As Wexford welcome Laois, can lightening strike twice in a repeat of 2003
Laois's Ian Fitzgerald in action against Wexford in the opening of the 2003 Leinster Senior Football Championship Photo: ©INPHO/Morgan Treacy
IT is a long time since a knockout senior football game threw in at 6pm on a Saturday evening in March. March used to be the month of the Railway Cups when Croke Park would be packed for the double header.
They were laid to rest and on came the All-Ireland Club finals, more great excitement. Now they moved to January and we have the National Leagues in hurling on the same day as the race for the Delaney Cup.
Leinster Council have already changed venues for the semi-final because of falling attendances.
It will be interesting to see what the attendance will be like for the first game in Wexford between two teams that suffered disappointment in the National League. Louth await the winners.
Laois won their last provincial title, under the stewardship of the late, great Mick O’Dwyer, in 2003 beating Kildare. Wexford were last crowned football champions 80 years ago, in 1945 when they beat Offaly in Portlaoise.
How many remember who Laois beat in the opening round in 2003 - yes, Wexford. After a bad beating by Tyrone in the NFL final in Croke Park, Laois returned to headquarters two weeks later and were convincing winners over the men from Slaneyside - Laois 1-19 Wexford 0-10.
In round two Laois drew with Offaly, 1-12 apiece, in Portlaoise courtesy of a late controversial goal by Michael Lawlor of Emo.
On a Bank Holiday in a packed house in O’Connor Park, Tullamore, Laois beat the Faithful 2-10 to 0-13. Goals from Ian Fitzgerald and Beano McDonald assured Laois of a place in the semi-final against Dublin in Croke Park.
Laois prevailed in a game that produced no goals - Laois 0-16 Dublin 0-14. Damien Delaney scored 0-4, Ross Munnelly 0-3 and the most important points were scored by Padraig Clancy (0-2). Laois were in a first provincial decider since 1991 when they lost to Meath.
In the All-Ireland quarter-final Armagh beat Laois 0-15 to 0-13 that year, Oisin McConville scored 0-7 for the winners while the Laois scores came from Beano McDonald 0-6, Gary Kavanagh 0-4 with 0-1 each by Darren Rooney, Michael Lawlor and Noel Garvan.
But back to the opening round against Wexford played in Croke Park on 11 May, Laois winning on a 1-19 to 0-10 scoreline. The two Arles players Beano and Ross accounted for 11 points between them.
Let’s look back at the year previous. Laois beat Wicklow 3-6 to 0-8 when two Arles men scored the goals, Beano and Chris Conway and Mick Lawlor with the third goal.
In the quarter-final, in Tullamore, Offaly won 0-13 to 2-6, again the goals came from Chris and Beano.
Laois made their debut in the qualifiers beating Carlow 0-18 to 0-11, Chris Conway scored 0-6 and Stephen Kelly did likewise. Next up were the Banner with Laois winning 1-19 to 1-6. Top scorers were Stephen Kelly 0-9 and Chris 1-3. But Laois were to make their exit in O’Moore Park going down to Meath.
Laois manager, the 1986 All Star, Colm Browne parted company with the O’Moores and in came the Waterville maestro Mick O’Dwyer.
Back to 2003 and Wexford in Croke Park. Two years previous the sides met in Dr Cullen Park and Laois prevailed 0-18 to 0-14. In 2003 Ross Munnelly was making his championship debut and played very well. Also making his debut was Aiden Fennelly and out went Stephen Kelly and Derek Conroy.
Ross Munnelly opened the scoring from a free. After 12 minutes Damien Delaney set up Ian Fitzgerald who scored the first championship goal under Micko.
John Hegarty had opened the Wexford account after eight minutes.
Mick Lawlor added a good point from play and Laois went on to lead 1-4 to 0-1 before Wexford scored a second point 21 minutes in. Wexford were improving and at the interval the board read 1-7 to 0-6 in favour of the O’Moores.
Things were looking up for the South East men but in the opening five minutes of the new half it was Laois who did the scoring, kicking three good points. Colm Parkinson went down injured and in came the man who lifted the Tom Markham trophy in 1997, Kieran Kelly from the Pike near Ballylinan.
Twenty minutes remained and Laois led 1-12 to 0-8. John Cooper was brilliant in the Wexford goal denying Laois several goal scoring opportunities. Beano McDonald, Ross Munnelly and Kieran Kelly added late points and long before the final whistle Laois had secured their place in the quarter-final against Offaly to be played in O’Moore Park.
Laois: Brian McDonald 0-6, Ross Munnelly 0-5 (0-3fs), Ian Fitzgerald 1-1, Michael Lawlor 0-3 (0-1f), Damien Delaney 0-2 (fs), Noel Garvan and Kieran Kelly 0-1 each.
Wexford: Mattie Forde 0-4 (0-3fs), Leigh O’Brien, Scott Doran, John Hegarty, Tomas Mahon, Willie Carley and David Murphy 0-1 each.
Fergal Byron; Tom Kelly, Colm Byrne, Joe Higgins; Darren Rooney, Kevin Fitzpatrick, Aiden Fennelly; Pauric Clancy, Noel Garvan; Colm Parkinson, Ian Fitzgerald, Ross Munnelly; Damien Delaney, Michael Lawlor, Brian McDonald.
Subs: Derek Conroy for Fitzpatrick, Kieran Kelly for Parkinson, David Sweeney for Delaney
: John Cooper, Robert Mageegan, Philip Wallace, Niall Murphy; Pauric Curtis, David Murphy, Darragh Breen; Willie Carley, Rory Stafford; David Fogarty, Leigh O’Brien, Mattie Forde; Scott Doran, Paddy Colfer, John Hegarty./ Subs: Tomas Mahon for Fogarty, Rory Mallon for Colfer, Tom Wall for Mageegan, Robert Hassey for Wallace.
Gerry Kinneavy (Roscommon)
Eleven years later (2014) Laois beat Wexford 0-18 to 0-17 in the All-Ireland qualifiers. John O’Loughlin and did Donie Kingston scored 0-4 apiece while Niall Donogher added 0-3.
In a most recent meeting Laois went to Wexford Park in 2018 and the game went to extra time but at full time the scoreboard read Laois 2-21 Wexford 1-18. Donie Kingston scored 1-6, Ross Munnelly 0-5, Kieran Lillis 1-0, Paul Kingston 0-3.
