AS CARLOW'S first test as a Tier One hurling county came against a college team who spend term after term chasing percentages it is appropriate that we turn to statistics to illustrate one major difference between the sides.

NUIG had 14 scoring opportunities from placed balls during Sunday's fog shrouded Walsh Cup first round tie, the visitors converting all but one. That's a smashing return of 92%, honours territory.

Carlow, in stark contrast, managed to transfer just seven of their 18 placed ball opportunities on to the Dr Cullen Park scoreboard. That's a paltry 39%, an ignominious failure.

And not even the clichéd 'change free-takers and we'll play you again' could be applied here. Carlow did change free-taker, no fewer than five players filed on the 'missing list'.

A closer study of the 11 scorned scoring chances reveal that seven drifted wide (including one which went over the end-line via a forward attempting to keep a sky ball in play), one hit the upright, another dropped short while two goal attempts were blocked and cleared.

While it might be viewed as unfair to home in on this free-taking malfunction, especially so early in the season, it is a clear indication of how important place ball accuracy is in the modern game.

Galway mid-fielder Finian Coone racked up 0-11, ten from frees of various distances and angles, the majority in the 30m-45m mark while also converting a '65'.

Even before the Mullagh clubman was forced to leave the field in injury-time, courtesy of a second yellow card from fussy Wexford referee Seán Whelan, John Conlon had assumed the free-taking mantle, putting over two bread-and-butter mid distance shots.

Conlon, one of three Clare All-Ireland winning U-21s on the NUIG starting fifteen ' goalkeeper Donal Tuohy and wing-back Domhnall O'Donovan were the others ' played an influential role in his sides victory, his two points from play typical efforts on the run from the flying Clonlara man.

O'Donovan, too, had a significant in-put, most particularly with his astute long crossfield ball from the terrace wing that helped fashion the NUIG goal a minute shy of the break.

That well placed delivery was gathered by Kevin Keehan on the 20m line, slightly to the left of the posts, he slipping a quick handpass to the supporting Shane Quinlan who fired a hard low shot to the scoreboard end rigging.

The sides had been tied at 1-4 to 0-7 prior to that strike but from there to the finish the maroon clad college points outscored Carlow 1-10 to 0-4 to book a quarter-final place with Anthony Daly's Dublin.

Kevin Ryan's charges had started brightly, none more so than lively debutante David English who won a 35m right wing free that Paudie Kehoe piloted over in the first minute.

Though Coone levelled with the first of his frees, Paudie put Carlow back in front with a 8th minute free from a 30m left wing free won by Colin Hughes.

Come the end of the first quarter Galway had inched 0-4 to 0-2 in front, a couple of close range Coone converts supplementing a Conlon strike.

Carlow's tale of placed ball woe was already underway, a brace of Kehoe wides followed a wayward strike by Brian Doyle, then Dunbar hitting the upright high up.

Undaunted Carlow continued to attack and the two new kids on the block combined to register a rousing score in the 22nd minute, a Brian 'Beanie' Doyle run and pass freeing teenager David English to open his intercounty account.

Another close range Coone free kept Galway ticking over but eager beaver Carlow deservedly hit the front in the 29th minute when the Christy Ring champions struck for a well constructed goal.

Galway were attacking down the left flank when David English, chasing back, got in an important intercept inside his own 65 before winning a free which Jacko Rogers cleverly drifted cross-field into open space inside the far 65.

There Ruari Dunbar, close to the side-line, won possession and angled a delightful delivery into the path of Mark Brennan whose run for goal was illegally impeded inside the big square. Dunbar's penalty was well struck, a low hard shot which flashed Carlow into a 13 to 0-5 lead.

That was as good as it got really, a Coone brace edging the visitors back in front before Dunbar's attempt to net a ordinary 20m free from in front of the posts was blocked low down. A minute later David English, Carlow's fourth free-taker, hoisted over a long range free much to the delight of the 200 die-hard supporters who braved the winter chill.

Then came the scoring sequence described earlier, NUIG going in at the break with a 1-8 to 1-4 advantage before out-pointing Carlow 0-9 to 0-4 over the course of a hard fought second half during which the visitors always held a decisive edge.

Coone, for the record, registered the lone place ball wide in the 50th minute, one of seven NUIG wides in total. Carlow's second half points came from the sticks of David English (three frees) and substitute Damien Roberts, whose first time pull on a sky ball yielded a 55th minute point, one of only two Carlow points from play in the entire hour. Carlow hit just one wide from play, the losers finding it extremely difficult to shake the shackles of a well organised defence to get in a shot while also playing second fiddle at mid-field for long periods where the strong running Barry Daly was prominent. Dunbar, in the third minute of lost time, had a penalty, again won by a Mark Brennan run, blocked and cleared.

The over-worked Carlow backs hurled a solid hour, the high free count against partially due to an over-strict referee, with anchor men Eoin Nolan and Jacko Rogers soundness personified.

Also very pleasing was the contribution of David English and Brian Doyle, two of Carlow's most promising under-age hurlers of recent times, who both made their inter-county senior debuts on Sunday.

Considering the weather interrupted 23 days preparation, this was a useful enough start to an important year in Carlow's hurling progress.

- Leo McGough in Dr. Cullen Park