The Andrew Corden Cup quarter-final unfolded in the SETU Arena last night, pitting Carlow against Offaly in a thrilling showdown.
A standout performance from Carlow saw them clinch victory with a resounding 3-10 to 10 triumph, fueled by two goals from Liam Gavin and one from Cialan Brady. This decisive win secured their passage to the semi-final, where they are set to face Westmeath in an upcoming clash.
Manager Simon Rea highlighted the significance of the competition’s namesake, Carlow’s own Andrew Corden, as a driving force behind his team’s motivation. “I spoke to the players this weekend about Andrew and the type of character that he was and how he captained his county at 21 years of age, and not many people do that,” Rea remarked.
He further emphasized Corden’s leadership qualities and shared a poignant article from the GAA Archives detailing Corden’s impact on the game. “Mark Carpenter speaks right throughout the whole interview about him, and I think it kind of hit a note to the players in terms of who Andrew was, some of them wouldn’t have known him, you know,” Rea explained. “So it helped getting that message across and who we were playing for and how important this cup means to us.”