Borris/Kilcotton cruise past Abbeyleix for opening round win

Laois Shopping Centre Senior Hurling Championship Rd 1 

Borris/Kilcotton 1-29 

St Lazarian’s Abbeyleix 2-14 

THE first of Sunday's Laois Shopping Centre SHC ended in a landslide victory for Borris/Kilcotton over a lacklustre Abbeyleix side in Laois Hire O'Moore Park.

Abbeyleix stuck well to the victors for the opening twenty minutes or so, but Borris/Kilcotton pulled away to lead by six at half time and they kicked on in the second half to wheel away to a twelve point victory.

The workload was shared well around the Borris/Kilcotton team with no less than eight unique scorers with both midfielders and all six starting forwards raising flags in the first half alone.

Jer Quinlan impressed at half forward with 1-3 from play while Eoin Fitzpatrick landed five points with a good game from midfield.

Eoin Reilly and Colin Byrne looked the liveliest in the forwards for Abbeyleix, but their backs couldn't contain the rampant front eight of Borris/Kilcotton.

A score from Eoin Fitzpatrick got the action underway and it took just two minutes for a reply from an Eoghan Fennelly free to level the sides again.

Fitzpatrick's midfield partner Connor Kilbane edged Borris/Kilcotton back in front and their lead was doubled from a PJ Scully free before replies from Cormac Byrne and Killian Byrne levelled the game up.

The sides traded scores with Fitzpatrick and Neil Foyle on target for Borris/Kilcotton in reply to Fennelly and Eoin Reilly before a point from Colin Byrne put Abbeyleix in front from close range.

The lead was very short lived when PJ Scully took off on a driving run inside from the right and played the ball off to Jer Quinlan to drive it into the net for the game's opening goal, and Stephen Dunphy followed with a point from play and Scully then landed a great point himself.

Abbeyleix came roaring back into contention however with a free from Fennelly followed up with an excellent goal by Reilly after good work by Liam Delaney and Colm Walsh to find him on the right wing.

Delaney then added a point to their tally, but Borris/Kilcotton would dominate the remainder of the half.

Joe Campion became their eighth scorer and he was followed by Scully, Foyle and Aaron Dunphy as they piled on the pressure.

Reilly put a brief stop to the Borris/Kilcotton wave but their scoring continued through Aaron Dunphy, Stephen Dunphy and Scully while Eoin Fitzpatrick brought his first half tally to three with a brilliant effort and they led 1-15 to 1-9 at half time.

Abbeyleix had the wind in the second half and with Enda Rowland in the goals that's usually a huge asset, but his shooting early on from frees was wayward and Borris/Kilcotton punished with three early points from Scully, Stephen Dunphy and Campion.

The three points were soon cancelled out when Colin Byrne made a darting run past the last line of defence before finding his younger brother Cormac in space who raised a green flag.

Any fear of the tide turning was quickly quashed as Borris/Kilcotton struck the next six points in succession and took total control of the game.

Jer Quinlan and Aaron Dunphy each pointed twice in that 10 minute period while Fitzpatrick and Scully added to their tallies with a further one each.

Colin and Killian Byrne - not brothers - ended the Borris/Kilcotton streak with a score each, but there was no stopping their opposing forwards who continued to strike through Scully and Quinlan.

Things could have been much bleaker for The Fung without some excellent saves in both halves from Enda Rowland as he denied Scully and Aaron Dunphy on a couple of occasions and he was called into action again late on to deny another Scully effort from close range, though Scully pointed the 65.

The game was well out of sight approaching the closing few minutes and Scully added on another couple along with a fifth for Fitzpatrick and despite some late consolation scores by Eli Quinn and Fennelly, Abbeyleix were subjected to a heavy loss that puts them under early pressure in the championship.

SCORERS:

Borris/Kilcotton: PJ Scully 0-9 (0-5fs, 0-1 65), Jer Quinlan 1-3, Eoin Fitzpatrick 0-5, Aaron Dunphy 0-4, Stephen Dunphy 0-3, Neil Foyle and Joe Campion 0-2, Connor Kilbane 0-1.

Abbeyleix: Eoghan Fennelly 0-5 (fs), Eoin Reilly 1-2, Cormac Byrne 1-1, Colin Byrne 0-2, Killian Byrne 0-2, Eli Quinn and Liam Delaney 0-1.

BORRIS/KILCOTTON: Eoin Fleming; Philip Tynan, Enda Parlon, Steven Finan; Evan Quinlan, Matthew Whelan, Niall Coss; Eoin Fitzpatrick, Connor Kilbane; PJ Scully, Joe Campion, Stephen Dunphy; Aaron Dunphy, Neil Foyle, Jer Quinlan.

Subs: Colm Stapleton for Tynan (50m), Dean Carey for Coss (52m).

ST LAZARIAN’S ABBEYLEIX: Enda Rowland; Aaron Carroll, Oisin Carroll, Eamon Fitzpatrick; Jack Finlay, Fionan Mahony, Stephen O'Donnell; Liam Delaney, Colm Walsh; Killian Byrne, Sam Quinn, Cormac Byrne; Eoin Reilly, Eoghan Fennelly, Colin Byrne. Subs: Eli Quinn for Mahony (40, inj), Ross Coffey for A Carroll (55).

Referee: Patrick Phelan (Castletown)