Brave O'Dempsey's defeat Graiguecullen to make winning start to Laois Shopping Centre SFC

Last year’s beaten Senior football finalists, O’Dempsey’s, haven’t had an easy year thus far. Some of their key men have been missing through travel and injuries, which meant Eoin Kearns’ side suffered relegation from ACFL Division 1.

They faced Graiguecullen in this year’s Laois Shopping Centre Senior Football Championship opener. Graiguecullen managed to stay in Division 1 of the league and welcomed back inter-county men Mark Timmons and Trevor Collins back into the fold for this clash.

O'Dempsey's 1-11

Graiguecullen 1-6

Graiguecullen looked to be in a great position when Kian Lawler put them three ahead early on in the second-half. However, an injury to key man Mark Timmons saw Graiguecullen lose their composure and succumb to an O’Dempsey’s comeback.

A late penalty goal from Mark Barry made sure that O’Dempsey’s would get their 2023 Laois Shopping Senior Football Championship campaign off to a winning start in Portlaoise.

Barry Kelly kicked the opening score of this year’s championship. It was a trademark score from Kelly, who’s powerful running from deep always causes opponents problems.

Lee Walker, who was Graiguecullen’s top forward on the night, levelled for them. Eoin Finlay pushed O’Dempsey’s back ahead though a minute later thanks to a sweetly-struck 45’.

Graiguecullen struggled to settle down in front of the posts early on despite enjoying plenty of possession. O’Dempsey’s weren’t creating as much down the other end but they did almost grab a fortuitous goal.

Centre-back Cormac O’Hora attempted to float a ball into Dan Punch inside. However, O’Hora’s kick-pass went over the head of Punch and bounced just in front of Graiguecullen goalkeeper, Danny Bolger.

The ball almost zipped over Bolger but the Graiguecullen man just managed to get a fingertip to it to prevent the goal. The Carlow-border men went down the other end after that to take the lead for the first time.

The lively Lee Walker levelled again from play before Jack Byrne added another for Graiguecullen from the next play. Then it was Graiguecullen’s turn to get in for a goal chance.

The ball was worked inside to the unmarked Ben Dorgan. However, Dorgan’s effort was expertly saved by O’Dempsey’s keeper Podge Bannon and his side cleared the danger.

Graiguecullen did notch on the next two scores though to push their advantage out to three points. Lee Walker grabbed both of those points, with one coming from a free and the other from play.

O’Dempsey’s finished the first-half strongly though to leave themselves only trailing by the minimum at half-time. Mark Barry, who had been well marshalled by Danny O’Reilly in the first half, grabbed his first score from a free.

Then O’Dempsey’s wing-forward Tom Kelly turned on a sixpence to split the posts for the final score of the half. Graiguecullen held a low-scoring 0-5 to 0-4 lead at this stage in a tight and cagey affair in MW Hire O’Moore Park.

O’Dempsey’s Mark Barry had much more of an impact in the second-half. He won a free from the throw-in which Eoin Finlay ended up curling between the uprights to level proceedings again.

However, Graiguecullen struck for the first goal of the game to breathe some life into the contest. Wing-back Mikee Horohan picked out Ben Dorgan over the top. Dorgan did brilliantly to flick the ball on to Kian Lawler, who buried to the back of the net.

Eoin Finlay replied for O’Dempsey’s but Graiguecullen kept their three-point cushion in-tact thanks to another Lee Walker point. Jason Ryan’s men looked to be in pole position at this point.

The injury to the classy veteran Mark Timmons changed the complexion of this contest. Graiguecullen seemed to lose all their composure around the middle third of the pitch, as they failed to score again for the final thirty-plus minutes here.

O’Dempsey’s slowly but surely reeled them in. Mark Barry added two frees before Eoin Finlay found the equalising score with ten minutes remaining.

Then teenager Dan Punch stepped up to launch over a delightful point to put O’Dempsey’s one to the good. Graiguecullen were forced to push men forward now and that left them vulnerable on the counter-attack.

O’Dempsey’s did turn Graiguecullen over and quickly worked the ball up the pitch. Johnny Kelly delicately played a pass into Jack Lennon, who was fouled inside the square by Aaron Dorgan.

Mark Barry buried the penalty and that sealed the result. Graiguecullen’s goalscorer, Kian Lawler, received a straight red card in injury-time to rub further salt into the wounds.