PREVIEW: Are Laois champs Clough Ballacolla up against it in rematch with on a roll Kilmacud Crokes in Leinster GAA?
Clough Ballacolla faces a tough test this weekend against the two-in-a-row Dublin champs Kilmacud Crokes in what should be a tight re-match of last year's Leinster GAA Senior Club Hurling Quarter Final.
While the Dublin club made history in football and hurling this year, the Laois outfit also achieved a historic three in a row when winning the Laois Senior Hurling championship in early October. They were the first team since Castletown in the early 2000s to achieve the feat. On the day they were clear winners over a formidable opponent in Camross in the Laois County Final at Laois Hire O'Moore Park in Portlaoise.
Clough Ballacolla has an extremely good spine to their team and most of their key performers play through the middle. At the heart of this is Ronan Broderick.
Broderick has been a key player in center back for Clough Ballacolla and possibly their most vital player. A huge influence on the team, he cleans up everything that comes his way, chips in with scores nearly every game.
In front of him, you have Aiden Corby. A dominant force from midfield, he has had a fantastic 2022.
At full forward is Willie Dunphy a stalwart for Laois and and his club. His man-of-the-match performance in the Laois County final was something special to behold.
Clough Ballacolla’s Laois Championship campaign was ultimately very impressive. They were never really tested. They topped their group, which also contained their eventual opponents in the Laois finale Camross, to automatically reach a semi-final against Castletown.
Castletown put up quite a good battle but ultimately Clough Ballacolla had too much for them and ran out easy winners in the end. The final itself was not much of a contest and from early enough you could see the county champions had the upper hand.
The game this weekend against Kilmacud Crokes will be their toughest test by a long margin. The Kilmacud club is on a roll after winning the Dublin hurling and football double defeating Na Fianna in two tight finals.
The Dublin champions have particularly good forwards. Dublin county players Fergal Whitley and Alex Considine stand out. They have been superb this year for the club from Dublin's southside. Oisin O'Rourke is the talisman that Clough Ballacolla has to keep an eye on. He had an impressive tally of 0-9 in the county final against Na Fianna.
It will be a tough encounter for the Laois Champions and in the bookies are likely to have the as the underdogs despite a marvellous 2022 season in Laois.
Kilmacud will definitely see themselves as warm favourites. They'll also want to keep pace with the Gaelic Football clubmates who face Laois Gaelic Football Champions Portarlington later in November.
However, Leinster can throw up some shocks and Declan Laffen's side certainly won't go down without a fight. After all the Laois lads disposed of Kimacud in the 2021 quarter-final.