The Harps hold off Borris-Kilcotton to be crowned Division One champions

The Harps are the 2024 Laois Shopping Centre ACHL Division One champions after they narrowly got past Borris-Kilcotton in the LOETB Centre of Excellence this evening.

The winning side had scored 1-12 in the first-half but only managed four points in the second. However, it was enough in the end to scrape over the line.

The Harps 1-16

Borris-Kilcotton 0-18

The returning Aaron Dunphy opened the scoring after about 30 seconds but it was matched by Eoghan Doheny. PJ Scully (free) and Michael Lanigan traded scores as did Scully and Conor Brophy with four minutes on the clock. Lanigan got a second point from play after he played a one-two with Cody Comerford. Scully raised his third point of the game with a second free.

Lanigan had another chance from a free to push The Harps ahead but his strike landed in and around the square and James Duggan was on hand to flick the ball past Eoin Fleming. Podge Dunne made it a double score game early on. Aaron Dunphy and Stephen Phelan both got points for Borris-Kilcotton but The Harps responded with two of their own courtesy of Duggan and Lanigan (free).

The Harps tacked on another two points without reply as Lanigan (free) and a second point from Conor Brophy gave them a five-point advantage with 15 minutes on the clock. The Harps were awarded a penalty soon after as Cathal Murphy was fouled in the square, which saw him having to leave the field through injury. Lanigan stepped up to take the penalty but struck his effort to the right and wide.

Aaron Dunphy kept getting scores for Borris-Kilcotton but The Harps just kept attacking with ferocity. Ciaran Comerford and Lanigan scored a point each with Duggan taking his tally to 1-2. PJ Scully tapped over two frees in succession and Ciaran Comerford got the final score of the half as The Harps led 1-12 to 0-9.

The Harps were very sluggish in the second period as they kept hitting the ball down on top of Noah Quinlan, who was acting as the Borris-Kilcotton sweeper. Borris-Kilcotton took full advantage of this as they kept plugging away at The Harps’ lead. Oisin Fleming got the first score of the half before a Scully free struck the post when going for goal but he was on hand to fire over the rebound. He followed that up with yet another point from a placed ball. James Duggan finally got a point for The Harps after 43 minutes and they had another a minute later as Michael Monahan pointed having come off the bench.

Scully and Duggan traded points but there would be soon be only three points between the sides as Scully and Dunphy scored to leave it at 1-15 to 0-15. The Harps kept hitting aimless ball into their forwards which meant Borris-Kilcotton kept coming forward in waves. Eoin Clancy raised a white flag having been sprung from the bench about 20 seconds before.

Borris-Kilcotton done all the scoring late on as they attacked a four-point deficit but they came up short and could muster up three points before the end. Scully scored a free and 65’ with Philip Tynan’s point leaving it a one-point game but there wasn’t enough time left and The Harps held on to claim the Division One title.