Rathvilly in replay victory

Rathvilly ... 3-4 Palatine ... 0-8: Trailing 0-6 to 0-0 after 28 minutes, Rathvilly stormed back to win their fifth Carlow title at Dr Cullen Park yesterday, striking three second-half goals, two from full forward Darren Leonard, to deservedly win an entertaining final replay witnessed by 4,000 spectators.

Palatine, with the aid of a strong wind, landed two early points from wing forward John Reid but the losers found it extremely difficult to find the target thereafter, shooting 12 wides in the first half.

Rathvilly did not get their first score until the first minute of first-half injury-time when Tony Bolger floated over a point from the right wing to leave the scores at 0-6 to 0-1 at the break.

That lead was gone 10 minutes after the restart, Leonard punching home a Cathal Cole cross in the 33rd minute with Tony Bolger and David Nolan (free) tacking on points. Rathvilly's goal arrived in the 51st minute through substitute Daniel O'Brien after a great delivery from the right wing by David Nolan.

Rathvilly midfielder Ken Doyle landed a brilliant point two minutes from the end of normal-time, leaving Palatine to go in search of a levelling goal, but it was not to be, Paul Reid hitting the side-netting and Joe Byrne's rising shot, two minutes into injury-time, going over the bar.

Rathvilly's right-half back Pat Molloy was later named man of the match.

Rathvilly play the Kilkenny champions Erins Own (Castlecomer) next weekend.

RATHVILLY: A Doyle; K Byrne, C Doyle, J Bolger; P Molloy, J Keogh, C Cole; K Doyle (0-1), S Kavanagh; JJ Smith, T Bolger (0-2), D O'Donoghue; D Nolan (0-1, 1 free), D Leonard (2-0), F Kelly. Subs: D O'Brien (1-0) for Kelly, M Curran for JJ Smith.

PALATINE: T Nolan; K McDonald, B Farrell, E McGarry; L Kenny, James Reid, G Farrell; J Byrne, A Hosey; John Reid (0-3), J Kelly, P Reid; D McMahon, B Kelly (0-3, 1 free), E McMahon (0-1). Subs: P O'Toole for J Kelly, P O'Dwyer for D McMahon.

Referee: J Conway (Laois).