Carlow 3-22 Westmeath 4-16 It took extra-time at Tullamore for Carlow to capture this year's Christy Ring Cup on Sunday evening, as a brave display in the second-half of the added periods proved the difference for the Barrowsiders against Westmeath. A Derek McNicholas goal on 11 minutes helped the Lake men into a lead of 1-5 to 0-3, but Craig Doyle's green flag got Carlow right back in the game soon after as they pushed on to match Westmeath's tally of 1-10 at the break. The winners raced out of the traps for the second-half with both Robert Foley and Doyle displaying their opportunism to fire in a goal each and setup their side with a commanding 3-14 to 1-10 lead after 13 minutes of the second-half. Many would have though Westmeath were dead and buried after that but centre-forward Brendan Murtagh, who pucked 2-10 throughout the encounter, lead the way to a miraculous comeback for the holders. A free and a converted penalty either side of John Shaw's goal in injury-time both hit the net for Murtagh to send the game into extra-time in dramatic circumstances. The Lake County certainly had the momentum going into the first-half of added time and bombed the Carlow goal with the result only a single point after six wides and a missed penalty. In the second-half things turned to Carlow's favour as they outscored their opponents by four points to get over the finish line and deservedly take the Christy Ring Cup. Carlow - D Miley; A Gaule (0-1), D Shaw, J Rodgers; E Coady, S Kavanagh (0-4) (4f), R Coady; D Roberts, A Brennan; R Dunbarr (0-3), C Hughes (0-7) (5f), M Brennan (0-2); J Coady (0-1), R Foley (1-1), C Doyle (2-1). Subs: K English for Dunbarr, D Murphy (0-1) (Sl) for Foley, B Lawler for Coady, S Murphy (0-1) for Roberts, J Doran for Coady, R Foley for Hughes, R Dunbarr for Murphy. Westmeath - M Briody; G Gavin, P Greville, A Price; B Connaughton, D McCormack, P Dowdall; L Smyth (0-1), P Clarke; A Mitchell, B Murtagh (2-10) (2-7f), E Price (0-3); R Jackson, D McNicholas (1-1), J Shaw (1-0). Subs: B Smyth for Jackson, C Jordan for Greville, N Gavin for G Gavin, P Gilsenan for Jordan, P Greville (0-1) for Mitchell, C Flanagan for L Smyth. Tweet

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