Joe McDonagh Cup

CARLOW 5-23 KILDARE 0-19

By Ger McNally at Netwatch Cullen Park

PADDY Boland scored a hat-trick of goals in the opening 26 minutes as Carlow opened their McDonagh Cup campaign with a convincing victory over Kildare at Netwatch Cullen Park.

Tom Mullally, who has managed many of the Kildare team with the Naas club over the last couple of years, had his team primed for this game and they relentlessly tore into their opponents during a tremendous first half.

Kildare played a league final against Offaly only six days ago and that perhaps showed against a Carlow side who last played a competitive game three weeks ago but really there was no excusing their lacklustre first half display.

Brian Byrne actually had the first scoring chance of the game for Kildare but his goalbound shot after just 30 seconds was bravely blocked by Conor Lawlor.

From there, it was all one way traffic. Boland got the first of his goals with the first score of the game in the 4th minute and then added his second in the tenth minute.

By the time he completed his treble with a powerful shot from the ground Carlow led by 3-11 to 0-3.

He could even have got a fourth two minutes later but Marty Kavanagh elected to pass to Conor Kehoe on his right, rather than Boland on his left, and the wing forward netted Carlow’s fourth goal.

Among all the goals, Kavanagh was near flawless from dead balls and Carlow led by 4-13 to 0-5 at the break.

Kildare did improve in the second half but played themselves into trouble once more in the 47th minute when James Doyle intercepted a pass out of defence and fed Kehoe who scored his second goal of the game.

At one stage in the second half, Kildare scored five points in a row but their day was summed up in the 54th minute when goalkeeper Paddy McKenna shot wide from a penalty after James Burke had been fouled.

Carlow saw the game out comfortably in the end as made a brilliant start to Championship action.

Scorers for Carlow: P Boland 3-0, M Kavanagh 0-12 (9fs, 65), C Kehoe 2-2, J Doyle 0-4, C Nolan 0-3 (1f), D Byrne 0-1, J Nolan 0-1.

Scorers for Kildare: J Burke 0-10fs, D Qualter 0-2, C McCabe 0-2, C Dowling 0-1, G Keegan 0-1, Cian Boran 0-1, M Delaney 0-1, J Byrne 0-1.

CARLOW: Brian Treacy; Paul Doyle, Conor Lawlor, JP Treacy; Fiachra Fitzpatrick, Diarmuid Byrne, Jack McCullagh; James Doyle, Kevin McDonald; Jon Nolan, Martin Kavanagh, Conor Kehoe; Jack Kavanagh, Paddy Boland, Chris Nolan. Subs: Jack Tracey for J Nolan (b/s 20-35); John Michael Nolan for JP Treacy (53); Niall Bolger for Lawlor (51); Jack Tracey for Boland (67); Fiach O'Toole for J Nolan (70); Richard Coady for M Kavanagh (71).

KILDARE: Paddy McKenna; Niall O’Muineachain, Simon Leacy, John McKeon; Paul Dolan, Rian Boran, Conan Boran; Johnny Byrne, Cathal McCabe; James Burke, Gerry Keegan, Cian Boran; Brian Byrne, David Qualter, Cathal Dowling. Subs: Jack Travers for McKeon (h/t); Declan Flaherty for Dolan (h/t); Mark Delaney for Byrne (52); Sean Christanseen for Qualter (58); Cian Shanahan for Cian Boran (67);

REFEREE: Colum Cunning (Antrim), replaced at half time by Caymon Flynn (Westmeath).