Major win for Louth minors in Portlaoise
Louth 2-11 Laois 0-15
A rising tide lifts all boats and Louth’s minors jumped aboard with a battling win in Portlaoise on Saturday.
Wayne Kierans took his team to O’Moore Park for the opening round clash in the Electric Ireland Leinster MFC and after losing all of their Leinster Legaue games they needed a win to kick start their seasonn.
They needed extra-time to do it, but inspired by John Mitchels man John Gallagher they headed back up the M7 with a deserved victory.
Laois started the game well and scored the opening two points inside the first three minutes with an Alan Campbell free and an excellent point from wing back Colin Slevin.
Gallagher opened Louth’s account from a free but a Robert Tyrell free cancelled that out.
Blood sub Jack Murphy pointed for Louth but yet again Laois replied with a Diarmuid Whelan point.
Then came Louth’s first goal as a great team move up the field ended with Geraldines man Ben Mooney shooting low to the back of the net to put his side a point up.
Louth failed to build on the goal and the next three points fell to Laois from Jack Owens, Diarmuid Whelan and Alan Kinsella.
Gerry Garland pointed for Louth to send his side in at the break a point down.
Louth started the second half well and two John Gallagher points put the Wee County boys ahead. Alan Kinsella levelled matters once again, and the next four points were shared to keep the sides level, Louth’s two points coming from Alan Connor and John Gallagher.
Laois were then given a real chance when referee Niall Ward awarded them a penalty. Up stepped Alan Kinsella, but his penalty was superbly saved by Alan McGauley.
A Mark Barry free put Laois ahead with time running out, but Gallagher once again pointed to bring the sides level and when Gerry Garland pointed it looked as if the Louth boys were going to hold on for the win.
But deep into added on time Alan Kinsella sent the game to extra time with a free.
Two points from the outstanding Kinsella put Laois two up in extra time but back came Louth to level once again with frees from Ardee St Marys Ciaran Keenan and Gallagher.
Then came the games second big penalty call. John Gallagher was about to shoot for goal and was foot blocked, up stepped the Mitchel’s man to blast his
penalty to roof of the net to give Louth a three-point lead. There was only one point scored in the second period of extra time and that came from the boot of Laois man Alan Kinsella. The Louth boys held on for a well deserved victory.
LOUTH: Alan McGauley, Alan Connor (01), Philip Trainor, Dan Corcoran, Leonard Gray, Eoghan Callaghan, James O’Reilly, Liam Jackson, Conor Morgan, Gerry Garland (0-2), Ben Mooney (1-0), Fergal Malone, Keelan O’Neill, Conor Nicholson, John Gallagher (1-6) (4f & 1 45). Subs: Ciaran Keenan (0-1f) for Nicholson (HT), Jack Murphy (0-1) for O’Neill (35), Shane Hickey for Malone (52), Conor Gillispie for Ben Mooney (56), Shane Byrne for Garland (67), Conor Nicholson for Hickey (78)
LAOIS: Tom McCann, Michael Dowling, Sean O’Flynn, Daniel Comerford, Colin Slevin (0-1), Seamus Lacey, Gary Saunders, Robert Tyrell (0-1f), Diarmuid Whelan (0-4-2f), Alan Kinsella (0-7-4f), Niall Dunne, Ronan Coffey, Mark Barry (0-1f), Ciaran Comerford, Jack Owens (0-1). Subs: Jason Maher for Niall Dunne (BC 50), Damien McCaul for Barry (58), Alex Mohane for Daniel Comerford (65). REFEREE: Niall Ward (Westmeath)