King top-scores to help Rathdowney-Errrill overcome The Harps in cracking affair

Rathdowney-Errill have come close to landing Bob O’Keefe cup over the last four years but have ultimately fallen a little shy to a cracking Clough-Ballacolla outfit. Martin Power’s men will have high hopes that this will be the year they can regain the trophy for the first time since 2019.

They took on The Harps in the second game of a Saturday evening double-header inside Laois Hire O’Moore Park. Despite there being nothing of real consequence to play for, this proved to be a very entertaining affair. 

Ultimately, Ross King’s brilliance proved the difference. Rathdowney-Errrill won out by four in the end and advance to the semi-finals, while the Harps face into a relegation decider for the second year running.

Rathdowney-Errill 3-23

The Harps 2-22

Rathdowney-Errill showcased their danger early on in Portlaoise. Padraig Rafter managed to find Mark Kavanagh across the square but the Rathdowney-Errill full-forward failed to connect with the sliotar and the chance went astray.

The Harps actually hit the opening two points. Ciarán Comerford cracked over a free before James Lappin, who wore the number twenty-two, grabbed The Harps first score from play.

Rathdowney-Errill struggled to find their range throughout the first half in front of the posts. They registered five wides in the opening five minutes that prevented them from opening their account.

The Harps took advantage of their opponent’s inaccuracy. James Lappin turned provider in setting up Ciarán Burke for their third point of the day.

Rathdowney-Errill were eventually going to find their target though. Their opening score was the first goal of the contest, as Mark Kavanagh stones for his earlier miss to drill an unstoppable shot into the bottom left corner.

That goal settled Rathdowney-Errill down for a bit. Jack Kelly accounted for their opening point of the match, while Ross King curled over a placed ball soon after to nudge Rathdowney-Errrill ahead.

James Duggan landed a fine point for The Harps with his first touch of the match. Rathdowney-Errill responded with the next two points though, with King and Kelly adding another each to their personal tally’s.

Rathdowney-Errill held a three-point advantage  after ten minutes. However, they were will very inaccurate in front of the posts and should have been well clear even at this early stage.

Ciarán Comerford landed a placed ball for The Harps but Rathdowney-Errill registered the next two again. King knocked over another free before midfielder John Keane added his name to the scoresheet with one from play.

The Haros hit back with the next two themselves though. Ciarán Comerford was proving his worth from placed balls, as the wing-forward drove over two more for his side.

King did get the next score for Rathdowney-Errill to push them three ahead again after twenty minutes of play. The Harps continued to press and put the squeeze on down the other end though, as Cody Comerford and Cathal Murphy raised white flags.

The two teams went back and forth for most of the remainder of the half. King placed over two more for Rathdowney-Errill while Eric Killeen also landed one. Cathal Murphy was on fire for The Harps, as he registered two more delightful points and James Duggan also grabbed his second score.

However, The Harps were hit with a hammer blow just before the half-time whistle. Eric Killeen unselfishly found the onrushing Paddy Purcell. The Laois county star was unusually quiet in the first half, but Purcell took the goal chance brilliantly from an acute angle.

That late goal meant Rathdowney-Errill held a 2-10 to 0-12 lead at the interval. You feared this would follow a similiar pattern to the first match where Clough-Ballacolla cruised home in the second-half.

Credit to The Harps though. They refused to throw in the towel and made the second-half just as competitive as the first, which was needed after how the first match unfolded.

Ciarán Comerford and King traded points from frees early on before The Harps struck for their first goal to spring life back into this one. Strong running from centre-back Conor Dunne saw him set up John Brophy for the finish.

Conor Dunne then drove over a terrific score soon after to level this thing up. However, Rathdowney-Errill struck for another goal to hurt The Harps momentum once more.

Jack Kelly was allowed far too much room to ghost through the heart of The Harps defense and fire one into the top right hand corner. The Harps though, to their credit, continued to battle away and kept Rathdowney-Errill within their grasp.

Jim O’Connor, Jame Duggan and Ciarán Comerford all raised white flags for The Harps over the next fifteen minutes. Substitute Scott Pearson and King landed points for Rathdowney-Errill to keep them two in front as we headed for the final ten minutes.

King was proving unstoppable from placed balls and play, which proved to be difference in Rathdowney-Errill edging out the result here. He registered fourteen points over the course of the evening, with five of those coming from play.

Ciarán Comerford blasted in a late goal for The Harps to keep interesting right until the very end. However, Rathdowney-Errill registered the final three points to triumph here, as King landed two and Padraig Rafter grabbed the last.