Dublin ran out 14-point victors over Laois on Saturday evening in Laois Hire O’Moore Park, bringing an end to this season’s Allianz NHL Division 1B campaign.
There was little at stake in the game with
Laois doomed to relegation and Dublin requiring a miracle which never appeared in Waterford to stand any chance of reaching the final, meaning Dubin rang in the changes ahead of this fixture.
DUBLIN 2-21
LAOIS 0-13
Tommy Fitzgerald also made a few tweaks to the Laois team with the likes of Ryan Mullaney, Eoin Fleming and Eoin Gaughan making their first starts of the campaign.
A strong breeze blew towards Abbyleix as the conditions were much more wintery than we’ve been used to this week and the wet surface made things tricky underfoot for the players.
Laois had the wind for the first half but failed to take advantage of it and could muster just two points in the opening 20 minutes of the contest.
Aidan Corby and James Duggan were on target for Laois in that period but Dublin were able to fired back with six scores of their own, the pick of the bunch being an excellent effort from Conor Donohoe. Aaron Dunphy fired back with a point for Laois after breaking a couple of tackles, but the visitors responded with a goal just seconds later.
The aforementioned Donohoe took possession out on the right wing and fired a perfect pass inside to Darragh Power who left Eoin Fleming with no chance from close range. Laois would find their feet somewhat afther the goal and traded scores with their opponents for the remainder of the half. Fiachra C-Fennell, Mark Dowling and James Duggan all slotted from play in a purple patch for Laois as they began to use the wind to their advantage, but the Dubs were able to respond through Conal O’Riain, Power and O Dulaing.Late scores from Dunphy and Scully cut the gap but Laois trailed 1-9 to 0-9 at the break.
Laois faced a huge task in the second half with the breeze now against them, and they could manage just four extra points for the remainder of the contest. A trio of frees from Scully and a score from play by Aaron Dunphy made up the remainder of the Laois scores as they struggled to land a glove on the Dublin backs for the second 35-minute period. O Dulaing, Power, Brian Hayes and Ronan Hayes were among the scorers for Niall O’Ceallachain’s side and they began to turn up the heat as the final 15 minutes approached.
Dublin emptied the bench and it proved fruitful as A. Jamieson-Murphy landed three scores from play and John Hetherton chipped in with another. Laois almost landed a late goal when Sean Brennan denied Ben Conroy, but just seconds later the game was put to bed when David Purcell was on the end of the resulting counter-attack to hit Dublin’s second goal and see off the Laois threat. Referee James Owens blew the final whistle to bring the game, and thus the league, to a close and the boisterous Dubs fans that made the journey travelled home happy.
SCORERS – Laois: PJ Scully 0-4 (three frees), Aaron Dunphy 0-3 (one 65), Aidan Corby 0-2, James Duggan 0-2, Mark Dowling 0-1, Fiachra C Fennell 0-1. Dublin: Darragh Power 1-2, Diarmaid O Dulaing 0-4 (frees), David Purcell 1-0, Sean Currie 0-3 (two frees), Conal O’Riain, 0-3, A. Jamieson-Murphy 0-3, Ronan Hayes 0-2, Brian Hayes 0-2, Conor Donohoe 0-1, John Hetherton 0-1.
LAOIS: Eoin Fleming (Borris-Kilcotton); Diarmaid Conway (Clough-Ballacolla, Lee Cleere (Clough-Ballacolla, Cody Comerford (The Harps; Ryan Mullaney (Castletown), Eoin Gaughan (Camross), Jordan Walshe (Clough-Ballacolla); Fiachra C-Fennell (Rosenallis), David Dooley (Rosenallis); Aaron Dunphy (Borris-Kilcotton), Tomas Keyes (Camross), Aidan Corby (Clough-Ballacolla); PJ Scully (Borris-Kilcotton), Mark Dowling (Camross), James Duggan (The Harps. Subs: Ben Conroy (Slieve Bloom) for Duggan (49), Donnchadh Hartnett (Rosenallis) for Cleere (55), John Lennon (Rosenallis) for Dowling (58), Colin Byrne (Abbeyleix St Lazarian's) for T Keyes (68), James Keyes (Colt-Shanahoe) for Dunphy (68)
DUBLIN: Sean Brennan; Andy Dunphy, Paddy Smyth, Conor McHugh; Paul O’Dea, Paddy Doyle, Kevin Burke; Conor Burke, Conor Donohoe; Darragh Power, Conal O’Riain, Brian Hayes; Sean Currie, Ronan Hayes, Diarmaid O Dulaing. Subs: David Lucey for Doyle (45), John Hetherton for O Dulaing (48), Iain O hEither for O’Dea (51), A. Jamieson-Murphy for C Burke (56), David Purcell for R Hayes (64)
REFEREE: James Owens (Wexford)
