Evergreen star's vintage display in Laois GAA intermediate club championship

Park-Ratheniska got their Laois IFC campaign off to a winning start as they ran out deserving winners over Arles-Kilcruise in Crettyard last Thursday night.

Evergreen Jimmy Langton scored a stunning goal for Park-Ratheniska midway through the second half and his team never looked back after that moment.

Langton put in a brilliant display and was aided by fellow teammates Cian Nolan and James Connolly who all led their side to a deserved victory.

As for Kilcrusie, they will now go into the Laois GAA IFC losers draw but will take some positives from the loss, the main one the performance of youngster Calum McElroy.

In what was a slow-burning first half, both teams were guilty of wasting good scoring opportunities, but the game did catch fire in the second period.

It was the victors that started off the better and raced into a three-point lead with James Connolly leading the way for his side yet again.

The returning Kieran Delaney came on as a sub early on in the first half for the injured Brian Dunne also added two points for his side.

Arles-Kilcruise did respond through McElroy who got three points on his debut and veteran David Conway got the other score as the teams went in at the break 0-6 to 0-4 to Park-Ratheniska. MORE BELOW PHOTO.

Arles needed a quick start to the second period, and they got it, they got the first point of the first half through Caomhan Brennan to put the minimum between both sides.

Kilcruise then levelled matters with a point from Jamie Conway and suddenly it was all to play for.

After the sluggish first half, the game burst into life after the Conway score and we had a proper championship match on our hands.

Cian Nolan who was excellent throughout for Park-Ratheniska, landed a huge two-pointer to put his side back into the lead, but Kilcruise responded with a two-pointer of their own through Ben Byrne-Slattery.

Then, just after Slattery’s response, it was time for Jimmy Langton to grab the headlines as he crashed in a wonderful goal and put Park-Ratheniska into the lead that they never relinquished.

The victors then headed for home and kicked the next four points through Kieran Delaney who got two while Connolly and Nolan also grabbed points.

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Arles did get two points in a row as a response including a free from Ross Munnelly, PJ Lawlor also got a score but at this stage the game was up for Arles-Kilcruise.

Tom Fingleton and Nolan finished the scoring as Park-Ratheniska stormed through to the winners section.

Final Score

Park - Ratheniska 1-14  

Arles Kilcruise 0-11

TEAMS & SCORERS Below photo

Rian McEntee on the burst foor Park Ratheniska.

SCORERS: 

Park-Ratheniska: Cian Nolan, Kieran Delaney (one free) and James Connolly 0-4 each, Jimmy Langton 1-0, Pauric Tierney and Tom Fingleton 0-1 each.

Arles-Kilcruise: Calum McElroy 0-3, David Conway (one free) and Ben Byrne-Slattery (two-pointer) 0-2 each, PJ Lawlor, Caomhan Brennan, Jamie Conway and Ross Munnelly (free) 0-1 each

PARK-RATHENISKA: Cathal Tierney; James Newell, Colm Brennan, Benny Greene; Richie Hitchcock, Rian McEntee, Jimmy Langton; Podge Dunne, Killian O’Connor; Pauric Tierney, Cian Nolan, Tom Fingleton; James Connolly, Brian Dunne, Noah Fingleton. Subs: Kieran Delaney for B Dunne (injured – 5), DJ O’Connell for P Tierney (55)

ARLES-KILCRUISE: Simon George; Ethan Mackey, Conal Brennan, Cialann Mulhall; Conor George, Jamie Conway, Ben Byrne-Slattery; Aodhan Lowry, PJ Lawlor ; Calum McElroy, Jack Behan, Darragh Kealy; Dylan Waters, Caomhan Brennan, David Conway. Subs: Ross Munnelly for Kealy (37), Luke Donohue for Lowry (52)

REFEREE: Eugene Dowdall (Ballylinan)