All Ireland Football Round 1A Qualifier

Carlow 1-17 Wicklow 1-12

By Declan Rooney at Netwatch Cullen Park

Brendan Murphy scored a goal for Carlow who advanced to the next phase of the All-Ireland qualifiers at the expense of neighbours Wicklow in Netwatch Dr Cullen Park.

Carlow had three black cards with Murphy, Darragh O’Brien and Sean Gannon sent to the line, but they were the better side and converted their early dominance to win.

They were hammered 2-24 to 3-11 by Louth in Round 1 of the Leinster championship on May 14 and they needed a fast start to build confidence here.

They took the early lead and Brendan Murphy’s first-half goal was crucial as Wicklow came back into the game but left themselves with too much to do.

Carlow held a 1-9 to 1-5 lead at half-time and despite a Wicklow comeback before and after the break, which included a Paul Cunningham goal, they had enough to hold them off at the finish.

Carlow began brilliantly and backed by the slight breeze they took the early initiative and created a big gap on the scoreboard with precise shooting of Darragh Foley from frees.

Full-back Daniel St Ledger scored their first point inside the opening minute from a free, and Foley tacked on a second point three minutes later.

Then Brendan Murphy bagged a crucial goal, after he muscled his way through the Wicklow defence, held off the challenge of Stephen Kelly and finished to the net. 

Foley hit another point from a free before Wicklow eventually got their first point when Paul Cunningham kicked a free in the 11th minute. But at that stage they trailed 1-3 to 0-1 and it got worse.

Foley scored three more frees and Carlow held a 1-6 to 0-1 lead by the 20th minute, even though Darragh O’Brien got a black card for an off the ball incident.

Wicklow couldn’t find their men up front and on one occasion when they did, Cunningham had his low drive saved well by Robbie Molloy in the 21st minute.

Wicklow had to wait until the 24th minute to double their tally and it was corner-back Arran Murphy who scored the first point from play.

Foley provided the reply once again, and eight points behind, Wicklow were well off the mark but they gradually chipped away at Carlow’s lead.

Rory Finn and Cunningham brought them closer and then Paddy Byrne gave Cunningham a route through on goal and scored Wicklow’s goal in the 34th minute.

Chris Blake and Brendan Murphy eased the pressure on Carlow but Cunningham scored another free before half-time as Wicklow trailed 1-9 to 1-5 at the break.

Darragh Foley scored two early points at the start of the second-half for Carlow, and that was a massive boost before Wicklow brought the margin back to just three points.

But Carlow kept them at that distance until the final quarter, when they pulled away, and Sean Gannon’s late black card mattered little in the end.

Scorers for Carlow: D Foley 0-8 (5fs), B Murphy 1-4, D St Ledger 0-3 (3fs), C Blake 0-1, G Power 0-1.

**Scorers for Wicklow: **P Cunningham 1-6 (4fs), D Hayden 0-2, M Kenny 0-2, R Finn 0-1, A Murphy 0-1.

Carlow: R Molloy; K Nolan, D St Ledger, BJ Molloy; G Kelly, J Murphy, B Kavanagh; B Murphy, S Gannon; A Kelly, D O’Brien, H Gahan; D Smithers, D Foley, C Blake.

Subs: G Power for O’Brien (16, black card), D Moran for G Kelly (53), Brian Murphy for J Murphy (60), J Murphy for Brendan Murphy (65, black card) J Murphy for Brendan Murphy (65, black card), B Cawley for Gannon (72, black card).

Wicklow: R Lambert; C Hyland, P McLoughlin, A Murphy; J Snell, S Kelly, D Healy; N Gaffney, A McLoughlin; M Kenny, P Cunningham, D Hayden; P Byrne, R Finn, M Lennon.

Subs: S Thompson for Lennon (35), D Woods for Gaffney (44), R O’Brien for McLoughlin (52), P O’Connor for Finn (59), M O’Connor for Byrne (69), J Crowe for Hayden (70).

Referee: P O’Sullivan (Kerry).