Four-goal Carlow demolish Wicklow

After the match, a despondent Wicklow manager Hugh Kenny tendered his resignation, with immediate effect, leaving his team in real turmoil with the qualifiers looming.

Liam Hayes’ charges, in contrast, can look forward to rattling neighbours Laois in the next round.

Carlow sprinted out of the blocks to assume an early 0-5 to 0-1 lead, thanks largely to two good points from the trusty boot of Mark Carpenter. Wayne O’Gorman was Wicklow’s only scorer in the first quarter and the Garden County were clearly in trouble straight away.

Midfielder Thomas Walsh ran from the halfway line to slide the ball skilfully past Ray Daniels for a superb Carlow goal. Patrick Hickey got a point for Wicklow but they still trailed by 1-6 to 0-2 at the break.

After Alan Kelly speculatively punched Simon Rea’s 45 to the net, there was no way back for Wicklow, whose goalie Ray Daniels had no chance.

Jonathon Daniels pointed for Wicklow but Rea flicked over his second point of the game and rampant Carlow led by 2-7 to 0-3 eight minutes into the second half.

Hickey extended the lead and Hugh Kenny’s men got two points before John Hayden was sent off for his second yellow at the end of the third quarter. Though the resultant free was converted, the 14 men still led comfortably, 2-8 to 0-6.

Second-half goals from Rea and Brian Carberry made it 4-9 to 0-6, while both teams had a man sent off in between as Carlow’s Mark Brennan and O’Gorman got straight reds for brawling with each other.

Wicklow got six late points but Patrick Walsh closed the scoring with an injury-time Carlow point as the Tricolours eased over the line.

Carlow - J Brennan, T Smith, M Brennan, J Ryan, J Hayden, J Byrne, B English, P Walsh 0-1, T Walsh 1-0, B Carbery 1-1, M Carpenter 0-2, P Hickey 0-3, A Kelly 1-0, S Rea 1-2, C Pender, A Kelly, S Rea, C Pender. Subs: B Hannon for English, P Fitzgerald for Pender

Wicklow - R Daniels, C Hyland, D Power, B Daly, K Manning, W Callaghan, T Burke, J Stafford 0-1, KKelly, P Cronin 0-2, L Glynn 0-1, P Dalton, T Gill 0-3, W O’Gorman 0-1, J Daniels 0-3. Subs: P Earls for P Dalton, C Foley 0-1 for Manning, G Duffy for Kelly, G Doyle for Callaghan

Referee - M Collins (Cork)