Goals the difference as Laois hurlers lose to Carlow in Joe McDonagh Cup

The Laois senior hurlers have been beaten in their Joe McDonagh Cup opener by Carlow in Saturday evening's game played in Netwatch Cullen Park.

Carlow held a seven-point lead at the break thanks to goals from James Doyle and Fiachra Fitzpatrick. Laois made a great start to the second half and had the game level before Carlow could register a score, but that's as good as it got as Carlow found two more goals to seal a nine-point win. Laois will only have a week to regroup before they face Antrim. They were also beaten in their opener by Down.

Carlow almost got off to a dream start when Chris Nolan found himself one-on-one with Cathal Dunne, but the Laois goalkeeper made a great save to deny the Carlow number 15 inside the first 60 seconds. Laois' first point was made by Aidan Corby as he blocked down a Carlow effort before he was fouled and Aaron Dunphy stuck over the resulting free.

Carlow's first point arrived in the fourth minute when Aidan Corby gave away a needless pass, and it was caught by Jon Nolan, who split the posts. Conor Kehoe made it two points to one before Laois hit three points in a row. Aaron Dunphy scored two of them with a point from Laois captain David Dooley sandwiched in between. Dunphy's second point came with 11 minutes played, and it was Laois' last point for 13 minutes.

The home side hit 1-3 in that period. Carlow's goal came from James Doyle as a shot from Ciaran Whelan dropped in and around the square. Doyle was on hand to pick up the breaking ball and he smashed it past Dunne. Marty Kavanagh opened his account and scored three frees on the trot. Laois did have half a goal chance, but Ben Conroy's shot was blocked.

Dunphy's fourth point ended a 13-minute spell without a point and it cut Carlow's lead to just that James Doyle goal. The rest of the half was pretty much score for score as Dunphy and Jack Kelly scored a point each, while Ben Conroy scored twice for Laois. Carlow's points came from Jack Treacy, two frees from Marty Kavanagh and Jon Nolan.

It looked like the sides were going to go into the dressing rooms with the score at 1-9 to 0-8 in Carlow's favour, but Carlow hit Laois with a sucker punch with the last puck of the half. Fiachra Fitzpatrick rattled the back of the net and Laois were now seven points down at the break.

Laois came out after the break and grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck and fired in 1-4 without reply and suddenly it was game on again. Dunphy scored three of those points and Stephen 'Picky' Maher, making his first Championship appearance since 2024, scored within seven minutes of his half-time introduction. Laois' goal came after a great run from Mossy Keyes saw him tee up Conroy to slot the ball under the onrushing Brian Tracey.

Carlow replied with three points courtesy of a Chris Nolan sideline and two frees from Marty Kavanagh. Picky got his second point of the half, but Carlow raised a third green flag when Chris Nolan stuck the ball in the Laois net. Another Laois score came from the hurl of Picky Maher when he pointed a free, but Carlow got a fourth goal and that looked to be game over.

Conor Kehoe raised their fourth green flag, while Marty Kavanagh pointed two more frees. Carlow almost had a fifth goal when Chris Nolan shot, but Cathal Dunne batted the ball away. It was now Laois' turn to hit three points in a row through two Dunphy frees and a fourth point from Picky Maher.

It was goals Laois needed, however, and those chances never came as Carlow ended the contest with points from Chris Nolan, James Doyle and Fiachra Fitzpatrick.

Laois' next game comes next Saturday when they welcome Antrim to Portlaoise. Antrim were also beaten in their opener by Down earlier in the day.

FINAL SCORE

Carlow 4-17

Laois 1-17

SCORERS – Carlow: Marty Kavanagh 0-9 frees, Chris Nolan 1-2, Fiachra Fitzpatrick and James Doyle 1-1 each, Conor Kehoe 1-0, Jack Treacy and Jon Nolan 0-2 each. Laois: Aaron Dunphy 0-9 (0-6 frees), Ben Conroy 1-2, Stephen Maher 0-4 (0-1 free), David Dooley, and Jack Kelly 0-1 each. 

LAOIS: Cathal Dunne (Clough/Ballacolla); Ian Shanahan (Ballinakill), Lee Cleere (Clough/Ballacolla), Diarmaid Conway (Clough/Ballacolla); Ciaran McEvoy (Portlaoise), Podge Delaney (The Harps), Fiachra C Fennell (Rosenallis); David Dooley (Rosenallis), Aidan Corby (Clough/Ballacolla); Aaron Dunphy (Clough/Ballacolla), Jack Kelly (Rathdowney/Errill), Ryan Mullaney (Castletown); Ben Conroy (Slieve Bloom), Martin Phelan (Castletown), Tomas Keyes (Camross). Subs: James Keyes (Colt Shanahoe) for Cleere and Stephen Maher (Clough/Ballacolla) for Phelan (HT), Gearoid Lynch (Ballinakill) for Kelly (55 mins), Cillian Dunne (Clough/Ballacolla) for Corby (59 mins), Mark Dowling (Camross) for Conroy (72 mins)

CARLOW: Brian Tracey; Paul Doyle, Dion Wall, Jack McCullagh; Fiach Ó Toole, Kevin McDonald, Fiachra Fitzpatrick; Jon Nolan, Ciaran Whelan; Jack Treacy, Martin Kavanagh, James Doyle; Donagh Murphy, Conor Kehoe, Chris Nolan. Subs: Paddy Boland for Murphy (45 mins), John Michael Nolan for Kehoe (60 mins), Colm Beck for Kavanagh (70 mins), Richard Coady for J Nolan (73 mins), Ted Joyce for Treacy (74 mins)

Referee: Niall Malone (Clare)