Late drama as Courtwood edge past Ballyroan-Abbey to claim quarter-final place

 An injury time goal from Sean O’Flynn has sent Courtwood through to the quarter finals of the Laois Senior Football Championship in the most dramatic of fashions. 

Ballyroan-Abbey led Courtwood from the 11thminute right up until O’Flynn’s goal in the 63rd minute. 

COURTWOOD 1-8 

BALLYROAN-ABBEY 0-9 

Courtwood trailed by three at half time having kicked against the strong wind for the opening 30 minutes. 

Ballyroan-Abbey kicked three points against the same breeze to start off the second half and go ahead by six, but they wouldn’t score again for the remainder of the game. 

Courtwood stayed plodding along kicking points to get in touch before O’Flynn’s dramatic winner right at the end. 

Paul O’Flynn kicked the opener into the town end against the wind for Courtwood impressively a minute into the game. 

They wouldn’t score again for 23 minutes as they struggled to break through the men in blue. 

Ballyroan-Abbey had more success at the other end and kicked the next four in a row to no reply. Davin McEvoy got their scoring underway on three minutes from a short range free and Brian Whelan put them in front eight minutes later with a long range free. 

Their first score from play came moments later when Diarmuid Whelan kicked an audacious attempt between the posts under intense pressure and Colm Walsh kicked another from the right sideline five minutes later to put them three ahead. 

After scoring in the first minute Courtwood didn’t raise another flag until Cian Doyle kicked a great score in the 24th as he avoided a couple of tackles on the 21. 

Matthew Byron reduced the gap to a point with a well taken free against the wind from 30 metres out. Courtwood had a chance to go level shortly after with a free from a similar position and Byron was on his way to take it but was ordered back to his post but Niall Dunne proceeded to miss his attempt. 

The sides could easily have been level heading towards the end of the half but that miss gave Ballyroan-Abbey a bit of a boost and they mustered up a couple of well needed points before the break. 

Diarmuid Whelan kicked the first of the pair sweetly from the 45 and Davin McEvoy also got his second of the half after a well worked passage of play up the field starting from a free on the Ballyroan-Abbey 21. They led by 0-6 to 0-3 at half time. 

Ballyroan-Abbey faced a stiff breeze for the second half but they still managed to kick the opening three scores. 

Davin McEvoy scored the opener from a free before adding another after Brian Whelan kicked his third free of the game and they led by six points with 38 minutes played. 

Courtwood had a golden opportunity at goal on 40 mintues when David Duffy won a mark brilliantly inside the 14 and elected to play on as the space opened for him to shoot but he missed the target. 

Cian Doyle got their first point of the half a minute later with an excellent effort from distance but they still trailed by five. 

Ballyroan-Abbey suddenly looked impotent in front of the posts as a 10 minute scoreless period was ended by an Alan Kinsella free for Courtwood, his first score of the game. Cian Doyle scored his second from play moments later to bring the gap back to three with eight minutes remaining. 

Courtwood were awarded a free outside the 45 and Byron marched up to take it, and he cleared the posts with plenty to spare on 53 minutes. 

The gap was reduced to a single point moments later when Alan Kinsella kicked his second free to set up a grandstand finish to the game. 

The men in white saw a couple of chances at points skew wide of the posts approaching injury time. 

There was three minutes added on by Maurice Deegan and in the third minute of injury time Courtwood won a free in their own half and charged up the field via Sean O’Flynn, Paul O’Flynn and Alan Kinsella before Sean O’Flynn got on the end of it on the 21 and hammered the ball low into the net to win the game in the dying embers after his side trailed for over 50 minutes. 

Courtwood now have the pleasure of taking on county champions Portarlington in the quarter final.