Final-quarter surge sees Courtwood past Stradbally and into SFC semi-finals

Last year’s beaten finalists Courtwood are into their second straight Laois Shopping Centre SFC semi-final after their final quarter scoring prowess saw them get the better of Stradbally on Saturday evening.

Stradbally led by a point at half-time and probably should have been further ahead, but failed to find the target on too many occasions and it came back to haunt them in the end.

Courtwood scored five points from minute 50 to 63 and it was the winning of the game in the end as Stradbally went 20 minutes without a point in the second half.

This game was a slow burner, with five minutes passing before the first flag was raised. Stradbally were guilty of missing some easy chances and racked up a few wides before Rob Tyrrell kicked a point for Courtwood. Stradbally continued to dominate possession and got the next three scores without reply. Tom Shiels assisted Joe Larkin for their first point before David Dineen raised a white flag and then Shiels curled over a two-pointer.

The next four scores were traded as Shiels and Fionn McEvoy scored for Padraig Clancy’s side. Mark O’Halloran got a two-pointer and a white flag from Tadgh Slattery as Stradbally maintained their slender advantage. Their lead increased by three points shortly after as Dineen played the ball into David Donohue and he tucked the ball under Matthew Byron for the game’s first goal.

To Courtwood’s credit, they got the three points back within the space of 90 seconds. Matthew Byron kicked a free before Slattery and Little added a second point to both of their accounts. The half ended with a big goal chance for either side.

Courtwood’s chance came after Ben Dillon kicked the ball straight to Little and he kicked the ball to Alan Kinsella, but his shot rattled the Stradbally crossbar. Down the other end, Jake Doyle failed to gather possession from a Byron kick-out and it left Conor Buggie through on goal, but Byron made a great save to deny him. Stradbally led by a point at half-time, 1-6 to 0-8.

McEvoy pushed Stradbally two points clear at the start of the second half. Alan Kinsella then looked to have set up Little for a goal, but Sean Maher somehow got a fist to the ball to put it over the bar. Shiels pointed a free for Stradbally as they led by two points with 25 minutes to play.

It was from here that Courtwood took over. Tyrrell raised his second white flag of the contest and then Kinsella, who hadn’t scored up to this point, split the posts from outside the arc before he fisted over a point. McEvoy got his second point of the half and it was followed up with a score from Colm Begley to leave the sides level with 43 minutes played.

Courtwood then dominated the rest of the contest, scoring five points without reply. Little, substitute Dylan Keane, a mark from Little for his fifth point; Kinsella then took his total to four and Danny Luttrell rounded off their scoring with a palmed effort that went over the crossbar. Shiels scored a second two-pointer with the last kick of the game, but that was that and it was Courtwood who progressed into the last four.

FINAL SCORE

Courtwood 0-18

Stradbally 1-12

SCORERS- Courtwood: Ryan Little 0-5 (0-1 mark), Alan Kinsella 0-4 (one two-pointer), Tadgh Slattery, Mark O’Halloran (two-pointer) and Rob Tyrrell 0-2 each, Matthew Byron (free), Danny Luttrell and Dylan Keane 0-1 each. Stradbally: Tom Shiels 0-6 (two two-pointers, 0-1 free), David Donohue 1-0, Fionn McEvoy 0-3, David Dineen, Joe Larkin and Colm Begley 0-1 each.

COURTWOOD: Matthew Byron; Darragh McEvoy, Dan Boland, Adam O’Halloran; Jake Doyle, Sean O’Flynn, Eddie Boland; Mark O’Halloran, Rob Tyrrell; Paul O’Flynn, Alan Kinsella, Tadgh Slattery; Cian Doyle, Ryan Little, Niall Donoher. Subs: Collins Ugochukwu for McEvoy (HT), Dylan Keane for P O’Flynn and Eoghan Slattery for J Doyle (Both 42 mins), Danny Luttrell for T Slattery (54 mins)

STRADBALLY: Garry Comerford; Sean Maher, Liam Knowles, Conor McDonald; Eoin Buggie, Colm Begley, Ben Dillon; Jack Deegan, Fionn McEvoy; Tom Shiels, Conor Buggie, Joe Larkin; Conor Goode, David Dineen, David Donohue. Subs: Jody Dillon for Dineen and Benny Lawlor for Larkin (Both 54 mins), Eamonn Delaney for Dillon (58 mins)

Referee: Brendan McCann (Portarlington).