GAA: Carlow survive London scare to win 0-13 to 0-12

Paul Broderick's accuracy from placed balls helped Carlow to a 0-13 to 0-12 victory over London at McGovern Park and into Round 2B of the football qualifiers.

Following on from their impressive Leinster Championship victory over Wexford and a morale-boosting outing against Dublin, Turlough O'Brien's side were strongly fancied to account for the Exiles in this tussle, but Ciaran Deely's side gave them the fright of their lives.

Both teams finished the game with 14 men as London's Jarlath Branagan and Carlow's Brendan Murphy were sent off for double yellow card offences during the second-half, but despite Adrian Moyles' late score to trim the gap to a point London were unable to force another shot at the equaliser.

Playing with a breeze that increased in its ferocity as the first-half wore on, Carlow will feel they could have been more than 0-7 to 0-5 in the ascendancy at half-time, but with Rory Mason in fine form from frees and Liam Gavaghan also in good scoring shape, London kept in touch with their Division 4 rivals.

In fact London had beaten Carlow when the sides met in the league earlier this year, so when Darragh Foley pointed early on for Carlow they gratefully accepted that early lead. Eoin Murray levelled for London in the third minute, before Broderick and Mason swapped frees in the tight early action.

A fine point from Sean Murphy - man of the match against Dublin in the last round - on the run and Broderick's second point put Carlow 0-4 to 0-2 ahead, but Broderick also missed a couple of frees in a row as Carlow failed to push home their advantage.

And when Mason added two frees London punished that inaccuracy to level the game again at 0-4 each by the 27th minute. But either side of a fine Brendan Murphy point, Broderick kicked good scores for Carlow, who were well worth their two-point interval advantage.

But London were the superior team after the resumption. Captain Gavaghan popped up on Mark Gottsche's shoulder to kick the first point of the half as Deely's side closed in on Carlow, but the Leinster side pulled three clear again when their own skipper Foley kicked a couple of great frees by the 41st minute as London's disciplinary standards began to slip.

Just two points separated the sides when Branagan was sent off in the 52nd minute, but straight away Murray kicked a fine score to make it 0-10 to 0-9 as London sniffed victory.

And despite Brendan Murphy's sending off when he earned two yellow cards in as many minutes with 11 minutes remaining, points from Darragh O'Brien and John Murphy ensured Carlow held on to win - despite Moyles' late efforts.

Carlow: R Molloy; C Crowley, S Redmond, C Lawlor; D Moran, D St Ledger, G Kelly; B Murphy (0-1), S Murphy (0-1); E Ruth, D Foley (0-3, 0-2f), A Kelly; P Broderick (0-6, 0-5f), S Gannon, J Murphy (0-1).

Subs used: BJ Molloy for Lawlor (30 mins), C Moran for Ruth (35, black card), D O'Brien (0-1) for A Kelly (54), K Nolan for G Kelly (69).

London: G McEvoy; P Butler, Ciaran Dunne, C O'Neill; J Branagan (0-1), R Jones, Colin Dunne; M Carroll, C Og Greene; E Murray (0-2), L Gavaghan (0-4, 0-1f), M Gottsche; R Mason (0-4, 0-4f), O Mulligan, K Butler.

Subs used: K Hughes for Carroll (half-time), D Carrabine for Colin Dunne (half-time), D Moore for Mulligan (68), M McGirr for Jones (69), A Moyles for Murray (70), C Doran for O'Neill (70).

Referee: N Cullen (Fermanagh).