History repeats itself for Laois as Kildare are crowned champions with commanding win

Final Kildare 2-26 Laois 1-19 Keely Burke LAOIS and Kildare made the trip to the GAA Headquarters on Sunday afternoon to see who would walk the steps of the Hogan Stand to lift the Joe McDonagh Cup. The match served as a curtain opener for the Leinster Final between Kilkenny and Galway. Kildare won the Cristy Ring cup in 2024 gaining their promotion into the Joe McDonagh competition while Laois are in their second final in a row having lost out to neighbours Offaly last year.

With both sides fairly familiar to the footing of Croke Park, it didn’t take long to settle down. There were two broken hurls in a matter of seconds while Laois broke away with the ball from the throw which ultimately came to nothing. Jack Sheridan pointed the opening score of the game while Tomas Keyes replied from a placed ball.

James Burke raised Kildare’s second white flag while Padraig Delaney pointed a free in reply. The Lily White’s pointed two in a row while Laois did likewise. Kildare’s scores both came from David Qualter, one from a free with Tomas Keyes and Ben Conroy pointing for Laois. Qualter and Delaney traded frees locking the side level once again.

Qualter split the post with two more frees while a goal opportunity arose for Kildare moments later, but Simon Leacy was denied by Cathal Dunne. Conroy and Lee Cleere raised white flags for Laois while Gerry Keegan and Leacy replicated for Kildare. Tomas Keyes and Qualter traded frees with James Keyes adding his name to the scoresheet. Tomas Keyes raised two futher white flags from placed balls while Qualter pointed his fifth free bring the sides level as they headed to the dressing rooms with 11 points each but unlucky for Laois as they had as many wides as they did scores at the break.

Laois had the best possible start to the second half when a shot from Paddy Purcell was fumbled by Paddy McKenna in the Kildare nets where Ben Conroy was at hand for the tap in. Dunne to the rescue once more with an incredible double save from the initial shot of Cathal McCabe and the rebound from Sheridan. Kildare cancelled out the Laois goal in a matter of minutes when they pointed three in a row, two free from Qualter and Sheridan pointing from play.

Tomas Keyes pointed his sixth free of the contest to push Laois ahead by one but a shot from Sheridan was guided over the bar from the stick of Dunne to bring it all square. Paul Doran pointed his first for Kildare while Qualter floated another free over the bar. Fiachra C-Fennell and Keegan traded scores before Laois raised two white flags in a row, courtesy of James Keyes and Purcell.

Kildare hit their purple patch and fired 1-4 past the Laois defence. The accuracy of Qualter from placed balls continued as he took tally to 11 pointing two frees with a score from Keegan in between. Kildare’s goal came as a result of a short puckout going astray allowing Sheridan sweep up, his shot was saved by Dunne allowing Jack Travers to nail the rebound two minutes after his introduction from the bench. A free from Qualter was the end of the scoring spree.

James Duggan sprung from the bench and pointed from play, but a second Kildare goal came almost instantly as Sheridan fired for the bottom corner of the net. PJ Scully raised a while flag for Laois while Burke replied for Kildare. The next four scores were traded with Muiris Curtin and Sheridan under Kildare’s score while Purcell and a Scully free came for Laois. Travers pointed the final score of game seeing Kildare run away with a ten-point victory much like they did in O’Moore Park back on the 18th of May.

Laois will now face Tipperary at home next weekend in the Leinster Preliminary Quarter final.

SCORERS:

Kildare: David Qualter 0-13 (0-12fs), Jack Sheridan 1-4, Jack Travers 1-1, Gerry Keegan 0-3, James Burke 0-2, Muiris Curtin, Paul Dolan and Simon Leacy 0-1 each.

Laois: Tomas Keyes 0-6fs, Ben Conroy 1-2, Padraig Delaney (fs), PJ Scully (0-1f) and James Keyes 0-2 each, Lee Cleere, Paddy Purcell, James Duggan and Fiachra C-Fennell 0-1 each.

KILDARE: Paddy McKenna; Richy Hogan, Rian Boran Simon Leacy; Dan O'Meara, Cian Boran, Paul Dolan; Daire Guerin, James Burke; Cathal McCabe, Jack Sheridan, David Qualter; Darragh Melville, Cathal Dowling, Gerry Keegan.

Subs: Jack Travers for Dowling (58m), Muiris Curtin for McCabe (63m), Conn Kehoe for Melville and Liam O’Reilly for Dolan (Both 68m), and Oisin Lynam for Keegan (72m).

LAOIS: Cathal Dunne (Clough/Ballacolla); Cody Comerford (The Harps), Lee Cleere (Clough/Ballacolla), Diarmaid Conway (Clough/Ballacolla); Jordan Walsh (Clough/;Ballacolla), Podge Delaney (The Harps), Fiachra C-Fennell (Rosenallis); Paddy Purcell (Rathdowney/Errill), David Dooley (Rosenallis); Aidan Corby (Clough/Ballacolla), Tomas Keyes (Camross), James Keyes (Colt-Shanahoe); Mark Dowling (Camross), Jer Quinlan (Borris/Kilcotton), Ben Conroy (Slieve Bloom).

Subs: Aaron Dunphy (Borris/Kilcotton) for T Keyes (53m), Padraic Dunne (The Harps) for Comerford (59m), James Duggan (The Harps) for Dowling (62m), Ryan Mullaney (Castletown) for Walshe (63m), PJ Scully (Borris/Kilcotton) for Conroy (66m).

Referee: Michael Kennedy (Tipperary)