Written By Laois PR Team
After the fantastic 23 point win over Meath in Round 4, the Laois Senior Hurlers seek 4 league wins in 5 games when they take on Kerry at home today, Saturday March 16th at 2pm in Laois Hire O’Moore Park for the Allianz Hurling League Division 2A Round 5 Fixture.
Permutations and what’s next: This game vs Kerry on Saturday is the final game of the round robin stage in Division 2A.
Regardless of the result against Kerry, next up for Laois is the Division 2A: Semi Final, in which Laois will play at home on the weekend of 23rd – 24th March.
Laois secured their 2nd place spot on the league table with the win over Meath.
As a result, this means Laois will take on the 3rd placed team at home in the semi final. Laois’ semi final opposition (the 3rd placed team) will be confirmed on Saturday March 16th, following the conclusion of the remaining Division 2A: round robin games.
How the Division 2A table currently stands:
1st place: Carlow: 8 points
2nd place: Laois: 6 points
3rd place: Kildare: 3 points
4th place: Down: 3 points
5th place: Kerry: 2 points
6Th place: Meath: 2 points
Tickets can be purchased both online and in person using the following options below and if you cannot attend the game, live match scores and updates will be provided via Twitter.
Tickets can be purchased online here: https://am.ticketmaster.com/gaa/24OM1603
Tickets can be purchased in person via selected participating SuperValu stores:
SuperValu Stradbally
Breslin’s SuperValu Rathdowney
McConville’s SuperValu Mountmellick
McLoughlin’s SuperValu Portarlington
Mulhall’s SuperValu Portlaoise
SuperValu Abbeyleix
SuperValu Parkside Portlaoise
Follow live match scores and updates on our official CLG Laois Twitter account: @CLGLaois
Manager Willie Maher has named the following side to face Kerry:
Changes to the starting 15 from the Meath game: Cathal Dunne (league debut), Padraic Dunne, Lee Cleere, Fiachra C-Fennell, Cody Comerford, John Lennon, Willie Dunphy and Stephen Bergin all come into the starting 15 against Kerry replacing from the Meath game: Liam O’Connell, Diarmaid Conway, Tom Cuddy, Martin Phelan, Picky Maher, David Dooley.
Changes to the subs bench from the Meath game: Donnchadh Hartnett, Aaron Phelan, Bryan Bredin, Andrew Mortimer, Jarlath Connolly, Ross King and James Keyes.
The Laois team lines out as follows:
1. Cathal Dunne (Clough-Ballacolla);
2. Padraic Dunne (The Harps),
3. Ryan Mullaney (Castletown),
4. Lee Cleere (Clough-Ballacolla);
5. Fiachra C-Fennell (Rosenallis),
6. Podge Delaney (The Harps),
7. Ian Shanahan (Ballinakill);
8. Aidan Corby (Clough-Ballcolla),
9. Paddy Purcell (Rathdowney-Errill); 10.
10. Cody Comerford (The Harps),
11. Aaron Dunphy (Borris-Kilcotton),
12. John Lennon (Rosenallis);
13. Tomas Keyes (Camross),
14. Willie Dunphy (Clough-Ballacolla),
15. Stephen Bergin (Clough-Ballacolla).
Subs: Enda Rowland (Abbeyleix), Donnchadh Hartnett (Rosenallis), Podge Lawlor (Ballinakill), Aaron Phelan (Castletown), Bryan Bredin (Trumera), Andrew Mortimer (Camross), Jarlath Connolly (Mountmellick), Eric Killeen (Rathdowney-Errill), James Duggan (The Harps), Ross King (Rathdowney-Errill), James Keyes (Colt-Shanahoe)
Laois Round 4 Recap: Meath vs Laois in Pairc Tailteann, Navan on March 10th.
Final score:
Meath: 1-12
Laois: 4-26
Laois scorers: Aaron Dunphy 1-10 (5 frees and one 65), Martin Phelan, Jer Quinlan, Tomas Keyes (1-2 each), Picky Maher, Cody Comerford (0-2 each), Paddy Purcell, Aidan Corby, David Dooley, Ian Shanahan, Liam O’Connell and Ryan Mullaney (0-1 each).
Laois’ league campaign is headed in a positive direction as Laois bounced right back from defeat to Carlow, responding with an emphatic and outstanding 23 point win over Meath. In which was both significantly, Laois’ biggest marginal win in the league so far this year and also the win that guaranteed Laois their upcoming home semi final.
There were many immense performances for Laois. The standout players were: Firstly, credit to these 3 players in defence of Diarmaid Conway, Ryan Mullaney and Padraig Delaney. Their hard work rate greatly limited Meath’s attacking chances.
In attack, wing forward Martin Phelan and the full forward line of Jer Quinlan, Aaron
Dunphy and Tomas Keyes shared a total score of 4-16. Martin Phelan, Jer Quinlan and Tomas Keyes scored 1-2 from play each. Aaron Dunphy scored 1-10 (1-4 from play).
Laois vs Meath Round 4 Stats:
Enda Rowland made his 90th overall appearance for Laois Senior Hurlers.
Paddy Purcell made his 60th NHL app, the 16th ever Laois hurler to do so.
Ian Shanahan made his 10th NHL app.
Aaron Dunphy (1-10) is the 10th ever Laois player to score 13 + points in an NHL match.
Kerry: are still in with a chance of qualifying for the semi final. If Kerry win over Laois and other Divsion 2A Round 5 results go in their favour.
As it stands: The following teams can still grab that semi final spot: Kildare, Down, Kerry and Meath.
The other fixtures this weekend in Division 2A Round 5 are:
Kildare vs Carlow
Down vs Meath
Kerry results so far:
Round 1: February 4th
Kerry: 0-19
Carlow: 3-22
Round 2: February 10th:
Down: 2-23
Kerry: 1-19
Round 3: February 25th
Kerry: 3-14
Meath: 0-16
Round 4: March 9th
Kildare: 1-21
Kerry: 1-14
Kerry’s standout players:
Maurice O’Connor is in great form and is Kerry’s top scorer so far with 1-15, O’Connor scored 1-7 in the one game in the Round 4 defeat to Kildare.
Shane Conway on his return to the team in Round 3, scored 1-9 in the one game to give Kerry their 2 points on the league table with the victory over Meath.
Shane Conway has displayed excellent skill also.
Dan Goggin has a total league score of 1-7.
Captain Fionan Mackessy in midfield, has also been brilliant for Kerry with a total score of 9 points.
Previous meeting of Laois vs Kerry: Joe McDonagh Cup Round 5 on May 13th 2023 in Austin Stack Park, Tralee.
Final score:
Kerry: 0-21
Laois: 4-23
Standout players for Laois that day: Picky Maher scored 1-12 (1-5 from play). Enda Rowland scored 1-2 (penalty goal and 2 frees). Paddy Purcell and Stephen Bergin scored 1 goal each from play.
Standout players for Kerry that day: Shane Conway scored 7 frees. Jordan Conway scored 4 points from play. Padraig Boyle scored 3 points from play and Brandon Barrett scored 2 points from play.
By Laois PRO Sat 16th Mar
