The Laois U-20 footballers are into the semi-finals of this year's Andrew Corden Cup after they came from nine points down against Carlow to brag the local bragging rights at this age grade.
Both sides came into the game already knocked out of the Leinster Championship, so this game doubled up as an Andrew Corden Cup quarter-final.
It was the away side who got the game's first score as Daniel Bolger pointed after two minutes. Laois replied with their best spell of the contest when they scored a goal and a point to go ahead. Ultan Dunne scored the point, while Dylan Murphy got to a bouncing ball before Carlow goalkeeper Conal McGuire to volley the ball into the top corner of the net. Mark Buggy got two points back for Carlow before Ennae Byrne and Paddy Fitzpatrick scored to put Laois 1-4 to 0-4 ahead with 15 minutes played. Callum Crawford was the scorer of the fourth Carlow point.
Carlow took over from this point on as they scored the next seven points to take full control, as they scored three two-pointers from Eoin Ryan, Fiach Byrne and Buggy with Buggy also raising a white flag and suddenly Laois went from being three points up to four points down. The half ended with Ennae Byrne pointing for Laois, while Jamie Coakley rattled the back of the Laois net and Buggy added another point as Carlow led 1-12 to 1-5.
Carlow continued their dominance and got the first two points of the second half to go nine points ahead. Laois began to play on the front foot and went on a scoring rampage with seven points on the spin. Ennae Byrne scored two of them, Darren Brennan split the posts with a two-point free, while Ultan Dunne, Oisin Hade and David Donohue all scored a point each. Laois were now back within two points of Carlow.
Ryan Donnelly-Finn increased Carlow's lead before Laois hit the front again and scored 2-3 unanswered. Darren Brennan was the scorer of Laois' second goal after he broke down a kick-out to Paddy Fitzpatrick before getting the ball back and thumping it past Conal McGuire. Donohue, Dunne and Ben O'Connor then added points before Ennae Byrne raised Laois' third green flag. Laois led 3-15 to 1-5 with 57 minutes on the clock.
There was to be late drama, however, as Carlow almost snuck a draw at the end, but substitute Oran O'Boyle missed a chance from in front of goals. It had gotten to that stage because Dunne and O'Connor got points for Laois, while Buggy and Coakley pointed frees before an unfortunate own goal went in when Coakley's effort hit the crossbar and hit the back of Dan Boland's head and landed in the net.
Laois hung on for a three-point win and now progress to the Andrew Corden Cup semi-finals, where they'll play a county that didn't progress from either Group 1 or 3.
FINAL SCORE
Laois 3-17
Carlow 2-17
SCORERS — Laois: Ennae Byrne 1-4 (0-2 frees), Ultan Dunne 0-5, Darren Brennan 1-2 ( one two-point free), Dylan Murphy 1-0, David Donoghue and Ben O’Connor 0-2 each, Oisin Hade and Paddy Fitzpatrick 0-1 each. Carlow: Jamie Coakley 2-1 (0-1 free), Mark Buggy 0-7 (0-1 free, one two-pointer), Eoin Ryan (one two-pointer) and Fiach Byrne (one two-pointer) 0-3 each, Daniel Bolger, Callum Crawford, and Ryan Donnelly-Finn 0-1 each.
LAOIS: Cathal Tierney (Park Ratheniska); Ben O’Connor (Portlaoise), Dan Boland (Courtwood), Fionn O’Sullivan (Crettyard); Jack Julian (Ballylinan), Danny McGrath (Graiguecullen), Cathal Buggie (Stradbally); Robbie Murphy (St Joseph’s), Darren Brennan (Portlaoise); Paddy Fitzpatrick (The Heath), David Donohue (Stradbally), Eoin Johnson (St Joseph’s); Dylan Murphy (Graiguecullen), Ennae Byrne (Arles Killeen), Ultan Dunne (O’Dempsey’s). Subs: Tom O'Connell (Mountmellick) for O'Sullivan, Oisin Hade (Mountmellick) for Julian and Conor O'Callaghan (Portlaoise) for Murphy (39 mins), Cormac Deegan (Annanough) for Dunne and Eli Colbert (The Rock) for Donohue (61 mins)
CARLOW: Conal McGuire; Ryan Donnelly-Finn, Ross Moran, Daire Byrne; Daniel Bolger, Eoin Myers, Lorcan O’Connor; Ben Curry, Callum Crawford; Fiach Byrne, Ian Cradock, Marc Mulhall; Mark Buggy, Jamie Coakley, Eoin Ryan. Subs: Rory McCaffrey for F Byrne (45 mins), Jacob Curran for Cradock and Oran O'Boyle for Crawford (52 mins), Ryan Fitzgerald for O'Connor (54 mins)
Referee: Enda Kelly (Westmeath)
