SIGERSON CUP Carlow IT 1-15 Athlone IT 1-11:OF THE starting six forwards of Carlow IT yesterday Daithí Carroll was the only one not an intercounty senior regular.

By the final whistle Carroll was in the stand but only because he picked up an injury in scoring the clinching goal in a man-of-the-match display. That goal came in the 52nd minute when Daragh Foley’s shot came off the upright and Carroll toe-poked the ball over the line.

Athlone goalkeeper Gary Connaughton denied Craig Rogers a goal in the first minute and then saved from Seán Gannon while Carlow goalkeeper Ricky Keating saved Frank Burke’s 21st-minute penalty won by midfielder Eddie O’Hara.

The latter set up Athlone’s second-minute goal when his long ball broke on the edge of the small square where full-forward Cathal Shine gathered and scored. Come half-time though, Carlow led 0-8 to 1-4 and reeled off the first three points of the second half too, centre-half forward Ben Brosnan kicking three points from play.

Athlone, thanks mainly to the attacking inventiveness of half-time substitute John Reynolds inched into a 1-10 to 0-11 lead at the end of the third quarter before another Carlow scoring burst yielded 1-4, points from Brosnan, Carroll (a free) and JJ Smith preceding Carroll’s clinching goal.

CARLOW IT:R Keating; J Kinihan, C Boyle, D Buckley; S George, G Hanrahan, J Seavers; C O'Donovan, K Meaney; D Foley, B Brosnan (0-5, 0-1 free), S Gannon; C Rogers (0-2), JJ Smith (0-2), D Carroll (1-6, 0-4 frees). Subs: J Doyle for George (24 mins), C Smith for Carroll (54 mins).

ATHLONE IT:G Connaughton; M Callinan, C Dignam, C Garvey (0-1); A Rowan, P Bannon, M Mitchell; G Deighan, E O'Hara; N Dunne (0-4, 0-3 frees), B Connor (0-1), D Ó Adian; I Coffey, C Shine (1-0), F Burke. Subs: J Reynolds (0-3, 0-1 free) for Coffey, F Reilly for Callinan (35 mins), C Blake for Burke (51 mins).

Referee: C Costello(Offaly).