Mount Leinster Rangers hold nerve to edge home in thriller

MOUNT LEINSTER RANGERS 0-18 LOUGHGIEL SHAMROCKS 2-11

Loughgiel manager PJ O'Mullan could think of no better compliment to pay Mount Leinster Rangers after Saturday's AIB All-Ireland club hurling semi-final than to describe them as a mirror-image of his own team.

Two years ago, the Antrim club won an All-Ireland senior hurling title against the head and now a small rural club in Carlow is threatening to do the same.

After sweeping Ballyboden and Oulart-the-Ballagh aside en route to the county’s first Leinster senior championship title, Mount Leinster defied the odds once again in Pairc Esler on Saturday afternoon, holding their nerve in a frantic finish to book their place in the St Patrick’s Day showpiece against Portumna.

Talent wins out
Their manager Tom Mullally believes their fairytale journey is further proof that geography has nothing to do with ability.

Living in the shadow of Kilkenny and Wexford for so long, Mount Leinster have put Carlow hurling on the map and it's of no surprise to their long-serving manager.

“If you follow hurling and you forget where you’re from, you can recognise hurling wherever you see it,” said the Kilkenny native. “People talked about Clare not being ready to win an All-Ireland last year but they proved their credentials.

“Maybe people thought because we’re from Carlow we wouldn’t be good enough. But if you’re good enough, you’ll win the game. Loughgiel went to Croke Park two years ago and won because they were good enough.

“We have got on a roll this year and I was worried the break might break our momentum but thankfully it went well for us.”

What was most impressive about Mount Leinster was that they never buckled under the pressure exerted by Loughgiel in the second half.

Denis Murphy was Mount Leinster’s scorer-in-chief, hitting 0-11 over the hour including four from play.

He hit six frees in a dominant first half by Mount Leinster, with Eoin Doyle also scoring two nice points.

Loughgiel goalkeeper DD Quinn struggled badly with his puck-outs into the wind and the Antrim champions trailed by 0-10 to 0-6 at half-time, and by five points early in the second-half.

Goals from Benny McCarry (35) and a brilliant effort from Liam Watson drew the Antrim champions level at 2-10 to 0-16 after 54 minutes.

This was when the Mount Leinster metal was tested – and they passed with flying colours.

They defied the odds when Derek Byrne put them in front again and even after Watson hit an equaliser, Murphy responded with his fourth from play.

Watson missed a simple free which could have taken the game to extra time.

In a mixed display, Loughgiel’s star forward hit 1-6 but also notched up four second-half wides including the 40m free in front of the posts.

There were other mistakes. Midfielder Mark McFadden was sent off in injury-time on a second yellow card, after a free-in had already been awarded to Loughgiel. His retaliation meant the decision was reversed, much to the relief of Mount Leinster.

“When the pressure was on, the players held their nerve,” said Mullally. “I would trust the players in a tight situation and they didn’t panic. It’s up to them to find a resolution to a problem and work their way through it and they did that.

“There was probably pressure on Loughgiel coming into the game and they came like a train in the second-half, but our players are growing up. They are two years older than when they won an All-Ireland intermediate title two years ago and two years more experience.

“It is only a small club but there is no lack of confidence. You have to have confidence in yourself.”

Mutual admiration
Maybe it's because both teams hail from two of hurling's second-tier counties. But there was a mutual admiration and respect for each other that is rare to see in the cut-throat modern-day game.

Although they never really got up to the pitch of the game, except perhaps in the last quarter of an hour, Loughgiel manager PJ O’Mullan insisted that was not borne out of complacency.

“I tried to tell everyone how good this team was,” he said.

“I said it during the week, that they reminded me of ourselves two years ago, and you have to give them credit.

“They were the better team on the day and they took their chances. We have no complaints.”

LOUGHGIEL SHAMROCKS: D Quinn; P Gillan, N McGarry, R McCloskey; M Scullion, B McAuley, O McFadden; M McFadden (0-1), T McCloskey; J Scullion (0-1), D Laverty, E McCloskey (0-2); B McCarry (1-0), S Casey (0-1), L Watson (1-6, 0-3 frees). Subs: T Coyle for R McCloskey (25 mins), J Campbell for Scullion (39 mins), D McCloskey for J Scullion (59 mins), M Connolly for T McCloskey (60 mins). Red card: M McFadden (60mins).
MOUNT LEINSTER RANGERS: F Foley; M Doyle, G Doyle, G Kelly; Diarmuid Byrne (0-1), R Coady, E Coady; Derek Byrne (0-1), P Nolan (0-1); P Coady, E Byrne, D Phelan (0-1); D Murphy (0-11, 0-7 frees), J Coady (0-1), E Doyle (0-2). Subs: J Murphy for Nolan (48 mins), HP O'Byrne for J Coady (56 mins), W Hickey for E Doyle (58 mins), J Hickey for E Coady (60 mins).
Referee: Cathal McAllister (Cork)