Written by Laois PR Team
We look back on the best player performances from last weekend’s (October 12th & 13th) football finals:
● Laois Shopping Centre: SFC Final
● Laois Shopping Centre: SFC B Final
● Midlands Park Hotel: MFC Final
SFC B Final: Clonaslee St.Manman’s v The Heath.
Clonaslee St.Manman’s: 1-6
The Heath: 2-7
Standout Players:
Clonaslee St.Manman’s:
Corner forward John Rigney was excellent throughout: he scored a brilliant point from play himself, and his lovely kick passes, precisely accurate and in behind defenders, helped set up scores: he set up 3 points for his teammates and defensively was very good also: he made a strong tackle on Daithi Carroll to turn over the ball, and made a block on a shot from Carroll to prevent a point. Rigney’s pacey runs up the field after these turnovers, led to attacks. Full back Jack Owens was very solid defensively, with strong hands for high catches, and quick for crucial interceptions in the box as he got out in front of his markers to collect long balls. Cian Conroy was a tower of strength in midfield: he won 2 kickouts and from this, kicked two great passes into Niall Hogan, resulting in a point from play. Cian Conroy tracked back to help out in defence with a great tackle to turn over in his own half before making a brilliant run through midfield and attack. Half back Bob Downey had an overall fantastic championship campaign for his side and he was very strong here again, going man to man and with physical strength, fended off forwards with tackles before going on great runs down the wing as he turned over the ball to aid in attacks.
The Heath:
Half forward Dylan Kavanagh was very lively in attack: he had great pace and ball carrying ability, whilst also displaying physical strength in one on one battles and won a free in for Daithi Carroll to convert, when he came out to midfield he won a kickout and a mark, to set up an attack. Alan Whelan had a great game at corner back and contributed massively to his sides win as a result of limiting the attacking threat from Clonaslee’s forwards. He made 2 blocks on shots from Paddy Hyland, punched clear a dangerous high ball sent in, collected multiple loose ball and made vital interceptions, particularly when Clonaslee had momentum in the early stages of the game. In the later stages of the game, Alan Whelan stepped up to command in the back line again and ran out to win a dropping ball meant for Niall Corbett, Whelan’s clearance here also led to a point by Brian Ging. Half back David O’Brien was a very effective link between defence and attack as when he defended well through efficient man marking, he equally contributed to the attack with great passes forward. Paddy Fitzpatrick was brilliant, operated mostly at full forward but he was everyone on the pitch throughout: he worked really hard and won every ball sent his way, most importantly his ability to turn his possession into well earned scores. Every ball he won, he finished with a score. He scored 1-2 and all were on target from difficult angles, 1 point from play, was as result of beating 3 markers on a massive run.
MFC Final: Portlaoise v Portarlington
Portlaoise: 4-7
Portarlington: 0-11
Standout Players:
Portlaoise:
Darren Brennan (total 2-3) was excellent in both midfield and attack: he won an incredible amount of ball in midfield and set up 2 points from play by Conor O’Callaghan before directly setting up Liam Conroy’s goal with a long run and quick pass . He converted 2 superb long range efforts from frees accurately off the ground. He displayed awareness and off the ball, made great runs into space to receive the ball. Brennan scored his goals from these positions also, 1 after winning a brilliant long ball in from Ryan Morrin. In defence, corner back Robbie Brophy and centre back Ben O’Connor were very strong in combination. Brophy made 2 vital interceptions from Lucas Coleman, blocked a shot on goal from Coleman and won a free out to clear danger. Ben O’Connor was the perfect link from defence to attack, with 3 huge turnovers in the 2nd half alone and when he recieved passes from defenders, he kicked lovely long ball into the forwards, which led to Aaron McCormack and Josh Finn points from play. Corner forward Aaron McCormack really impressed in attack: with pace in abundance, he beat his marker to win loads of possession and any 50/50 ball. With runs on the wing to come from out wide, to then cut into the box quickly, McCormack’s pace set up Liam Conroy’s goal and had 2 goal chances himself saved. He won frees in for Darren Brennan and after running for 20 meters, scored an outstanding point from play from long range, outside the 45 m line to cap off a wonderful display which contributed to Portlaoise winning their first minor title since 2012.
Portarlington:
Full back Tom Corcoran had a great game defensively yet displayed some standout moments in attack: Involved in a total 4 points (2 of his own). After a tackle and turnover, he ran the whole length of the pitch from defence into the box for a scoring opportunity, stopped only by a foul and set up a point by Sean Moran from this free. Before scoring 2 excellent points from play of his own. After this, Corcoran on another brilliant run and pass, then set up a Sean Moran point from play. Jack Murphy was also brilliant in defence: he made a perfectly timed tackle, interception and turnover to prevent a Conor O’Callaghan goal opportunity, he then made a high catch to collect a dangerous ball into the box that prevented 2 Portlaoise forwards getting possession. Murphy made an excellent block on a goal shot by Finn Dawson to prevent him getting a 2nd goal and with another good tackle, prevented a 3rd Darren Brennan goal and he contributed in attack by being involved in the build up play for a goal chance, by Lucas Coleman. Murphy’s hard work in defence was capped off with lovely passes into midifeld to the lively midfielder Sean Michael Ward, who won multiple kickouts and sent long balls into the full forwards for scores. Ward helped out in defence by making viral clearances with long kick passes aswel and combined with his strong hands to win ball in midfield: he operated in defence, midfield and attack. His long passes set up a Sean Moran point from play, and a goal chance for Odhran O’Reilly,blocked only by Portlaoise defenders and directly set up James Saunders point from play.
SFC Final: Portlaoise v Portarlington
Portarlington: 3-13
Portlaoise: 0-13
Portarlington win fourth senior title in five years.
Standout Players:
Portarlington:
Jason Moore was excellent at half back, alongside being strong defensively, he operated highly effectively in midfield also: he won alot of kickouts, and added with his with pace on runs, beating defenders as he ran from defence to attack: set up Rioghan Murphy with a great goal chance just wide, Moore kicked great ball into Colm Murphy (total 1-6) and Jake Foster (total 1-6) to set up alot of scores, alongside winning frees in and making super tackles and turnovers. Both Paddy O’Sullivan and Robbie Piggot were very impressive defensively: O’Sullivan tackled and with the turnover, combined with quick passes to Robbie Piggot, who found Alex Mohan who made a superb run to open up the Portlaoise defence and had a goal chance saved by Conor Brown. Piggot and O’Sullivan directly set up from the back and we’re again involved in the play that led to Colm Murphy’s 3rd goal, as a result of a brilliant pass across goal from Darragh Slevin. Colm Murphy produced a man of the match performance in attack: scoring 1-6 himself, directly set up Jake Fosters and Darragh Galvin’s goals from play, set up a Jake Foster point from play, won and scored a free himself, had another goal chance himself denied only by a brilliant Conor Brown save: and overall made an attacking threat for the Portlaoise defence, with every ball he won up front.
Portlaoise–
DJ White was electric in attack with a total 0-5 (4 from play) as as Portlaoise’s most impressive forward and top scorer for his side on the day. White displayed great ability to take on his markers man to man and beat his markers with pace on multiple occassion after he got out in front quickly to win balls in: White finished all his great runs past defenders with some outstanding points from play: 2 from play were from incredibly difficult angles and long range, won & scored his own free , plus also set up Damon Larkin Goalkeeper Conor Brown made 2 outstanding and fingertip point blank saves to deny both Colm Murphy and Alex Mohan. Half forward Kevin Swayne was a great link between midfield and attack: he won many kickouts and on runs forward, beat markers. Swayne kicked a great long ball into into Ben Dempsey, who found Damon Larkin for Portlaoise’s best goal chance saved by Luke O’Reilly. Midfielder David Seale displayed a strong performance, particularly in the 2nd half as he made some really good tackles and turnovers to prevent some Portarlington attacks.
By Laois PRO Tue 15th Oct
