Laois hurlers face do-or-die clash against Carlow as Kildare leave Portlaoise with bragging rights

Laois’ flawless start to the Joe McDonagh Cup campaign came to a very abrupt halt in Laois Hire O’Moore Park on Sunday afternoon as they were overturned by a quality Kildare side.

The Lilywhites came to town off the back of another big win over Carlow, and this victory has almost guaranteed their spot in June’s final, whilst Laois will now have to come away from Carlow next weekend with a victory if they are to qualify.

Kildare 4-20

Laois 1-18

Kildare had the wind in the first half as they hurled towards the Abbeyleix end and they led from the off, with Laois just managing to draw level twice but never getting their noses in front and a goal before the break gave Kildare a huge boost. They hit the net again early in the second half and left Laois under serious pressure for the remainder of the game and Kildare stuck in and held onto the lead, not allowing Laois any freedom in the forwards.

The wind benefitted Kildare in the opening half and they dominated the earlier stages of the contest taking a two point lead by the sixth minute with scores from David Qualter and James Burke. It took nine minutes for Laois to register a score after a series of early wides, with Aidan Corby slotting after great work by Tom Cuddy to cut out a Kildare attack.

Kildare continued to hold the momentum and added further scores from Cathal Dowling and Simon Leacy before an excellent point off the wing from Gerry Keegan. Off the back of his five-goal display against Kerry, James Duggan was amongst the scorers once again as he sweetly struck the ball over with one hand to register Laois’s third point. Keegan quickly replied before Mossy Keyes added to his earlier free with a second and Paddy Purcell produced a brilliant score from 60 metres out to put one between them.

Laois appeared to be getting a handle of things and levelled at seven apiece when Corby and Ben Conroy each struck from the right side after a long range effort from Naas’s Cian Boran. The Lilywhites rallied again late in the half however and would leave Laois with a lot to think about at the break.

Keegan notched his third score of the half before a Keyes reply from a free. Scores from Burke and Daire Guerin increased the Kildare lead further as the game approached half time before a golden opportunity presented itself to Cathal McCabe after a clever ball inside from Qualter. McCabe’s initial shot was blocked by Cathal Dunne but the Kildare man was quick to regather possession and find enough space to fire into the net and make it 1-10 to 0-8 at half time.

Despite getting the opening score through a Paddy Purcell point, the second half began in disaster for Laois as Qualter latched onto a ball from Paul Dolan and fired in a goal to put Kildare seven ahead. The hosts did respond with a goal of their own five minutes later when Mossy Keyes elected to play a short pass to Dwyer from a free in front of the posts and Dwyer lashed it into the net.

Keyes landed two excellent points from play in the aftermath, though Kildare replied through McCabe and Qualter. Kildare again ran the Laois defence ragged when James Burke broke inside in possession and played a perfect ball across the field to Jack Sheridan who guided it home in front of the posts in the 49th minute to put eight between them. The sides went point for point in the next few minutes with David Dooley, Lee Cleere and Podge Delaney all on target for the hosts, but they couldn’t shore things up at the other end as Daragh Melville, Qualter and Rian Boran replied.

Laois trailed by nine with seven minutes left on the clock and were threatening a resurgence as Cha Dwyer launched over a huge effort from midfield and he was followed by long range efforts from Delaney and John Lennon.

The comeback was quickly quelled, however, as Sheridan dispossessed Padraic Dunne deep in Laois territory and raced towards the end line before firing into the opposite top corner to send the Kildare crowd into raptures and almost guarantee their spot in the Joe McDonagh Cup final.