Laois U-20 hurlers second best as Wexford cruise into last four of Leinster
Wexford fire five goals past Laois to end their Leinster U-20 Hurling Championship campaign
The Laois U-20 hurlers are out of this year’s Leinster Hurling Championship after Wexford had far too much for them in Laois Hire O’Moore Park on Bank Holiday Monday.
Before throw-in for Monday’s Leinster U-20 quarter-final between Laois and Wexford, a minute’s silence was observed in memory of Donal Deegan from Cullohill, a former Laois GAA Hurling Board chairman in the mid 2000s and a lifelong supporter of Laois GAA. The occasion carried added poignancy for his family, with two of his grandsons, Donal and Ross, lining out for Laois on the day.
Laois wasted little time in getting the game’s first score as captain Eoghan Murphy played a one-two with his clubmate Eoin Delaney before splitting the posts. Sean O’Brien got Wexford’s first score after Laois had coughed up possession in defence. Murphy was the creator of Laois’ second point when he played a great ball into Cormac Byrne, the Abbeyliex man turned and put the ball between the posts.
Wexford were having plenty of chances to score, but couldn’t find the target and had five wides by the ninth minute. Jack Nolan levelled the sides shortly after as The Yellowbellies completely took over as they kept Laois’ tally to just two points by the 26th minute. In that time, Wexford scored a further 2-3 to hold a substantial lead heading into half-time. O’Brien, Colin Carley and Charlie Mooney all scored a point each, with Wexford’s two goals coming within two minutes of each other.
O’Brien was proving a menace to mark at full-forward and he showed that for his goal as he held off the challenge of Evan Cassin before tucking the ball under the onrushing Dion O’Connor. O’Brien was the creator of their second goal when he squared the ball to Tom Dempsey, who dropped the sliotar, but managed to kick it first time past O’Connor.
Wexford could have had another two goals in that period, but Ryan Doran’s went just past the post before O’Connor came out to block down O’Brien’s effort.
Byrne finally ended Laois’ 22 minutes without a score when he split the posts from a free. Nolan and Byrne then traded scores, but Wexford would finish the half with two more points from O’Brien (free) and Nolan. Wexford led 2-8 to 0-4 at the break.
Nolan picked up from where he left off in the first half with the first two points after the restart. Ross Deegan got a point back for Laois before Wexford ended the game as a contest with their third goal.
Midfielder Ronan Shannon ran at the heart of the Laois defence and was actually hooked as he went to take the shot, but he volleyed the sliotar past O’Connor to give Wexford a 14-point advantage after 37 minutes.
Laois replied with two scores in a row from Deegan and a fourth point from Byrne. Nolan and Byrne traded scores again, but the game was well beyond Laois at that stage.
Seven minutes went by before the next score and it came from Wexford substitute Adam O’Connell Byrne. Shannon then added a point to his goal before Wexford raised their fourth green flag, and it was that man again, O’Brien, who smashed the ball past O’Connor.
Murphy got his second point of the game to take Laois’ tally to nine. Wexford added two more points from Oisin Moore and Podge Doyle. Donnchadh Carroll looked to put a 65 into the square as Laois went in search of goals late on, but the ball sailed over the bar instead.
The game ended with Doyle getting his second point of the game before a fifth Wexford goal went in. O’Brien was the provider as he played substitute Jack Dunne through on goals and he made no mistake with his finish to the back of the Laois net.
FINAL SCORE
WEXFORD 5-16
LAOIS 0-10
SCORERS- Wexford: Sean O’Brien 2-3 (0-1 free), Jack Nolan 0-6, Ronan Shannon 1-1, Tom Dempsey and Jack Dunne 1-0 each, Podge Doyle 0-2, Colin Carley, Oisin Moore, Adam O’Connell Byrne and Charlie Mooney 0-1 each. Laois: Cormac Byrne 0-5 (0-3 frees), Ross Deegan and Eoghan Murphy 0-2 each, Donnchadh Carroll 0-1 (65)
LAOIS: Dion O’Connor (Trumera); Conor Mortimer (Camross), Evan Cassin (Clough/Ballacolla), Donnchadh Carroll (Mountrath); Donal Deegan (The Harps), Eoghan Murphy (The Harps), Hugh Whelan (The Harps); Ruaidhri Kavanagh (Trumera), Jack Kennedy (The Harps); Patrick O’Callaghan (Clonad), Ross Deegan (The Harps), Tony Mahony (The Harps); Justin Duggan (The Harps), Cormac Byrne (Abbeyleix), Eoin Delaney (The Harps). Subs: Conor Headen (Ballypickas) for O’Callaghan (HT), Stephen O’Donnell (Abbeyleix) for D Deegan (42 mins), Pete Culleton (Mountmellick) for Delaney (49 mins), Charlie Hand (St Paul’s) for Cassin (54 mins), Dan Whelan (Castletown) for Mahony (55 mins).
WEXFORD: Paddy Quigley; Ryan Donohue, Niall Furlong, Corey Ryan; Charlie Mooney, Ciaran Doyle, Charlie Roark; Doran Daly O’Toole, Ronan Shannon; Tom Dempsey, Colin Carley, Jack Nolan; Podge Doyle, Sean O’Brien, Ryan Doran. Subs: Darragh Ryan for Carley (Blood 19-21 mins), Adam O’Connell Byrne for Doran (37 mins), Darragh Ryan for Dempsey (40 mins), Conor Fanning for Carley (44 mins), Oisin Moore for Doyle (46 mins), Ian Reilly for Ryan and Jack Dunne for Daly O’Toole (Both 51 mins)
Referee: Brian Kearney (Kildare)