, K Murphy (1f), L Gavin (1f), C Doyle (1-mark) 0-02 each, B Kelly, J Elliott, B Murphy 0-01 each.

Palatine: J Egan 1-01, S Reilly 1-00, C Crowley 0-02 (1f), S O'Neill (f), A Kehoe, C Kearney (f), B McMahon 0-01 each.

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