Barrow Rangers are Roinn C Under 13 County Champions after an emphatic win over Mullinavat in Ballyhale last Sunday morning. The old adage says "goals wins matches". Barrow Rangers scored three while Mullinavat failed to score from open play.

Rangers had to take to the pitch without right halfback Joshua Hughes. A mishap on Friday resulting in a fractured shoulder put an end to his participation in the final. Playing with the aid of a slight breeze Rangers were first on the scoreboard when Jack McShane gathered the ball and slotted over the crossbar. A pointed free from Jack Bolger made it a two point game. Mullinavat's Adam Fitzpatrick had it back to the minimum when he converted a free but that was as close as his team would get for the rest of the game. On the seventh minute Rangers full forward Tom Carpenter would settle the nerves for the huge numbers of supporters in attendance when he found the net from close range. Bolger followed up shortly after when he landed a 65. Fitzpatrick broke up the sequence when he got his second pointed free. Just before the water break Bolger once again showed his accuracy when he converted a free. After an absorbing opening quarter the teams trooped off with Barrow Rangers leading 1-04 to 0-02.

The second quarter would be a low scoring affair, both sides had chances but failed to make them count. A Cian O' Reilly point from a long range free put another point on the scoreboard for Rangers. Once again it was Fitzpatrick who replied with a pointed free. Barrow Rangers 1-05 Mullinavat 0-03.

With six minutes of the half remaining Rangers got a crucial break, a shot from out the field by McShane sailed over the keeper's head and into the roof of the net. It gave Rangers an eight point lead as we headed for half time. At the break Rangers lead 2-05 to 0-03.

Mullinavat needed a good start to the second half and Rangers needed to be prepared for the expected onslaught, in the third minute nippy corner forward Cathal Fanning broke their hearts when he found the net to push his team's advantage out to eleven points. Rangers wouldn't score again for another eighteen minutes.

By the second water break The Vat had pulled back three points from placed balls, the first from Cian Kelly followed by two from Fitzpatrick. At the second water break it was back to an eight point game Barrow Rangers 3-05 Mullinavat 0-06.

For the final quarter Mullinavat put Rangers under intense pressure but some stout hearted defending saw our lads keep them scoreless from play. The Southerners tried hard for the goals they needed but had to settle for two pointed frees from Kelly and Fitzpatrick.

Rangers were finding it equally as hard to score at the other end but finally they got the scoreboard ticking again with the last two scores of the game, pointed frees from O' Reilly and Bolger. When the referee finally blew for full time amid wild celebrations by the Rangers supporters the scoreboard flashed Barrow Rangers 3-07 Mullinavat 0-08.

Goalkeeper and Captain Jack Keating never put a foot wrong all through the game and his long puckouts and clearances had Mullinavat's backs under pressure. Centre back Cian O' Reilly was a colossus all day and he was ably assisted by his two wing men Cathal Fox and Odhran Prendergast especially when the pressure came on the backs in the final quarter. What ball that did get pas them was mopped up by rock solid Tadgh O' Connor along with corner backs Jayden Dermody and Andrew Donohoe who kept it simple and cleared the ball with the minimum of fuss.

At midfield we had two power houses in Jack Bolger and Jake Barcoe. Both lads have some engine in them. Daniel Lawler at centre forward led the charge up front and beside him Pauric Hanlon got onto a lot of ball. On the other wing Jack McShane chipped in with 1-01 from play.

Full forward Tom Carpenter will prove a handful for any defender and our two nifty corner forwards Sam Medlar and Cathal Fanning were ready to pounce on any ball that came their way. Dylan Kelly and James Prendergast made an appearance and they slipped seamlessly into the swing of things. 


Barrow Rangers: Jack Keating, Andrew Donohoe, Tadhg O' Connor, Cathal Fox, Cian O' Reilly, Odhran Prendergast, Jack Bolger, Jake Barcoe, Jack McShane,  Daniel Lawler, Pauric Hanlon, Cathal Fanning, Tom Carpenter, Sam Medlar. 
Josh Hughes (inj) James Prendergast, Dylan Kelly, Brian O' Callaghan, Luke Walsh, Thomas Hayden, Daniel McCullagh, Cillian Culleton, Mathew Mahon.