Resilient Laois minor footballers get their season back on track with impressive win over Limerick

The laois minor footballers got their first win of the season yesterday and deservedly so. Despite 3 losses and not qualifying out of the leinster championship, this is a talented and hard working group of young players who have produced some really good performances despite results.

Laois put up a really good fight and were impressive in the Round 1 and Round 2 games v Kildare and Louth. 2 losses there does not reflect the good performances actually put in.

The heavy defeat to Meath although disappointing, did not erase the talent of this team from my memory. Captain Fionnan Brennan didn’t feature against Limerick but he was an obvious standout from the Leinster championship with his confidence and ability to both kick 2 pointers and win high ball. Even in the Meath game, Fionnan Brennan’s hard work rate on display there, still deserves praise.

In my opinion the best Laois minor footballer this year who was brilliant this year and consistently caught my eye in every game:

Will Craig: defends really well in the half back line at right half back: making key tackles, interceptions and turnovers as a defender should and is expected.

However, my favourite aspect to his performance is his versatility and defying expectations as traditional defender: when his runs, full of pace, aid in the attack so much.

It’s his attacking set up play, his bursting runs up the pitch for great lengths and distance to help aid in the Laois attack with such speed, his opponents have trouble catching up to him: very similar to how Paddy O’Sullivan performs for the senior footballers:

Will is that massive injection of pace for the minor footballers like Paddy is for the seniors. Will also kicks lovely accurate long ball into his teammates hands to directly set up attacking opportunities and scores after he goes on these massive runs and releases quick hand passes. Will helps Laois attack quickly.

I was delighted to see Will put in another great performance of this form against Limerick too.

Going back to the Leinster championship, In the forward line, Aaron Mackey impressed me with his clever movement both on and off the ball to help keep or win back possession, plus set up scores. Ethan Neilon was reliable and accurate from frees.

More players that have caught my eye now for the 1st time against Limerick are: Tom Lawler, (superb accuracy and eye for points and a goal from play) Cian Murphy (braveness to take on 2 pointers with massive kicks and was rewarded with them over the bar) and Will McGrath (brought huge intensity in his tackling and successful turnovers in the half back line)

My point is to make laying out the impressive player’s is: the resilience of this Laois team to begin their Tier 3 All Ireland Minor Football Championship with a brilliant performance and rebuild confidence levels after that Meath loss which was a tough challenge mentally to overcome: it was brilliant to see these young talented players dust themselves off, move on from adversity and get the 1st win of the season that they were rightly deserved of and this deserves applause. It shows this team still believes in themselves and so should we.

Laois: 3.13

Limerick: 1.14

All Ireland MFC Tier 3 Preliminary Quarter Final

Limerick made the perfect start with Eoin Hogan opening the scoring inside 30 seconds, before Charlie McCarthy added a superb two-point free in the third minute. Laois responded immediately and showed their attacking threat early on when Sean Maree won a Limerick kickout and surged through on goal and even though a goal didnt mount here, there was still a showing Laois’ attacking intent. Scores from Maree and David Timmons, combined with strong defensive work from Will McGrath and dominant midfield play from Cian Murphy, kept Laois in touch during a tightly contested opening.

However, Limerick soon took complete control of the first half, scoring six unanswered points to move 0-9 to 0-2 ahead by the 18th minute. Inspired by the excellent Hogan and McCarthy, Limerick looked dangerous in attack and appeared to have all the momentum, especially with the advantage of a strong first-half breeze.

Laois badly needed a response and got it through the impressive Will McGrath. A brilliant tackle and turnover from McGrath, combined with movement and passing forward by the speedy Will Craig, led directly to a point from Darragh Brennan, swinging momentum back towards Laois. Soon after, another turnover involving Will McGrath and Will Craig created the opening for David Timmons to fire home a superb goal.

Cian Murphy was also outstanding throughout this spell, winning huge amounts of breaking ball and kickouts around midfield as Laois suddenly found themselves back in the game.

Laois goalkeeper Mark Dowling also played a huge role before half-time with a brilliant point-blank save to deny Charlie McCarthy a certain goal, while Ethan Neilon forced a save from Limerick keeper Dean Ryan at the other end. A late score from Michael Brennan left Laois trailing by just two points at the break despite Limerick’s dominance for long periods.

Half-time: Laois 1-4, Limerick 0-9.

Laois carried that momentum straight into the second half. Eoghan Harris struck the crossbar immediately after the restart before Tom Lawler had a goal chance saved. Sean Maree pointed before Cian Murphy produced a brilliant two-point score from play to put Laois ahead for the first time.

The turning point quickly became a commanding Laois spell. Ethan Neilon burst into the box and squared for Tom Lawler to finish to the net, giving Laois a four-point advantage. Further scores from Lawler and Maree stretched the lead to six points as Laois took complete control entering the final quarter. Darragh Brennan also got a goal.

Limerick eventually responded through Ollie Stokes and Jack Monihan, but Laois continued to impress with David Timmons adding another score and Cian Murphy kicking his second outstanding two-pointer of the game. Limerick refused to give up and mounted a strong late comeback, with Stokes and Monihan scoring again before Cian Barry found the net to leave only two points between the sides in the closing stages.

Mikey Regan and Limerick’s Tom Gavin traded late scores before the final whistle, but Laois held firm under intense pressure to complete a superb comeback victory and book their place in the quarter-finals.