CO. CARLOW fell victims to their 2010 nemesis for a third time this season when floored by the Co. Offaly club in yesterday's Culleton (under 17) Cup final; arguably the best teenage game seen in D4 for many a season.

Already defeated by the Spollenstown club in the Towns and Anderson Cups, the Reds played some sparking football to lead 19-16 at the interval following three superb tries.

Winners three times - the last in '04 when skippered by current senior Damien Carley - Carlow were finally beaten after a spectacular contest in which Westmeath GAA minor twins Joe and Paul Fennell cut gaping holes in the Oak Park defence.

Carlow seemed poised for a fourth success when going 30-19 fourteen minutes into the second half, but in the end it was a conversion of the final try of a classic showdown, by replacement forward Petre Scarnicchio which settled the argument.

In a thrill a minute game international centre Thomas Daly chipped over a close-in penalty in the third minute.

Tullamore's jinking No. 13 David Fennell went in at the posts three minutes later after they won a ruck on the right, but after a neat burst by Eoin Stynes speedy Mark Fitzgerald skinned the defence to score on the right, with Daly adding the points.

The midlanders hit back with a series of rucks and drives which set up Fennell to skip over at the left post at the Old Wesley end, with Killian Rusk goaling.

The Offaly side went further ahead when John Brophy took advantage of some slack cover to score under the posts with Rusk converting, but Carlow pulled six points back with Daly penalties after Tullamore deliberately knocked-on 25 metres out and later when they went over the top from 23 metres.

The second half produced further electric rugby with Fitzgerald regaining the Carlow lead with a superb try on the left following good work by Daly, Ronan Farrell and Eoin Stynes, with the out-half making it 23-19.

The trophy appeared on its way back to Oak Park when replacement Adam Corcoran scored superbly on the right after a Carlow scrum on the far side was moved right by Daly who again obliged with the additional points.

But there was a lot left in the Reds tank and Paul McDonnell joined a threes move going left through Gary Pike, Brophy and Fennell to produce a brilliant five-pointer to close to 3024.

It still looked a Carlow triumph, until Fennell cut through the defence to give Paul McDonnell the scoring pass which presented Scarnicchio the match-winning conversion from 23 metres.

Carlow owned the closing minutes, but knocked-on after a promising line-out, were turned over and also failed to take advantage of a line-out turn-over.

Not even switched which saw Farrell go to No. 8 and Fitzgerald continue at centre could punch sufficient holes in a stubborn Tullamore defence in which Leon Martin, Jack Godley, Pike, Aonghus O'Donovan and centres Fennell and Brophy all played a significant part. Carlow tactics were a tad suspect in that they did not kick sufficiently for territory, and were second best on the turf despite some very enthusiastic play by Barra Farrell, John Lyons, Christophe Chall and Michael Mannion in the pack and Stynes and Fitzgerald in the backs with Corcoran adding punch but they not handling as smoothly as the very efficient winners who dismissed Balbriggan, Dundalk and Navan en route to the final.

Carlow - who defeated Tullamore in the league - put into 16 of the 18 scrums and still could not take sufficient advantage of that possession and indeed from seven of the eleven lines. They also 'won' the penalty count 9-4.

■ Carlow will meet Tullow in the under 17 South East final on Friday at Black Gates at 7.15.

■ Carlow juniors will be grouped with Coolmine, Newbridge, Boyne, Tullamore, Dundalk, Cill Dara and Skerries next season, but will be without stand-off half Rory Stynes who will be in Old Wesley colours and under the direction of former Carlow coach Dan van Zyl while neighbours Tullow are grouped in Division 1B again with Portlaoise, Wicklow, Enniscorthy, Monkstown, Portarlington, New Ross and Garda.

- PAUL DONAGHY