Hamilton kicks crucial late score as Trinity reach Trench Cup Final
SETU Carlow captain Kevin Swayne, match referee David Gough and Trinity College captain Lee Pearson before the Trench Cup semi-final in Iveagh Grounds
Milltown's Hugh Hamilton came off the bench to kick a crucial late point as Trinity College Dublin pipped a SETU Carlow team packed with Kildare players a place in the Trench Cup final.
Conal Cunningham’s winning score capped a super late run by the Dublin side as they came from four points down with just over ten minutes to go to win by scoring the last five points of the game, including Hamilton's point.
SETU Carlow did have a last gasp chance to force the game into extra time when Sean Cassidy won a free kick just inside the Trinity 45 but Clane's Adam Fanning was well off target with the last kick of the game.
Trinity had the better of the opening exchanges and led 0-5 to 0-3 but Carlow sparked to life when Raheens' Fionn Cooke won a penalty in the 19th minute which was calmly converted by Moorefield's Sam Ryan.
Carlow were without key man Oisin McGraynor after he picked up a serious injury while playing for Wicklow against London at the weekend his brother Cormac picked up the mantle and remarkably scored three points within 90 seconds shortly after the successful penalty.
That put Carlow 1-6 to 0-6 ahead but crucially, in the face of that onslaught Trinity were able to score a couple of points before the break through Con Smith and Ben Kane to go in just a point behind.
Trinity flew out of the traps with three points in the first four minutes of the second but Carlow hit another scoring burst after that, that looked for most of the second half as if it would be decisive.
Ryan scored a free and then corner back Cian Deering was on the end of a flowing move to fist over in the 40th minute. Fanning had endured a tough evening in front of the posts but showed his undoubted quality when he kicked excellent points in the 41st and 43rd minutes.
Carlow almost capped this golden spell with a goal in the 44th minute, that would surely have settled the game in their favour, but Athgarvan goalkeeper Sean O’Mullane made a wondeful save with his foot to divert Gavin Thompson’s shot past the post.
Goalkeeper Harry Clarke put the 45 wide but Ryan did convert a free a minute later to put Carlow a commanding four point lead going into the final quarter.
In the end, it was the impact off the bench that turned the game in Trinity’s favour.
After Kane fired over in the 48th minute, the next three points came from subs, two from Emmet Rogers and another by Hugh Hamilton.
It was tense in the final three minutes of normal time but as the game ticked into three additional minutes, Cunningham landed what proved to be winning score in the 61st minute.
There was a late chance for Carlow to rescue the game but their hopes were dashed as Fanning failed to make the most of the game’s last free.
B Kane 0-5 (4fs), C Smith 0-3, C Cunningham 0-2, E Rogers 0-2, L Pearson 0-1, R McSweeney 0-1, H Hamilton 0-1.
S Ryan 1-2 (1-0pen, 2fs), C McGraynor 0-4, A Fanning 0-3 (1f), D Wyer 0-1, C Deering 0-1.
Sean O’Mullane (Athgarvan, Kildare); Sean Brazil (Ratoath, Meath), Tom Hughes (Glencar Manorhamilton, Leitrim), Luke Casserly (St Molaise Gaels, Sligo), James McBreen (Lavey, Derry); Lee Pearson (Edenderry, Offaly), Ruairi McSweeney (Oranmore-Maree); Conor Leonard (Mullinalaghta St Columas, Longford), Tom McCarroll Eskra Emmetts, Tyrone); Conal Cunningham (Templeogue Synge Street, Dublin), Con Smith (Bective GFC, Meath), Aidan Coleman (Skerries Harps, Dublin), Rory McErlean (Naomh Bríd, Antrim), Cathal Gilligan (Abbeylara, Longford), Ben Kane (Na Fianna, Dublin). Subs: Liam Fenton (Ballinteer St Johns, Dublin) for Gilligan, 41; Emmet Rogers (An Bhreádach, Antrim) for McErlean, 43; Hugh Hamilton (Milltown, Kildare) for McSweeney, 48; Adam Treanor (Shandonagh, Westmeath).
Harry Clarke (Dromolane, Cavan); Cian Deering (Dunlavin, Wicklow), Daniel Wyer (Durrow, Offaly), Brendan McDonald (Killeshin, Laois), Michael Staunton (St Joseph’s, Laois), Eoin Hackett (St Fechins, Louth), Mark Mullen (Tinryland, Carlow); Kevin Swayne (Portlaoise, Laois), Cormac McGraynor (Avondale, Wicklow); Darragh Mangan (Sallins, Kildare), Sam Ryan (Moorefield, Kildare), Conor Brown (Portlaoise, Laois), Gavin Thompson (Raheens, Kildare), Fionn Cooke (Raheens, Kildare), Adam Fanning (Clane, Kildare). Subs: Adam Booth (St Martins, Louth) for Cooke, 57; Sean Cassidy (Sean O’Mahonys, Louth) for Wyer, 57.
David Gough (Meath)
