Laois pay a dear price for second half collapse

CLARE produced a remarkable second-half comeback to stun Laois and secure a vital four-point victory, ending their opponents’ promotion hopes. In a game that swung dramatically after halftime, the Banner County showed resilience and composure, outscoring Laois 1-15 to 0-8 in the second period.

The result will be a tough pill to swallow for Laois, who had built a six-point lead by halftime and looked in control for long stretches of the first half.

One of the most intriguing subplots of the night was the presence of Laois goalkeeper Killian Roche, a former Clare player, between the posts for the home side facing Clare for the first time since his transfer to Killeshin.

With the new rules, Roche had to remain in his own half for the game having been sublime in attack for Laois over the course of the league. The introduction of this rule during the week removed the possibility of a 12 v 11 attack for the respective team.

The first half belonged to Laois, as they played with greater efficiency and control. Aaron Griffin got Clare off to the perfect start with an early goal, but Laois quickly responded with a string of well-taken points, including an impressive six-point scoring streak midway through the half.

Mark Barry was instrumental, leading from the front with both frees and scores from play, while Roche showcased his accuracy with two well-taken two pointers. When Ronan Coffey found the net just before halftime, Laois entered the break with a comfortable six-point cushion, seemingly on course for a crucial win.

It looked as though Laois wouldn’t look back as they were all over the Clare kickout with an interesting tactic of Mark Barry standing in behind the Clare goalkeeper and directing his teammates to the direction of the kick. They punished Clare from poor kickouts and earned five points as a result. This wasn’t the case in the second half though and the substitution of Damon Larkin for the final ten minutes removed the height and strength to contest the 50/50 high ball in the centre of the field.

Clare completely flipped the script in the second half, displaying a relentless attacking intensity that Laois simply couldn’t match. As Justin McNulty mentioned in the post match interview, “it was a game of two halves”.

Emmet McMahon, who had failed to register a single score in the opening half, became the game’s standout performer after the break, finishing with a personal tally of seven points.

For Laois, this defeat will be bitterly disappointing, not just because it ends their promotion hopes, but also because of how drastically the game slipped from their control. Despite their strong first-half display, they lacked the defensive discipline and attacking sharpness to sustain their performance over the full 70 minutes.