Park/Ratheniska bounce back against Crettyard to book Round 3 place

Laois Shopping Centre Senior Football Championship Rd 2 (Q) 

Park/Ratheniska 2-13 

Crettyard 1-11 

PARK/Ratheniska bounced back from their opening-round defeat to Arles Killeen to secure a place in Round 3 of the Laois Shopping Centre Senior Football Championship following a superb win over Crettyard in Stradbally on Thursday evening.

Johnny Nevin's side, who won last year's Intermediate title, showed plenty of character despite being without influential Laois senior footballer Cian Nolan. The 2025 Intermediate Footballer of the Year was sidelined with an injury, but Park/Ratheniska coped admirably in his absence, as goals from Matt Cunningham and Simon Fingleton proved decisive.

For Crettyard, who had also entered the contest needing a result after losing to 2023 county champions St Joseph's in Round 1, the defeat means their senior championship campaign is over. They now drop into the Senior 'B' Championship after back-to-back defeats.

It was the 2024 and 2025 Intermediate champions going head-to-head and the game was barely underway before Crettyard struck first. Just 25 seconds had elapsed when Alex Whelan exchanged passes with Jonah Kelly before calmly splitting the posts to give his side the perfect start.

Park/Ratheniska responded almost immediately and did so in style. Matt Cunningham stepped up from outside the 40-metre arc and landed an excellent two-pointer to edge his side back in front.

Crettyard weren't fazed and Evan O'Carroll burst through from a solo-and-go to restore their lead, but that proved to be their last score for a while as Park/Ratheniska seized control.

Conor Headen converted a free that was brought forward by referee Michael Tarpey before Simon and Tom Fingleton combined neatly for another point as the winners began to dominate possession. Their pressure was rewarded after 10 minutes when a sweeping move, started deep inside their own defence, carved Crettyard open. Cunningham was on hand to apply the finish and fire to the net.

O'Carroll did halt the momentum with a free off his weaker left foot before almost dragging his side back into contention moments later. However, Cathal Tierney produced a superb one-handed save to preserve Park/Ratheniska's advantage.

Simon Fingleton was outstanding throughout and he rounded off the first half scoring with an excellent individual effort, driving through the middle before confidently splitting the uprights.

O'Carroll accounted for four of Crettyard's five first half scores, but they still found themselves trailing 1-6 to 0-5 at the interval.

Park/Ratheniska almost made the perfect start to the second period. Just 40 seconds after the restart, Simon Fingleton was denied by an excellent save from Eoin O'Shea, but he made amends within two minutes.

Paul Byrne's effort was stopped by O'Shea, only for Fingleton to react quickest and palm the loose ball to the net, extending the lead to eight points. Headen and O'Carroll then exchanged frees before each added another point from play as Park/Ratheniska continued to keep Crettyard at arm's length.

Crettyard briefly threatened a comeback when Ciaran Burke's pass found Cormac Murphy, who blasted the ball to the net to reduce the arrears to five.

Any hopes of a revival were quickly extinguished. Headen calmly converted another free before the impressive Simon Fingleton added his third point from play to restore Park/Ratheniska's cushion.

O'Carroll refused to give in and curled over an excellent two-pointer before Tierney again came to his side's rescue. Whelan's long delivery dropped dangerously inside the square and Patrick O'Reilly managed to flick the ball towards goal, but the Park/Ratheniska goalkeeper reacted brilliantly to make another crucial save.

O'Carroll added another point to cut the deficit to four entering the closing stages, but Crettyard could not get any closer. Their frustrations were summed up late on when Jack Doyle received a straight red card after a high elbow on Simon Fingleton.

Podge Dunne and O'Carroll traded late scores before Dunne had the final say in stoppage time as his point wrapped up a five-point victory and booked Park/Ratheniska's place in Round 3.

SCORER:

Park/Ratheniska: Simon Fingleton 1-4 (0-1f), Matt Cunningham 1-2 (1 tp), Conor Headen 0-4 (0-2fs), Podge Dunne 0-2, Tom Fingleton 0-1.

Crettyard: Evan O’Carroll 0-10 (1tp, 0-3fs, 0-1 mark), Cormac Murphy 1-0, Alex Whelan 0-1.

PARK/RATHENISKA: Cathal Tierney; James Newell, Colm Brennan, Benny Greene; Paul Byrne, Ritchie Hitchcock, Killian O’Connor; Podge Dunne, Simon Fingleton; Jimmy Langton, Matt Cunningham, Aaron Fitzpatrick; Tom Fingleton, Noah Fingleton, Conor Headen.

Subs: Kieran Delaney for T Fingleton (45m), Brian Fingleton for Langton (55m), Barry Connolly for O’Connor (58m).

CRETTYARD: Eoin O’Shea; Cormac Brennan, Pierce Nash, Fionn O’Sullivan; Dara Kelly, John Brennan, Jack Doyle; Patrick O’Reilly, Alex Whelan; Tiernan Patterson, Jonah Kelly, Sean Browne; Cormac Murphy, Ciaran Burke, Evan O’Carroll.

Subs: Evan Dunne for O’Sullivan (17m, inj), Podge Lawlor for Patterson (ht), Michael Nash for Browne (39m), Brian Brennan for Burke (56m, inj).

Referee: Michael Tarpey (Kilcavan)