Charlie Friel the hero as Rosenallis strike late against Abbeyleix to reach last four

Rosenallis will play in the semi-finals of the Laois SHC for the first time since 2020 after Charlie Friel popped up with a point with the last puck of the game to see them past Abbeyleix on Sunday afternoon.

It was a tough week for all involved in Rosenallis with Charlie and his brother Jack having lost their mam Grainne earlier in the week, and it was Charlie that proved to be Rosenallis’ hero on the day.

Killian Byrne, who came on half-time, scored 1-3 in the second half and it looked like his goal in the 51st minute might be the difference between the sides. Credit to Rosenallis, they got three points in injury time to win by one.

The first half was very stop-start, with eight of the 18 scores coming from placed balls. It was Abbeyleix who struck first as Cormac Byrne split the posts after two minutes. Rosenallis’ David Dooley got his first of four first half points to level the sides early on. Enda Rowland then put over a free from well inside his own half, but Dooley replied down the other end with a free of his own.

Rosenallis went ahead for the first time with eight minutes played when Dooley pointed a free after he was fouled. Colin Byrne was the scorer of Abbeyleix’s first point from play when Enda Rowland landed a puck-out straight down on top of him. Dooley edged Rosenallis ahead yet again with his and Rosenallis’ fourth point.

Midfielder Colm Walsh had the freedom of Laois Hire O’Moore Park to point and bring the sides level for the fourth time. Rosenallis then hit two points in a row from their number 10, Donnchadh Hartnett. Abbeyleix hit back with four points on the trot, all from the hurl of Cormac Byrne, two from play and two from frees. The Friel brothers, Jack and Charlie, fired over a point each to make it a level game once more.

Cormac Byrne pointed his fourth free to take his tally to six points before half-time, but the sides were level at the break as John Lennon put Jimmy Hyland through one-on-one with Rowland, and Hyland’s shot went over the bar. It was nine points apiece when JJ Gorman’s whistle sounded for half-time.

Fionan Mahony and Rowland (free) put Abbeyleix in front again with Charlie Friel pointing down the other end. Killian Byrne made an impact from the bench with his first point before Rosenallis drew level thanks to two more scores for Dooley. The next four scores were traded as Killian and Cormac Byrne raised white flags for Abbeyleix, while Hartnett and Dooley scored for Rosenallis.

Rosenallis then went ahead thanks to a point from substitute Jimmy Hyland. Cormac Byrne replied almost immediately and the sides were level yet again. Rosenallis’ best spell of the second half saw them three points up thanks to points from Charlie Friel, Dooley (free) and Paddy Keating.

Abbeyleix would take the lead back within the next three minutes as Killian Byrne pointed before Colin Byrne gave him the ball and he smashed it past Stephen Kelly. Another free from Dooley made it all square with five minutes to play. Cormac Byrne and another Rowland free put Abbeyleix two up with four minutes of injury time signalled.

Rosenallis ensured it would be them playing Camross in two weeks as Dooley struck over two frees before the man of the moment, Charlie Friel, split the posts with the last puck of the game. There was a lovely moment after the full-time whistle as the Rosenallis panel all huddled around Charlie Friel after his game-winning score.

FINAL SCORE

Rosenallis 0-22

Abbeyleix 1-18

SCORERS – Rosenallis: David Dooley 0-11 (0-9 frees), Charlie Friel 0-4, Donnchadh Hartnett 0-3, Jimmy Hyland 0-2, Jack Friel and Paddy Keating 0-1 each. Abbeyleix: Cormac Byrne 0-9 (0-6 frees), Killian Byrne 1-3, Enda Rowland 0-3 (frees), Colm Walsh, Colin Byrne and Fionan Mahony 0-1 each

ABBEYLEIX: Enda Rowland; Eli Quinn, Oisin Carroll, Eamon Fitzpatrick; Ross Coffey, Liam Delaney, Stephen O'Donnell; Colm Walsh, Eoin Reilly; Liam Kavanagh, Cillian McEvoy, Fionan Mahony; Colin Byrne, Alan Lynch, Cormac Byrne. Subs: Sam Quinn for Reilly (16 mins), Killian Byrne for Kavanagh (HT), Jack Finlay for Coffey (36 mins), Eoghan Fennelly for Lynch (45 mins), Liam O’Keeffe for O’Donnell (63 mins)

ROSENALLIS: Stephen Kelly; John Maher, Diarmuid Dooley, Oran Gorman; Alex Marron, Fiachra C Fennell, Colin Bennett; Charlie Friel, Matthew Bennett; Donnchadh Hartnett, David Dooley, Paddy Keating; Jack Friel, Brian Fitzpatrick, John Lennon. Subs: Jimmy Hyland for Fitzpatrick (22 mins, inj), Sam Somers for J Friel (50 mins), Joey Keating for P Keating (60 mins)

Referee: JJ Gorman (Clough/Ballacolla)