Downey, Duggan and Delaney to the fore as The Harps claim Laois Minor Hurling Championship

The Harps are the 2023 Midlands Park Hotel Laois Minor Hurling champions after they got the better of Abbeyleix St Lazarian’s in a goal-fest in Laois Hire O’Moore Park this afternoon.

The game itself was played as the curtain-raiser to the Senior final with a great crowd greeting the players and made for a superb atmosphere inside the stadium.

The Harps 7-15

Abbeyleix St Lazarian’s 4-12

The game was played at a ferocious pace with Abbeyleix opening the scoring in the first minute. Eli Quinn was fouled with Cormac Byrne pointing the resulting free. The Harps responded almost instantly as Justin Duggan was fouled before he got back up and pointed the free himself. Cormac Byrne then rifled the ball into the back of the net as he struck the ball low to Ethan Lafferty’s left-hand side.

Joe Cole added to Abbeyleix’s tally as he opened his account with a score from play. The Harps got their first goal soon after as Eoin Delaney was quickest to react as he tapped the ball into the net. Another goal followed from Delaney as he bounced the ball off the ground to deceive the goalkeeper and take his tally to two goals in as many minutes.

Calum Costigan replied in the best way possible for Abbeyleix as he tapped into an empty net after Jack O’Dea’s effort had been saved by Ethan Lafferty. Byrne added another point with a free after he had been fouled. The Harps half-back Tony Mahony pointed a superb long-range effort with Ben O’Mara replying almost instantly for Abbeyleix as he caught the resulting puck-out before splitting the posts.

The fifth goal of the contest was then scored as Byrne won the ball off Lafferty to take his tally to 2-2 after 12 minutes. The Harps, down by six points, would soon level the game as they rattled off 1-3 in no time. Eoghan Murphy pointed a free with Delaney scoring two points back-to-back over his shoulder. Mark Downey getting The Harps’ third goal as the sides were locked level at 3-5 apiece.

Eli Quinn and Downey traded scores but it would be The Harps who would be ahead come half-time as Murphy (free) and Delaney put them two points. Byrne pointed a 65’ to leave one between the sides at the break.

The second-half was dominated by The Harps as they fired over four wides to begin the second period. Byrne levelled the game with his fifth point to add to his two goals from earlier in the contest. The Harps edged themselves ahead again as they hit 1-2 without reply. Duggan scored a goal and a point with Downey getting another point for The Harps. Daniel James was sprung from the Abbeyleix bench and he made an instant impact with a point from play.

The Harps really took control of the game with another batch of scores without any resistance. Duggan rattled the back of the Abbeyleix net for the second time before he pointed his first score from play. Murphy added three more points to his tally with three frees. The Harps now held an 11-point advantage and never looked like they’d throw it away.

Byrne added another free to his tally before Duggan fired in his third goal of the contest and The Harps’ sixth goal of the game. Ross Deegan still had time to get a seventh goal for the eventual winners while Byrne completed his hatrick late on as he also added to more points to his name. Jimmy Whyte got the game’s final score with the Harps deserving winners in the end.