'We were the masters of our own downfall'-Justin McNulty reflects on Laois' loss to Carlow in O'Byrne Shield

Laois senior football manager Justin McNulty’s side suffered their second defeat in as many weekends as Carlow staged a late rally to claim victory in Rathvilly on Saturday.

After the game, McNulty acknowledged the disappointment in the Laois dressing room, noting that losing to local rivals is never easy. Still, he said there were encouraging signs to take from the performance.

“It’s not going to be a happy Laois dressing room after coming down here and being defeated by their neighbours in a derby game. It’s nothing we’re ever satisfied with, but there are many positives from the performance. Lots of fellas put their hands up and showed their ability to play at this level, and they’re putting their hands in the ring to be in contention for a place on the team or in the squad, so there are lots of positives,” he said.

While McNulty saw positives, he admitted that critical errors ultimately allowed Carlow to capitalise at decisive moments.

“We were probably the masters of our own downfall in terms of not controlling possession as well as we could have done. We worked scores very effectively, we pressurised the kick-outs very effectively, and we won the kick-out battle for long phases of the game. I’m just not sure what the final figures were. But for long phases of the game, we were in control in terms of kick-outs. However, we allowed them to get in on our goal on too many occasions, and they scored goals at big times and big moments in the game. All in all, I think it was a positive exercise, and well done to Carlow, they were deserving winners,” McNulty said.

With another batch of Laois players due to face Cavan in a challenge match later that evening, McNulty and his management team did not linger in Rathvilly. With just two weeks until the league opener against Limerick, the manager said he is still unsure of his starting 15.

“There are places up for grabs on the panel and places up for grabs on the team, and we’re not there yet. We’re not close to deciding what our starting team is going to be, and that’s why these games are so important. That’s why the game today was so valuable, because fellas have definitely put their hands up in terms of demanding a starting place, and we expect more of that this evening,” he said.

McNulty also pointed to individual performances as bright spots, highlighting Ciaran Burke’s condition and work rate while expressing hope that others, including Simon Fingleton, will continue to progress in the coming weeks. Burke was making his return in a Laois jersey, while Fingleton has not played for Laois since injuring his shoulder against Louth in Newbridge in April 2025.

“It’s brilliant to see Ciaran moving so well, and he’s obviously done a lot of work; you can see the condition he’s in. He’s playing good ball, but he has improvement to make. He needs to be more of a dominant figure in the middle of the field, given the physicality and athleticism he has, and he needs to show that in his performance. So yes, that’s a positive. There are guys coming good as well. Simon Fingleton is hopefully going to come good over the next number of weeks, and that’s another positive,” he said.

Despite the encouraging signs, McNulty admitted defensive weaknesses remain a concern and warned the team must improve at the back to compete effectively in Division 3.

“But at the same time, there are major issues we’ve got to address in terms of our leakiness at the back, and we can’t allow that to continue. Otherwise, we’re not going to be competitive in this league going forward,” McNulty concluded.

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