Douglas Jewellers Carlow Cup 2023 final New Oak 3 Parkville 1
Eight from eight for New Oak as they clinch back to back quadruples
By Harry Shorthose
New Oak Boys 3
Parkville United a1
Douglas Jewellers Carlow Cup Final
New Oak claimed their eighth consecutive trophy under Gavin Dowling on Saturday night as they won the Douglas Jewellers Carlow Cup, beating Parkville. They made history 12 months ago by winning everything in Carlow available to them, something no team had ever done before, and on Saturday, they repeated history as they achieved the unthinkable for the second year in a row as they clinched back to back clean sweeps, doing the quadruple for just the second time ever, winning back to back KCLR Carlow Shields, Nationalist Premier Division titles, Keating Memorial Premier Cups and Douglas Jewellers Carlow Cups.
New Oak, who dominated for large periods, weren’t at their best. They got off to the perfect start though after just a minute. Roy Byrne was fouled on the edge of the box on the right hand side. Cody Mulhall drove his free from the right into the top of the net to get off to a dream start, putting Parkville’s game plan to waste with just a minute gone. Four minutes later, Mitch Kelly was taken down just outside the box and Jack O’Neill hit the resulting free over the bar. New Oak again went close when Mulhall broke down the right hand side but the ball was too far ahead for him. With 15 minutes gone Roy Byrne down the right tried to square into the middle but the ball was cleared. A minute later, Mulhall almost made it two as his long range effort from the halfway line hit off the crossbar. Midway through the half, a Mulhall free from the exact same spot as his first goal, just slightly back, was palmed away. Michael Dobosz went close for Parkville, having an effort from the right saved as Craig Kearney came out to deal with it. Just before the half hour mark, Jordan Harmon played Mulhall through who squared for Lee Walker from the left. His effort was saved. The resulting corner from Jamie Murphy from the left was saved. On the half hour mark, Kevin Murphy’s free from the centre circle was cleared. Harmon went close from distance but his effort was saved. The Tullow side forced a corner with 11 minutes until half-time but it was headed wide. A minute later, Dobosz was in on the right hand side but hit his effort at the ‘keeper but it ended up being offside though. Mulhall hit a bicycle kick from the right wide on the near side. With seven minutes to go, Roy Byrne tried to square an effort into Walker from the right but it was cleared. With four minutes to go until the break, a Harmon corner from the right was cleared.
Parkville went close four minutes into the second half with a Byrne free from the right being cleared. Mulhall hit an effort from the left wide a minute later. The ball got recycled to Walker down the left who controlled the ball and hit towards goal only for it to be saved. Eight minutes in, Mulhall doubled New Oak’s lead as Walker was fouled on the edge of the box, with the Athy native smashing in a free to the roof of the net from 30 yards out in spectacular fashion. Not five minutes later, Parkville were granted a lifeline as Kevin Murphy pulled a goal back for the Tullow side. Parkville again went close through Byrne on the left but Owen McCormack got his body in the way and his effort was cleared. The resulting corner from the left was deflected wide whilst the resulting corner from the right was cleared. Mulhall hit a free off the wall whilst Cian Dowling hit an effort over the bar from the left. With 66 minutes gone, Parkville’s chances all but disappeared when James Hickey got sent off for stamping on Mulhall. Mulhall put the icing on the cake, finishing his hat-trick inside the box, getting New Oak’s first goal from open play on the day. With 13 minutes to go, a Walker free from the left was hit wide on the far side. With seven minutes left, a Parkville free from the left was hit over the bar. Two minutes later, Murphy’s corner from the left was cleared.
Teams:
New Oak Boys: Craig Kearney, David O’Shea, Cian Dowling, Cathal Gaffney, Owen McCormack, Jamie Murphy, Conor Byrne, Jordan Harmon, Cody Mulhall, Roy Byrne, Lee Walker. Cian Cleary, Dylan Keightley, Dami Babawende, Zak Yongram, Luke Ramsbottom, Adam McCarron, Joe Sunderland, Owain Comerford, James McGrath, Will Hayes, Lee Gordon, Daryl Coleman. Coaches: Gavin Dowling, John McGrath, Lee Murphy, Simon Agar, Eddie Shaw, Glenn Sweeney.
Parkville United: Jamie Farnon, Tom Pollard, Lee Kavanagh, Robbie Byrne, Jake Hickey, Kevin Murphy, Jack Kennedy, Mitch Kelly, Craig Staunton, Jack O’Neill, Michael Dobosz. Subs: Cian Doran, Cillian O’Neill, Jakub Dobosz, Anthony Byrne, Rory McKernan, Robert Sheridan, Bryan Byrne. Coaches: Podge Rooney, Eoin Brennan, Kevin Dempsey.