Louth champions have too much in the tank for 14-man Park/Ratheniska
Padraig Dunne was again to the fore in all of Park/Ratheniska's good work against Hunterstown at the weekend Photo: Denis Byrne
Park/Ratheniska’s return to provincial action proved short-lived as the Laois champions were knocked out of the 2025 Leinster Club Intermediate Football Championship by Louth’s Hunterstown Rovers in Stabannon on Saturday afternoon.
Having received a bye straight to the quarter-finals, this was the club’s first competitive outing since lifting the Laois title seven weeks ago, and the long lay-off was evident at times as they struggled to find fluency in difficult conditions.
The weather in the Wee County made life awkward for both teams. Persistent rain and a greasy ball meant footing was uncertain throughout, with players repeatedly slipping as they attempted to build attacks.
The contest never developed into an open, high-tempo game, instead becoming a battle of attrition defined by turnovers, frees and periods of scrappy play. In such a setting, Hunterstown Rovers’ experience and accuracy from placed balls ultimately proved decisive.
Park/Ratheniska were already facing a challenge before the ball was thrown in, as they lined out without long-serving wing-back Jimmy Langton. His ability to break the line and carry at pace has been central to their transition play all season, and his absence left them without a natural runner capable of putting the Louth side under sustained pressure.
Matters deteriorated further in the final 10 minutes when Kieran Delaney received a straight red card following an off-the-ball incident with Marc Ward, leaving the Laois outfit to chase the closing stages with 14 men.
Hunterstown Rovers, meanwhile, were able to lean heavily on their captain and All-Star nominee Ryan Burns, who produced the standout individual display of the afternoon. The centre-forward contributed eight points, six of them from placed balls, and was involved in most of his team’s best moments. His reliability in difficult conditions contrasted with Park/Ratheniska’s struggle to create clear chances in the second half.
Burns opened the scoring from a free after Park/Ratheniska were guilty of having only the goalkeeper and two defenders in their own half, but the visitors responded well. Their best spell of the match came early on as they strung together three points without reply. James Connolly was central to all three, landing an advanced mark before adding another from play and then setting up Delaney, who finished smartly to put the Laois side two points in front.
That brief lead was erased before the 20-minute mark, however, as Hunterstown Rovers hit back with scores from Burns (free and from play) and Micheál Reid, who clipped one over. The momentum swung repeatedly but without either side managing to break clear.
The half closed with a point apiece, Noah Fingleton for Park/Ratheniska and another Burns free, this one moved forward by referee Seamus (Shay) Farrelly, leaving the Louth champions 0-5 to 0-4 ahead at the interval.
The visitors restarted brightly, and within three minutes Connolly had fired over his third of the day to level matters again. But from there the contest turned firmly in Hunterstown Rovers’ favour.
Five unanswered points stretched the gap to double scores, 0-10 to 0-5, as David Finn pointed before Burns landed the only orange flag of the game with a superb long-range free from beyond the arc.
Hunterstown Rovers thought they had sealed victory when a Burns delivery dropped dangerously in the square and Reid fisted to the net, but the effort was chalked off for a square-ball.
Even so, Burns continued to punish Park/Ratheniska’s fouls, tapping over another free before Ryan Ward restored the five-point cushion. Park/Ratheniska goalkeeper Cathal Tierney kept hopes alive with an excellent sliding save to deny Euan Woodlock.
Those hopes faded quickly when Delaney was dismissed after the referee consulted with his umpires and linesman. Connolly managed to pull one back from a free on 56 minutes, but by then Park/Ratheniska were chasing a goal they never looked likely to create.
Burns rounded off his exceptional performance with his eighth point, and although Park/Ratheniska had the ball in the net late on, it was once more ruled out for a square ball.
Moments later, Farrelly signalled full-time, bringing the curtain down on Park/Ratheniska’s Leinster ambitions and confirming Hunterstown Rovers as five-point winners.
Ryan Burns 0-8 (0-4fs, 1 two-point free), Ryan Ward, David Finn and Micheál Ward 0-1 each.
James Connolly 0-4 (0-3fs), Kieran Delaney and Noah Fingleton 0-1 each.
Donovan Sheridan; Adam O’Reilly, Micheál Reid, Euan Woodlock; James Russell, Patrick Taaffe, Daithi Carroll; Marc Ward, Jason Monaghan; Cillian Taaffe, Ryan Burns, Shane Halpenny; David Finn, Ryan Ward, Ciaran Russell.
Tony McKenna for M Ward (55m), Paul Carrie for Russell (57m), James Rogers for R Ward (61m), Colm Murphy for Carroll (62m).
Cathal Tierney; James Newell, Colm Brennan, Brendan Greene; Richard Hitchcock, Rian McEntee, Sean Tierney; Padraig Dunne, Killian O’Connor; Noah Fingleton, Cian Nolan, Tom Fingleton; James Connolly, Brian Dunne, Kieran Delaney.
DJ O’Connell for N Fingleton (52m), Brian Fingleton for S Tierney (57m).
Seamus Farrelly (Dublin)
