Louth champions Hunterstown Rovers end 14-man Park-Ratheniska’s 2025 Leinster Club campaign

Park-Ratheniska’s Leinster Club Intermediate Football journey for 2025 has ended at the first attempt as Johnny Nevin’s side were defeated by Louth’s Hunterstown Rovers in Stabannon Parnells on Saturday afternoon.

The Laois IFC champions travelled to Louth having received a bye to the quarter-finals, which meant it was seven weeks since they were crowned champions against Arles-Kilcruise.

The weather conditions in The Wee County didn’t lend themselves to a free-flowing game of football, with both sides finding it hard to stay on their feet and plenty of mistakes happening on both sides.

Park-Ratheniska began the game without veteran wing-back Jimmy Langton, and it was evident in the game as they just didn’t have someone who could hit the afterburners and run at the Hunterstown Rovers' defence. 

The Laois side were also dealt a huge blow in the 53rd minute when Kieran Delaney was shown a red card for an off-the-ball incident with Marc Ward. They trailed by five points at the time.

The home side had an All-Star nominee in their side, and it showed as their captain, Ryan Burns, finished the game with eight points, with six of those coming from placed balls.

It was the aforementioned Burns who opened the scoring as Park-Ratheniska breached the halfway line as they went forward, which gave the number 11 an easy chance straight in front of the posts. Park-Ratheniska’s best period in the game then followed as they hit three scores on the trot. James Connolly pointed an advanced mark and one from play before setting up Delaney in the middle of his two white flags.

Hunterstown Rovers came back at the Laois champions and replied with three points of their own. Burns split the posts from a free and from open play while Michéal Reid, with the number 3 on his back, scored his side’s fourth point as they led by one after 20 minutes.

The last 10 minutes of the half weren’t too eventful as Noah Fingleton and a Burns free, which was moved forward by referee Seamus (Shay) Farrelly, traded scores as Hunterstown Rovers led 0-5 to 0-4 at the break.

Park-Ratheniska drew level within three minutes of the restart as Connolly pointed his third point of the contest. It was from here however that Hunterstown Rovers took over and put Park-Ratheniska to the sword as they fired over five points in a row to leave the game at double scores (0-10 to 0-5). David Finn got the first of those before Burns raised the only orange flag when he split the posts from outside the arc with a free.

Hunterstown Rovers thought they had a goal soon after when a Burns free dropped short and onto the fist of Michéal Reid, but it was ruled off for a square ball. Burns added another free before Ryan Ward put his side five points ahead. Park-Ratheniska goalkeeper Cathal Tierney kept his clean sheet intact when he made a great sliding save from Euan Woodlock. 

Their task became even harder three minutes later when Delaney received a straight red card for an off-the-ball clash with Marc Ward following consultation between the referee and his officials. Connolly did cut the gap with a free on 56 minutes, but Park-Ratheniska needed a goal and time was slipping away.

Burns finished the scoring with his eighth point to see his side win by five in the end. Park-Ratheniska thought they had a late goal, but Farrelly again ruled for a square ball before blowing for full-time, bringing the curtain down on the Laois side’s 2025 campaign.

FINAL SCORE

Hunterstown Rovers 0-11

Park-Ratheniska 0-6

SCORERS– Hunterstown Rovers: Ryan Burns 0-8 (0-4 frees, one two-point free), Ryan Ward, David Finn and Michéal Ward 0-1 each. Park-Ratheniska: James Connolly 0-4 (0-3 frees), Kieran Delaney and Noah Fingleton 0-1 each.

HUNTERSTOWN ROVERS: Donovan Sheridan; Adam O’Reilly, Michéall Reid, Euan Woodlock; James Russell, Patrick Taaffe, Daithi Carroll; Marc Ward, Jason Monaghan; Cillian Taaffe, Ryan Burns, Shane Halpenny; David Finn, Ryan Ward, Ciaran Russell. Subs: Tony McKenna for M Ward (55 mins), Paul Carrie for Russell (57 mins), James Rogers for R Ward (61 mins), Colm Murphy (62 mins)

PARK-RATHENISKA: Cathal Tierney; James Newell, Colm Brennan, Brendan Greene; Richard Hitchcock, Rian McEntee, Sean Tierney; Padraig Dunne, Killian O’Connor; Noah Fingleton, Cian Nolan, Tom Fingleton; James Connolly, Brian Dunne, Kieran Delaney. Subs: Brian Fingleton and DJ O’Connell (both 60 mins)

REFEREE: Seamus (Shay) Farrelly (Dublin)