Laois leave Tullamore with bragging rights as goals prove key in derby clash

Leinster Senior Football Championship Rd 1

Laois 3-12 

Offaly 0-12 

JUSTIN McNulty and his Laois senior football team made the short journey to Glenisk O’Connor Park on Saturday evening in what promised to be an entertaining Leinster Championship clash against their neighbours.

Laois entered the game off the back of a decent league campaign where they retained their Division 3 status while Offaly were relegated from Division 2 after failing to win a single game.

It was a mediocre performance from both sides with the vast majority of scoring happening in the opening half. Across the whole contest, Laois went a total of 31 minutes without scoring, a ten minute period in the first half and a 21 minute period in the second half.

Evan O’Carroll opened the scoring for the contest with a point from play. A two-point effort from O’Carroll then struck the upper post and Kevin Swayne was in a prime position to punch the ball across the line. Dylan Hyland got Offaly’s scoring underway when he pointed a 45’ while Rioghan Murphy replied up the other end.

Hyland pointed a second before Laois raised another green flag. Paddy O’Sullivan found Ronan Coffey who sent a high ball into Ciaran Burke allowing him to palm to the back of the net. Conor Heffernan broke down an Offaly kickout and set up Coffey for his first point. Brian Byrne was punished for denying Lee Pearson a solo and go resulting in a two-point free converted by Hyland.

Jordan Hayes added his name to the scoresheet and only moments later Rory Egan broke through on goal but a super goal line interference from Byrne denied him. O’Carroll’s point in the 25th minute ended Laois’ ten-minute spell without a score. Keith O’Neill pointed for the Faithful County before Swayne almost added a second goal to name but was denied by Conor Melia in the Offaly goal.

Offaly went through a spell of poor kickouts in which Laois capitalised on and added a further three points to the board going seven points ahead. O’Carroll pointed the first after an excellent dispossession of Diarmuid Egan. Rob Tyrrell raised the second white flag while O’Carroll was responsible for the third. Offaly managed two score before half time courtesy of O’Neill and Cormac Egan. Laois had one opportunity before the hooter but O’Carroll’s attempt on goal was broken down leaving five between the sides at the break, (2-7 to 0-8).

Coffey got the scoring underway for the second period while only two minutes later Byrne found Simon Fingleton who rattled the upper net for a third Laois goal. Paul Kingston had an opportunity to raise a fourth green flag, but his shot was stopped by Melia.

Offaly pointed their first score of the second half after 12 minutes courtesy of a Hyland free with Diarmuid Egan and Harry Plunkett also raising white flags. Laois responded in a similar manner and pointed three in a row having been scoreless for the previous 21 minutes. Pa Kirwan pointed after being introduced five minutes prior while Kingston and O’Carroll pushed the gap to nine. Marcas Dalton pointed the home sides final score in the 64th minute and Kingston pointed a free for Laois just as the hooter sounded.

Laois are now through to a Leinster quarter-final where they will travel to St Conleth’s park in Newbridge next Sunday to face Kildare. This will their first Leinster Championship encounter in Newbridge in 42 years.

SCORERS:

Laois: Evan O’Carroll 0-5, Ciaran Burke, Simon Fingleton, and Kevin Swayne 1-0 each, Ronan Coffey and Paul Kingston (0-1f) 0-2 each, Rob Tyrrell, Rioghan Murphy, and Pa Kirwan 0-1 each.

Offaly: Dylan Hyland 0-5 (1 tpf, 0-1f, 0-1 45), Keith O’Neill 0-2, Jordan Hayes, Diarmuid Egan, Cormac Egan, Harry Plunkett and Marcas Dalton 0-1 each.

LAOIS: Killian Roche (Killeshin); Jack Lacey (St Joseph's), Trevor Collins (Graiguecullen), Alex Mohan (Portarlington); Paddy O'Sullivan (Portarlington), Brian Byrne (Captain) (Graiguecullen), Simon Fingleton (Park Ratheniska); Ciaran Burke (Crettyard), Conor Heffernan (Killeshin); Kevin Swayne (Portlaoise), Ronan Coffey (Portarlington), Rioghan Murphy (Portarlington); Ciaran Burke (Crettyard), Daragh Galvin (Portarlington), Evan O'Carroll (Crettyard).

Subs: Paul Kingston (Arles Killeen) for Galvin (ht), Pa Kirwan (Emo) for Coffey (55m), Aaron McEvoy (Ballyroan Abbey) for O'Sullivan (61m), Niall Corbet (Clonaslee/St Manman's) for Swayne (61m), Mikie Dempsey (St Joseph's) for Tyrrell (62m).

OFFALY: Conor Melia; Shane O'Toole-Greene, David Dempsey, Lee Pearson; Cormac Egan, Diarmuid Egan, Aidan Bracken; Jack McEvoy, Jordan Hayes; Daire McDaid, Keith O'Neill, Rory Egan: Dylan Hyland, Shane Tierney, Darragh Flynn.

Subs: Marcas Dalton for Bracken (ht), Harry Plunkett for Tierney (42m) Jack Byrant for Flynn (42m), Kyle Higgins for McDaid (52m), Conor Dunican for C Egan (67m).

Referee: Paul Faloon (Down)