A weary Laois are no match for the fresh Cats
Aaron Dunphy (Laois) is hassled by Kilkenny's Luke Connellan and Shane Murphy during the Walsh Cup Shield semi-final in Rathdowney on Sunday Photo: Denis Byrne
LAOIS’S run in the Walsh Shield came to an abrupt end on Sunday afternoon when Kilkenny were welcomed to Kelly O’Daly Park in Rathdowney for their semi-final encounter and the Black Cats left with a 13-point victory over their weary hosts.
Laois played their Walsh Cup opener at the same venue on the previous Sunday against Wexford in near minus temperatures on a rock hard surface under a winter sun, but the rain throughout the week and the higher temperatures made for a very soft surface and a strong wind swirled around the field, most often favouring the visitors, along with bursts of rain.
While this was Laois's third game in eight days having faced Wexford and Carlow, Kilkenny had yet to puck a ball in the competition after refusing to play on Westmeath's 3G surface and after losing the resulting coin toss they were transported directly into the Walsh Shield semi-final.
The difference in activity levels over the last week was evident from early on as Kilkenny raced into a 1-5 to no score lead within just six minutes of the delayed start after referee Gearoid McGrath held up the start until a net was fixed - a sign of things to come from the Wexford official.
After the early onslaught Laois dug their heels in and battled back well, with the teams trading five points apiece for the remaining 25 mintues of the half.
The weather conditions worsened as the second half got underway with driving rain and scores were hard to come by and a goal from Gearoid Dunne midway through the half effectively put the game to bed.
Eoin Cody led the line for Kilkenny and he opened the scoring with a point from play soon followed with a free before Cathal Beirne got his first of three.
Cody matched his opening efforts with another brace and the first big breakthrough came six minutes in when Dunne latched onto a high ball and played it off to Liam Moore who lashed it across Eoin Reilly's goal into the side netting.
A pointed free by Aaron Dunphy eventually got Laois off the mark in the eighth minute and Mossy Keyes struck from play before Cody and Beirne replied again.
Laois's game against Carlow was non stop action mainly down to the easygoing nature of the referee, but McGrath was the polar opposite as hit nitpicking nature didn't allow for any flow to build up, he was particular harsh on throw ball calls and picks off the ground for both sides which were marginal at worst.
The sides saw out the half with a further three apiece with Cody and Dunphy trading braces of frees while Moore added to his goal with a point and Jack Kelly struck a fantastic score after good work by Corby in the build up, and Kilkenny led 1-10 to 0-5.
With the shorter 30 minute halves in play for the Walsh competitions, there's a ten minute half time break but Kilkenny didn't abide as they appeared after 16 minutes just in time for the lashing rain to arrive.
Dunphy and Beirne opened the scoring with points and Dunphy was given a golden opportunity to kick the game into life when Laois were awarded a penalty but his effort was denied by Aidan Tallis and the resulting 65 also went awry, though by this point the wind was apocalyptic.
Despite another point from Kelly in the aftermath, Laois were soon made to rue the missed chance when Eoin Cody won a ball inside from Moore and laid it on a plate to the advancing Gearoid Dunne and he made no mistake in finding the net from close range, and he duly followed with a point moments later.
Kelly landed his third of the game in the midst of both benches being emptied and it was a Kilkenny sub that completed the remainder of their scoring.
Michael Brennan split the posts from play with his first possession of the ball and added another four from frees in the absence of Cody, who was withdrawn for former All Star Mossy Keoghan.
There was time for one last bit of magic for the hosts however when Jack Kelly capped off a third good performance in succession with a fantastically cut sideline from about 40 metres out seconds before the final whistle.
Attention now shifts to the NHL Division 2 in a fortnight when Laois will take the road less travelled as they will journey to MacHale Park in Castlebar to take on Mayo in the league opener.
Eoin Cody 0-7 (0-5fs), Michael Brennan 0-5 (0-4fs), Gearoid Dunne and Liam Moore 1-1 each, Cathal Beirne 0-3.
Aaron Dunphy (fs) and Jack Kelly (0-1 sideline) 0-4 each, James Keyes and Mossy Keyes 0-1 each.
Aidan Tallis; Rory Garrett, Mikey Daly, Ivan Bolger; Shane Murphy, Darragh Corcoran, Conor McMahon; Killian Doyle, Peter McDonald; Luke Connellan, Eoin Cody, Cathal Beirne; Gearoid Dunne, Marty Murphy, Liam Moore.
Timmy Clifford for McDonald (ht), Michael Brennan for Connellan (39m), Jordan Molloy for McMahon (40m), Cillian Hackett for Dunne (49m), Mossy Keoghan for Cody (49m), James Walsh for Murphy (53m).
Eoin Reilly (Abbeyleix); Padraic Dunne (The Harps), Ian Shanahan (Ballinakill), Cody Comerford (The Harps); Eoghan Murphy (The Harps), Podge Delaney (The Harps), Ryan Mullaney (Castletown); Aidan Corby (Clough/Ballacolla), Fiachra C Fennell (Rosenallis); David Dooley (Rosenallis), Jack Kelly (Rathdowney/Errill), Aaron Dunphy (Borris/Kilcotton); Colin Byrne (Abbeyleix), Cillian Dunne (Clough/Ballacolla), Mossy Keyes (Camross).
James Keyes (Colt-Shanahoe) for Byrne (ht), Eoin Gaughan (Camross) for Murphy (43m), Ciaran McEvoy (Portlaoise) for Mullany (43m), Padraig Rafter (Rathdowney/Errill) for Corby (45m), Eoin Fleming (Borris/Kilcotton) for Reilly (53m), Cormac Byrne (Abbeyleix) for M Keyes (58m).
Gearoid McGrath (Wexford)
