Gaelic Games

Éire Óg ease to 27th Carlow title with replay win over Rathvilly

Rathvilly reduced to 13-men as Éire Óg become first side to lift new Nationalist Cup

Éire Óg claimed their 27th Carlow title with victory over Rathvilly at Cullen Park. Photograph: Tommy Dickson/Inpho

Sun Oct 22 2017 - 18:58

Éire Óg 2-8 Rathvilly 1-8

Éire Óg claimed their 27th Carlow senior football championship title and became first holders of the new Nationalist Cup with victory over 13-man Rathvilly in Sundays’s replayed final at Netwatch Cullen Park.

Rathvilly led for the only time when midfielder Ken Doyle kicked the game’s first point. Éire Óg responded and hit the front in the 5th minute.

Rathvilly lost centre back Wayne O’Donoghue to a black card on 21 minutes and trailed 1-4 to 0-5 at half time. Early second half points from Jordan Morrissey and captain Séan Gannon doubled the Éire Óg advantage.

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Rathvilly’s Alan Kelly was red carded on 43 minutes and almost immediately Jordan Morrissey found the Rathvilly net to put his side 2-6 to 0-6 ahead and on the way to victory as Rathvilly converted one of two late penalties.

Éire Óg: R Moore; F O'Toole, M Fitzgerald, B Kavanagh; J Lowry, P McElligott, R Dunphy; S Gannon (0-2), K Chatton; S Rea, J Morrissey (1-1), E Ruth (1-0); M Furey, D Hayden (0-1), D O'Brien (0-4, all frees). Subs: E Kelly for O'Toole (35); C Mullins for Dunphy (41); M Ware for Rea (51); C Blake for Morrissey (58); N Quinlan for Hayden (63).

Rathvilly: R Molloy; B J Molloy, C O'Brien, T Bolger; J O'Donoghue, W O'Donoghue, J B Leonard; Brendan Murphy, K Doyle (0-1); A Kelly, E Finnegan, D Molloy (0-1); Brian Murphy, G Dempsey (1-5, 1-0 pen., 0-4 frees), J J Smith (0-1, 45). Subs: J Moore for W O'Donoghue (black card) (23); R Ryan for J B Leonard (54); D Murphy for Doyle (54); C Byrne for D Molloy.

Referee: D Hickey (Fenagh).

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