Carlow are just 70 minutes away from retaining the Christy Ring Cup after destroying Kerry with five second half goals in their semi-final replay at Austin Stack Park, Tralee. Carlow6-10 Kerry..2-11 No-one could have predicted such an outcome after the home side had raced into a 1-8 to 1-2 lead after 31 minutes, but after closing the gap to three points at half-time, Carlow ran riot in the second half to seal a final date with Down. Mossy Carroll's Kerry side dominated the early exchanges and were rewarded with a 20th minute goal from James McCarthy, while Shane Brick - whose late point forced the replay - converted five frees. But Paudie Kehoe's goal from a 20-metre free ensured that Carlow were within striking distance - 1-5 to 1-8 - at the break. The Barrowsiders cut loose in the second half as Andrew Gaule, Robert (twice) and Craig Doyle found the net. A shell-shocked home side, who went 20 minutes without scoring, pulled back a late goal through veteran John Mike Dooley, but there was no doubting Carlow's superiority with John Rodgers giving a man of the match performance from centre back. Scorers - Carlow: R Foley 2-2, C Doyle 2-1, P Kehoe 1-2 (1-0 pen, 0-1f), A Gaule 1-1, S Kavanagh('65), R Dunbar, M Brennan, E Byrne 0-1 each. Kerry: S Brick 0-7 (7f), JM Dooley 1-1, J McCarthy 1-0, E Sweeney, B Brick, G O'Brien 0-1 each. Carlow: F Foley; W Hickey, S Kavanagh, D Shaw; E Coady, J Rogers, R Coady; J Hickey, D Roberts; R Dunbar, C Doyle, M Brennan; A Gaule, R Foley, P Kehoe. Subs: D Byrne for R Coady (19), E Byrne for J Hickey (58), P Kehoe for D Roberts (62), C Hughes for R Foley. Kerry: J Healy; P O'Grady, A Healy, C Harris; J Casey, T Murnane, J Godley; E Sheehy, J Griffin; E Sweeney, S Brick, B Brick; G O'Brien, J McCarthy, J M Dooley. Subs: M Hanafin for C Harris (ht), J Fitzgerald for M Hanafin (60), S Young for G O'Brien (65), E Fitzgerald for P O'Grady (66). Referee: D O'Driscoll (Limerick). Tweet

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