Monday Recap: Updates from our Minor & U20: Hurling & Football Teams

Monday Recap: Latest Updates from our Minor & U20: Hurling & Football Teams

Written By Laois PR Team

We look back on the latest Championship matches featuring both our Minor and U20: Hurling and Football teams.

Below we recap on the following games:

Minor Hurling: Leinster Round 3 win vs Kerry.

U20 Hurling: Leinster Preliminary Quarter Final win vs Kildare.

Minor Football: Leinster Round 3 defeat to Offaly.

U20 Football: Leinster Andrew Corden Cup defeat to Westmeath.

Minor Hurlers: are through to a Leinster MHC preliminary quarter final vs Offaly this Saturday May 3rd, at home in Laois Hire O’Moore Park at 5pm.

Laois: 6-16

Kerry: 1-9

Laois: Tom Og Phelan 3-4 (1-4 frees), Eoin Delaney 3-2, Daniel Whelan and Conor Headen 0-3 each, Tony Mahony (free), Donnchadh Carroll, Aaron Fitzpatrick and Matt Cunningham 0-1 each

Kerry: Cillian Hurley 1-3, Mikey Corridan (one free) and Dylan Costello (one free) 0-2 each, Stephen Shanahan and Jake Rochford 0-1 each

Standout Players (Laois)

Both Callum Jones and Donnacha Carroll were really impressive defensively all game.

In the 1st half:

Callum Jones made a wonderfully timed interception and won a free in for Tony Mahony to convert. Callum Jones won a high ball and with a accurate clearance out quickly up the field, quickly set up a Laois attack immediately. Callum Jones then made a superb and strong tackle, with a perfectly executed clearance down the field.

Donnacha Carroll won a Kerry puckout and sent a lovely long ball out wide, to Eoin Delaney for a scoring chance. Donnacha Carroll next won a high catch from a high Kerry ball and his long puck out to Daniel Whelan, led to a fantastic point from play. Donnacha Carroll received a hand pass quickly from Dan Downey on the run and Carroll scored his own point from play.  He then won a high ball and struck a clearance out quickly, into the Laois attack. Next he went on massive run, all the way from half back, into midfield, following into attack as he was heavily and directly involved in Eoin Delaney’s 2nd goal and Laois’s 4th goal of the game.

Both Donnacha Carroll and Callum Jones continued to massively impress in the 2nd half again also in the Laois half back line. Both players combined with super tackles, incredible work rate,  greatly timed defensive interventions, transitioning their highly effective defensive moves straight into attack, with their long and immensely accurate balls: sent directly into the hands of Laois forwards on turnovers in possession. Carroll and Jone’s work led to a huge amount of Laois scores as they totalled a massive 6-16 on the day.

In the Laois attack: a 2nd half Tony Mahony long range free, landed flawlessly for Eoin Delaney to score his rasper of a goal for Laois’ 5th goal of the game and most notably: Eoin Delaneys 3rd goal of the game, as he achieved a hat trick from play. Tom Og Phelan’s powerful 21m free goal in the 2nd half, completed Tom Og Phelan’s hat trick. Eoin Delaney and Tom Og Phelan got a hat trick each as both players were immense in front of goal all game.

Conor Headen (total 0-3 from play) was also outstanding in attack, displaying great ball carrying ability and skill on the run. Plus his highly effective use of his power and physical strength: to win possession both on and off the ball.

U20 Hurlers

Laois: 1-29

Kildare: 2-16

Leinster U20 Preliminary Quarter Final

Laois next play Wexford away in the Quarter Final on Monday May the 5th at 2pm .

Laois: Rick Bannon and Jer Quinlan (four frees) 0-7 each, Jack Breen 0-5, Cormac Byrne 1-2, Ben Deegan 0-3 (one sideline), Eoghan Cuddy 0-2, Justin Duggan, Tom Cuddy and Cian Hill 0-1 each.

Kildare: Tom Power 0-8 (five frees), Alex Bell 2-1 (2-0 frees), Oran Byrne and Cian O’Reilly 0-2 each, Theo Frisby, Tom Boran and CJ Boran 0-1 each.

Standout Players: Laois

Jack Breen (0-5 from play) was outstanding in attack. He displayed great skill, with one touch on his hurl to control the ball and after a good catch, he turned with pace and struck the ball over the bar, for a fantastic opening score from play.

Jack Breen was directly involved in the next score too as he passed across the pitch to Ben Deegan for a point from play. Jack Breen’s pace won a free in for Ben Deegan to convert. Breen had a brilliant goal chance go just inches wide too. Breen won a free in from this goal attempt, the free in for Jer Quinlan to score. Jack Breen had another outstanding point from play. From 40 metres out and from an incredibly acute angle near the sideline. Breen contined to impress in the 2nd half too as he set up Rick Bannon with a point.

Rick Bannon was in super scoring form all game: with a total score of 7 points from play and all incredibly well taken: as Bannon was a constant threat to the Kildare defence all game , proving he is a top class forward: he produced moments of absolute brilliance in the Laois attack.

Ross Deegan was really impressive in midfield, winning puckouts and making strong tackles to win possession as a result of his ball carrying ability, physical strength, and always alert, jumping at height, to win 50/50 high ball. He won a free from a turnover as he won the battle for possession with Oran Byrne. Ross Deegan had a great shot for a point from play, blocked only by the superb defensive work of Kildare’s Niall Cramer. Deegan’s quick hand pass after winning the Kildare puckout, led to a Jer Quinlan point from play: a massive score from long range, from inside his own half.

Captain Rory Kelly was immense defensively. His brilliant man marking made him the first to intercept any loose ball and his long struck balls into the Laois forwards: successfully completed a great defensive move to immediately link to the attack and scores. Kelly strongly won the ball back from Kildare’s dangerous forward Tom Boran twice and he then sent a long ball wide out to the pacey Cormac Byrne, for a scoring chance. Kelly’s perfectly timed 2nd half tackle and turnover from Cj Boran near the sideline in the Laois defence, directly led to Cormac Byrne’s goal from play for Laois.

As Kelly’s long ball found the hands of the talented young Laois substitute Kyron Cuddy on the wing. (the Castletown man made his u20 debut on the night in the 2nd half and really impressed with his showing). Cuddy was involved in the set up of Byrne’s goal to seal the Laois win. All beginning from the incredible defensive work rate of Rory Kelly.

Minor Footballers:

Leinster MFC Round 3:

Laois: 2-9

Offaly: 1-15

Laois will next compete in the Tier 3 All Ireland MFC series.

Laois: David Timmons 2-0, Sean Rowan 0-4 (one free), Ultan Dunne 0-2, Joe Larkin 0-2 (two pointer)

Offaly: Tony Furey 1-4 (one two pointer), Jack Ryan 0-4 (two two point frees), Dylan Dunne 0-1, Eamon Maher 0-1,  Patrick Duffy 0-1, Ruairi Woods 0-2, Cian McNamee 0-1, Darragh Stuart 0-1

Standout Players

Sean Rowan was brilliant up front all game, starting with a great high catch from a high ball , kicked from an incredibly acute angle for his 1st point from play. Rowan scored all his points from frees, from all difficult angles and from long range too. Total Score. 0-4 (1 free).

Sean Michael Ward was excellent all over the pitch, particularly in midfield and attack but also contributed to defence as he made full effective use of his physical strength both on and off the ball. He done really well to win Laois kickout to build up a Laois attack. Sean Michael Ward won a Laois kickout again and set up with a long ball into Sean Rowan, for a scoring chance. His 2nd accurate long ball to Sean Rowan led to a Rowan point from play. Sean Michael Ward won 4 Laois kickouts. His unstoppable pace in possession drew fouls at crucial times for Laois when he went on the attack and won many frees in, converted by Sean Rowan.

David Timmons beat his opponent off the ball in the race for possession brilliantly, as he was first to the great long ball kicked in by Mark O’Connor. Timmons made a perfectly timed tackle and interception in midfield from an Offaly half back to create a super turnover that led to a Laois score.

David Timmons won an Offaly kickout to create another vital turnover. He scored 2 outstanding goals from play.

Laois goalkeeper Conor Dunne made an outstanding point blank save in the 2nd half. All game, including in the 1st half too, Conor Dunne was very accurate with his kickouts, kicked excellently in particularly to Sean Michael Ward.

The impressive team move, link up play from the back: between Conor Dunne, Sean Michael Ward and Sean Rowan was lovely to watch as beautiful football and skills were on display.

U20 Footballers: 

Andrew Cordon Cup Semi Final (Leinster Championship Shield Competition)

Westmeath: 6-13

Laois: 0-7

Westmeath: Jack Duncan 3-1, Shane Corcoran 1-2, Tiarnan O’Donovan 1-1, Tadhg Baker 1-0, Finn Duffy 0-3 (0-1 free), Matthew Thornton and Conor Callaghan (frees) 0-2 each, Ronan Murray (free) and Kealan Connell 0-1 each

Laois: Paddy Fitzpatrick and Jeremy Kelly (0-1 free and one two-pointer) 0-3 each, Jack Julian 0-1

Despite heavy defeat and the end of their season, there were some positives in the Laois performance.

Jeremy Kelly was impressive up front, with some really lovely scores.

A massive 2 pointer from play kicked from long range and a point from a free. Total: 0-3.

Tom O’Connell at half back was getting out in front to win alot of ball and made some great passes to team mates to contribute to attacking play.

Full forward Ryan Little had 2 goal chances saved on the double, superb efforts denied only by brilliant goalkeeping and point blank range saves of Westmeath Goalkeeper Luke Nicholson.

Corner forward Paddy Fitzpatrick also had a double goal chance saved from Luke Nicholson who was in top form. Paddy Fitzpatrick (total 0-3 from play) scored 2 superb points from play from acute angles and under pressure whilst being chased by his marker as he displayed great pace on the ball.