Laois Shopping Centre SFC Round 3 Recap
SFC ‘A’ Quarter Finals:
Portlaoise v Courtwood
Ballyroan Abbey v St. Joseph’s
Arles Killeen v Portarlington
Graiguecullen v Killeshin
SFC ‘B’ Quarter Finals:
Ballyfin v The Heath
Clonaslee St.Manman’s v Emo
Crettyard v Rosenallis
O’Dempseys v Stradbally
Laois Shopping Centre SFC Round 3 Recap
Portarlington: 1-15
Rosenallis: 0-11
Portarlington were boosted by the return of Colm Murphy (0-5, 0-3f), who impressed with sharp movement, strong runs, and clever link up play: won frees, scored from distance, and superbly set up Rioghan Murphy’s composed goal. Rioghan (1-5) was a constant threat, kicking excellent points and finishing calmly when the chance for goal arrived. Sean Byrne’s return was also influential (0-1) he made a real impact off the bench, bringing intensity, winning possession, and adding a fine score to round off his impressive return.
Rosenallis produced strong performances of their own, with John O’Loughlin (0-2, 0-1tp) dominating in midfield through high fielding and direct running. Jack Friel was influential, carrying the ball well and delivering precise passes into attack. Joey Shelly impressed in defence, with physicality on display to win possession both on and off the ball, breaking up play with timely tackles, forcing turnovers, and driving the team forward in transition with pacey runs up the field and quick passes to set up attacks.
St.Josephs: 5-19
Emo: 3-11
Emo: Nigel Murphy (0-1) impressed with his pace both on and off the ball, orchestrating attacks and linking play superbly. He kicked a fine point from an angle after a powerful run and delivered lovely passes to the wings. Murphy was also heavily involved in the build-up to Liam Crowley’s goal. Darren Strong worked tirelessly in defence, showing great determination. Ross Meredith stood out in attack with five points (0-3 from play, 0-1 free, 1tp), raising his performance in the second half, where he set up alot of scores.
St.Joseph’s: Jack Lacey led superbly from the back, defending with strength and intelligence. He produced vital turnovers through well-timed tackles and even blocked what looked a certain Emo goal, a moment that inspired his side and directly led to a goal at the other end. Mikie Dempsey (1-1) dominated midfield with outstanding high fielding and added a composed finish to the net. Mick Keogh (3-4) delivered a scintillating attacking display, scoring three goals and directly setting up another, contributing heavily to 4/5 of his sides goals.
Killeshin: 2-12
The Heath: 0-12
The Heath: Sean Kirby done very well in attack, winning plenty of ball and using his pace to break through the defence, while also scoring 0-2 from play himself. Paddy Fitzpatrick (0-5: 0-3 frees) struck some brilliant points in attack, accurate from both play and frees, and played a major role in setting up scores. Jimmy Nerney created a superb goal chance, saved by Killian Roche and deflected over the bar. Leon Holland, introduced at half time, immediately set up a score and added one himself, a lively impact substitute as he worked really hard to win possesion to stand out in the 30 minutes.
Killeshin: Conor Heffernan continues to shine this championship season with another stellar midfield display, winning a mountain of ball, particularly from kickouts but also consistently from play, while also winning the penalty. Eoin Lowry (1-4: 0-1f) was accurate and composed throughout, with his standout moment coming from Cathal Byrne’s excellent high kick pass straight into his hands for a brilliantly taken goal. Killian Roche, with a penalty and a free, turned the game in Killeshin’s favour, making a great save at one end and smashing home a clinical penalty the other end.
Courtwood: 1-17
O’Dempseys: 1-14
O’Dempsey’s: Barry Kelly in defence combined superbly with Jack Lennon in attack all game, both players making pacey runs into space and exchanging clever kick and hand passes to set up scores, with Kelly also contributing 0-2 himself. Cormac O’Hora impressed in the back line with excellent tackling and key interceptions. Matthew Finlay (0-7) was perfectly accurate between the posts up front, including two outstanding two-pointers, one from play and one from a free. Jack Lennon also created multiple scoring opportunities throughout.
Courtwood: Niall Dunne kicked an impressive two-pointer in the first half, a moment of real quality. Robert Tyrell was strong in midfield, winning possession consistently from both open play and kickouts, and helped set up key scores. Tyrell then combined brilliantly with Cian Doyle for a superbly taken goal from play, Doyle finishing confidently. Doyle (1-1) covered a huge amount of ground on long runs, fending off challenges as he went. Niall Donoher delivered perfectly weighted long balls into the forward line.
By Aoife McEvoy Tue 26th Aug
