Byrnes to the fore as Abbeyleix secure Laois GAA SHC 'B' final showdown with The Harps

Abbeyleix St Lazarian’s are through to the final of the inaugural Laois Shopping Centre Senior ‘B’ Championship after they had three points to spare over Portlaoise in Colt on Saturday evening.

Portlaoise had threatened a late comeback, but couldn’t muster up a goal chance to level the game and bring it into extra-time. The Town will now face Castletown in the relegation final.

Abbeyleix set the tone early on as they went three points up before Portlaoise got themselves on the scoreboard. The wind diagonally across the field and seemed to be aiding Abbeyleix in the first 30 minutes. Centre-forward Killian Byrne opened the scoring after two minutes before Cormac Byrne’s first free made it two points to nil after five minutes. A superb ball in from Eoin Reilly found Eoghan Fennelly as he turned and split the uprights.

Conor Raggett got Portlaoise off the mark from the resulting puck-out as Brochan O’Reilly picked out Jamie Keenan, who played it to Raggett. Abbeyleix hit the next four scores the three Byrne brothers took control. Cormac pointed a second free while Ciaran (2) and Colin added to Abbeyleix’s lead. Playing into a strong wind, Portlaoise were guilty on several occasions of coughing up possession cheaply and playing the ball straight into the Abbeyleix backs.

Portlaoise replied with two scores courtesy of Jamie Keenan and Dean Lynch. Abbeyleix were using the wind to their advantage and got the next three points. Cormac Byrne got his first from play before Killian Byrne almost got in for goal after good play from Eoghan Fennelly and Sam Walsh. His shot went over the crossbar rather than under it. Cormac Byrne added another free with Dean Lynch getting a second point in reply. The half ended with the sides trading scores. Bergin pointed two frees while Colin Byrne and Cormac Byrne (free) raised white flags as Abbeyleix led 0-11 to 0-6 at the break.

The second-half began the same way the first had ended as James Conroy and Aaron Bergin (free) scored for Portlaoise with Ciaran Byrne and Fennelly getting points for Abbeyleix. Fennelly’s score was the point of the game as he struck the ball over his shoulder and it landed on the roof of O’Reilly’s net. A fifth point from the hurl of Cormac Byrne still had Abbeyleix six points ahead with 20 minutes to play.

Aaron Bergin put a free between the posts before Raggett followed suit for his second point. The winning of the game came in the next four minutes as Abbeyleix went eight points up and looked to be home and hosed. It was the Byrnes to the fore again as Colin, Cormac (free), Killian and Ciaran looked to have put Abbeyleix out of sight.

To their credit, Portlaoise fired over three points in a row with Bergin scoring all of them, one from play and two frees. Cormac Byrne got Abbeyleix’s final score in the 54th minute to leave them six points ahead. Portlaoise got it back to within three points as DJ White and Aaron Bergin (frees) scored, but they couldn’t create a big goal chance to force extra-time as Abbeyleix held on for a three-point to seal their spot in the Senior ‘B’ Championship final against The Harps.

FINAL SCORE

ABBEYLEIX 0-19

PORTLAOISE 0-16

SCORERS— Abbeyleix: Cormac Byrne 0-7 (0-6 frees), Ciaran Byrne 0-4, Colin Byrne and Killian Byrne 0-3 each, Eoghan Fennelly 0-2. Portlaoise: Aaron Bergin 0-9 (0-8 frees), Conor Raggett and Dean Lynch 0-2 each, Jamie Keenan, James Conroy and DJ White 0-1 each.

ABBEYLEIX: Enda Rowland; Mark Cahill, Oisín Carroll, Ned Fitzpatrick; Aaron Carroll, Fionan Mahony, Jack Finlay; Sam Quinn, Colm Walsh; Eoin Reilly, Killian Byrne, Cormac Byrne; Colm Byrne, Eoghan Fennelly, Ciaran Byrne. Subs: Liam Kavanagh for Walsh (36 mins), Stephen Thompson for Fennelly (42 mins, inj), Eli Quinn for Reilly (54 mins), Declan Phelan for Kavanagh (61 mins)

PORTLAOISE: Brochan O’Reilly; Bryan Naughton, John Mark Foley, Eoin O’Connor; Jamie Keenan, Conor Raggett, Cian Dowling Byrne; Cormac Rigney, Dean Lynch; Cathal Duggan, Aaron Bergin, Ben Brennan; Eddie Critchley, James Conroy, Sean Culleton. Subs: DJ White for Keenan (45 mins), David O’Mahoney for Brennan (52 mins)

Referee: Anthony Stapleton (Rathdowney-Errill)