‘Important to get to a national final, more important we're developing players’ - Phelan
Scott Kelly (Laois) and Niall Doran (Roscommon) go shoulder to shoulder to compete for this ball Photo: Denis Byrne
LAOIS booked their place in the Celtic Challenge William Robinson final with an emphatic 2-23 to 2-11 victory over Roscommon at the LOETB Centre of Excellence on Saturday afternoon.
While pleased with the scoreline, manager Brendan Phelan admitted it took his side a little time to settle into the game.
“It was good. We probably started off a bit slow, we were a bit nervous. We gave away a few silly frees, and we had a chat with them. They worked their way through the match. At half-time, we just said, cut out the fouling and just play our own game.
“In fairness to the boys, they did. You'd be happy enough to get the win, number one, and also number two, the impact of the subs off the bench. Davey Delaney came on, was on the Laois minor panel, and scored four points. You can't ask for much more than that,” he said.
The strength in depth of the panel has been a key factor in Laois’s progression, and Phelan was delighted with how players slotted into new roles and stepped up when called upon.
“We have 32 lads in training. We were down three lads from the last day with TY trips and injuries. Then three lads came in and stepped in, and that's what you're looking for. The lads know that if they perform in training and perform in a match, they get their opportunity.
“Conor Sweeney got his first start there, wing-back, and he did well. Oisín McRedmond from Portlaoise, he was a forward, came back wing-back, played like he was playing it all his life. So, definitely happy for the next day,” he commented.
While reaching a national final is a significant achievement, Phelan emphasised the greater importance of the competition’s role in player development and retention within the Laois hurling system.
“It is important. You're keeping people in the system, and that's really important. You want people to play, ultimately, minor for Laois and go on and play senior at the end of the day.
“It's important to get to a national final, but it's more important that we're developing players. You can see in the lads there from the start of the year, the improvement in their hurling, their touch, their movement, their work rate. That's what we're focused on,” he ended.
