Carlow 2-29
Offaly 1-31
Carlow have been crowned 2023 Joe McDonagh Cup champions following a superb performance against Offaly on Saturday afternoon.
The victory sees the Barrowsiders win this competition for the first time since 2018 and set up an All-Ireland preliminary quarter-final clash with the third placed team in the Leinster championship.
While it will be remembered as a monumental day for hurling in the county, it got off to the worst possible start for Tom Mullally’s side.
Offaly’s Charlie Mitchell gained possession and he flicked his shot beyond the onrushing Brian Tracey and into the back of the net.
Carlow did not panic and were back on level terms with three unanswered points but an open affair swung again as Eoghan Cahill and Cillian Kiely split the posts to make it 1-03 to 0-03 after ten minutes.
Star forwards Marty Kavanagh and Chris Nolan’s ability came to the fore as the first half progressed with classy scores bringing their team back on level terms.
The gamechanger proved to be neither Kavanagh or Nolan, however, as the in-form Paddy Boland brilliantly caught a long ball and finished to the Offaly goal before another impressive catch saw the corner-forward being brought down by Darragh Maher leading to a penalty for the 2018 winners.
Kavanagh dispatched of the penalty and Offaly were reduced to 14-men as Maher was sent off for interfering with Boland’s helmet in the process of the foul.
That penalty saw Carlow go into the interval with a 2-09 to 1-07 lead and a one-man advantage.
Offaly refused to accept their fate after half-time and Kiely and Cahill continued to flourish at GAA Headquarters with well-taken shots from all sorts of distances and angles.
Carlow’s efficient finishing proved pivotal as James Doyle, Jack and Marty Kavanagh, Boland and Kevin McDonald ushered them into a 2-17 to 1-15 lead with 20 minutes of normal time remaining.
Johnny Kelly’s charges did not go away and further points from Paddy Clancy made it a one-score game before Paddy Boland’s ability in the air gave Carlow a three-point lead as the four minutes of additional time began.
That lead was eaten into and Offaly somehow found a way to get the game to extra-time with the scoreboard reading Carlow 2-22 to 1-25 Offaly at full-time.
Cillian Kiely and Marty Kavanagh exchanged scores early in the opening period of extra-time before Jon Nolan edged Carlow ahead.
Carlow entered the second half with a one-point lead that was wiped out when Eoghan Cahill nailed a long-distance free.
Diarmuid Byrne and Chris Nolan grabbed late scores that secured a remarkable victory, an unforgettable afternoon and the Joe McDonagh Cup.
Everybody at KCLR would like to congratulate Carlow on winning the 2023 Joe McDonagh Cup.
