Minor Football: Match Report, Talking Points, Man of The Match v Antrim
All Ireland Minor Football Championship Tier 3 Semi Final
Laois: 1.13
Antrim: 3.19
Photo’s credit: Captured by Oonagh
Match Report:
Laois started the game strongly with the combination of Will Craig and Dale Heffernan, both putting in heavy defensive pressure and great tackles to turnover the ball from Antrim’s danger man, midfielder Dara Campbell.
Corner back Dan Downey opened the scoring for Laois as a result of massive run with pace from the full back line all the way into attack to point from play.
Will McGrath won the Antrim kickout to set up Cian Murphy for another point.
Antrim responded through Conor McArt before Laois extended their lead again when Tadgh Hughes forced a turnover that allowed Will McGrath to score from play.
The game swung in Antrim’s favour quickly though through the attacking quality of Tiernan Lee, Shea McFerran, Joey Griffin and Dara Campbell. Tiernan Lee scored 1-1 during a dominant spell while Conor Kane converted a 45 as Antrim moved four ahead after 12 minutes.
Laois responded well through Tom Lawler and Will McGrath. Tom Lawler’s clever movement and direct running to get by his opponents troubled the Antrim defence and set up scores, while Will McGrath dominated aerial battles, won kickouts and drove Laois forward with strong ball carrying and accurate kicking. Eoghan Harris and Will McGrath both scored from play.
Antrim kept the pressure on again as Shea McFarren kicked a superb 2 pointer from play and the lively Joey Griffin added a point, to extend the Antrim lead to 4 on 20 minutes.
Ethan Neilon was accurate and he provided 2 scores during this period, 1 from play and 1 from a free as Laois reduced the deficit to 2 points.
Despite Laois clawing back at the deficit, Antrim finished the first half strongly with a surge of attacking power. Shea McFerran and Joey Griffin were outstanding on charging runs in attack, combining for 3 points, 2 by Joey Griffin and 1 by Shea McFerran. Antrim led by 5 now: 1-10 to 0-8 at half-time.
Antrim took complete control early in the second half when Dara Campbell won possession immediately from the throw-in and kicked a brilliant long ball in to set up Shea McFerran for a goal, McFerran added another point moments later.
Although Fionnan Brennan replied with an excellent two-point free, Antrim’s attacking pace and accuracy kept Laois chasing the game as Shea Mc Farren, Dara Campbell and Conor Kane all scored in a row.
Will McGrath to his credit, continued to battle hard in midfield, winning kickouts, turnovers and launching attacks, while Tom Lawler and Nisun Balogun (a half time substitute with a positive impact) both provided strong direct running: despite the game slipping away from them, Laois continued to work hard.
Tom Lawler scored 0-2 (1 free) and Sean Maree curled over a free from this spell of positive Laois attacking play.
But Antrim took control back again quickly as Dara Campbell kicked a great 2 point free and Joey Griffin got a brilliant goal from play.
Although it meant little to the outcome of game, Fionnan Brennan scored a great goal for Laois.
Antrim’s Shea McFarren and Laois’ Will McGrath traded scores as Antrim finished deserved 12-point winners and booked a place in the Tier 3 All-Ireland Minor Final against Wicklow.
Laois Man of the Match v Antrim – Will McGrath
Will McGrath was Laois’ standout performer throughout the game with an outstanding all-round display. He was at left half back. But he excelled all over the pitch in defence, midfield and attack. He was brilliant under the high ball, winning numerous aerial duels, clean catches and breaking ball situations against intense Antrim pressure. His work rate defensively and offensively was exceptional as he consistently tracked back, made tackles and forced turnovers in midfield to launch Laois attacks.
McGrath was also hugely influential on kickouts, repeatedly winning possession and driving forward with pace and power. His ball-carrying ability through the middle and along the wings gave Laois much-needed momentum during difficult periods of the game. He linked play brilliantly with accurate hand passes and clever setup play for teammates while also contributing 0-3 points from play himself, display his accurate kicking.
Even when Antrim dominated possession and stretched their lead, McGrath never stopped working. His energy and determination stood out throughout the contest and he was Laois’ most consistent performer from start to finish.
Close Second for Man of The Match – Tom Lawler
Tom Lawler was another excellent performer for Laois and finished with 0-2. His impact in attack was enormous through his pace, direct running and strength on the ball. Lawler repeatedly carried possession into dangerous areas, holding off challenges and driving at the Antrim defence.
His movement both on and off the ball was intelligent throughout as he constantly looked to create space and keep attacks moving forward at speed. One of the game’s best Laois chances came from a superb long run and pass by Lawler to Eoghan Harris. He also created scoring opportunities for teammates through quick link play and direct attacking runs.
Lawler continued to work tirelessly despite the scoreboard pressure and was one of Laois’ biggest attacking threats throughout the game.
Talking Points
Although Antrim proved too strong, this Laois minor side deserves huge credit for their performances throughout the 2026 campaign. Injuries meant Laois were missing several players during both the Leinster Championship and Tier 3 All-Ireland series, making their victories over Limerick and Longford even more impressive.
Laois faced an extremely difficult Leinster group containing eventual Leinster champions Kildare, semi-finalists Louth and runners up, Meath. Despite defeats, Laois competed strongly for long periods in both games v Kildare and Louth. The heavy loss to Meath was disappointing, but captain Fionnan Brennan still showed leadership and quality throughout.
One of the biggest positives from the season was the ability to win games after coming back from behind in games vs Limerick and Longford. Key was the development of several talented players for the future. In defence: Will Craig impressed from the opening round with his pace and powerful runs from defence, later adapting brilliantly to midfield where he won huge amounts of possession and drove attacks forward. Scoring a goal vs Longford as s result of his pace. Captain Fionnan Brennan at full back showed outstanding long-range scoring ability, finishing the campaign with four two-point frees and a goal.
In attack, David Timmons and Tom Lawler improved consistently as the year progressed. Timmons finished with 2-6 overall while Lawler scored 1-8 across the campaign. Both players showed intelligent movement, improved scoring efficiency and great attacking awareness, especially during the Tier 3 competition.
While Tier 3 football may not have been Laois’ target at the start of the season, the experience proved hugely valuable in developing this talented young squad. The players showed resilience, pride and determination throughout the year and there is plenty of promise for the future of Laois football.
Thank you to manager Dave McGrath and his backroom team for their commitment and hard work in developing the squad throughout the season.
