Laois Vs Kildare

Mossin

The O'Byrne Cup today brought about a great rivalry between Laois and Kildare in Newbridge, and Micko came out trumps again over his former employers.

For a Laois team that is riddled with injuries, and college commitments it was a tremendous result. But saying that any win against the Lillies is a good win.

Luck may have been on our side today but i don't mind. if our third team can beat the Lillies then what will our first team do come the Leinster Championship??

things are looking pretty rosy for Laois football this year, bring on Offaly i say!!

*marie*

Didn't see the match but according to the paper Laois were looking very good, but it's a bit early to be getting excited yet!

kaimera

heh...my understanding was it was a horrible game. Perhaps I heard wrong.

Besides, not many of those who play in the O'Byrne Cup will play when Championship time comes around.

stevemac

Micko's men ease past weak Lilywhites

Laois 3-9
Kildare 0-13

Cliona Foley

BE AFRAID, be very afraid! That was the message from Newbridge yesterday after Laois made mincemeat of their close rivals in an O'Byrne Cup quarter-final after which some ominous pre-season words hung conspicuously in the frosty air.

Now when you win a no-mark match like this (albeit one that attracted 5000 punters), it is traditional to heap the modesty on with a shovel. Come January, winning managers like to mutter kindly about how many stars their unfortunate opponents were missing and generally act like they're mortified at having ambushed them.

Not so for Mick O'Dwyer, the GAA's very own Bobby Robson.

"We have, I think, 23 weeks now to the first round of the Championship, so we're working from here on to that," pronounced Micko with a grin. It may be premature to judge form so early in the season and John Crofton's side were obviously ring-rusty as they emerged from wintering in the gym with little ballwork done.

Yet for O'Dwyer to be talking about Championship on January 15 bellows volumes about Laois's 2006 ambitions. Colm Kelly, younger brother of intercounty stars Tom and Stephen, certainly gives a rosier hue to their hopes. Crofton gambled on two veteran debutants in defence and for fullback Martin 'Ziggy' McIntyre (34), it back-fired badly.

Kelly, a former minor star and still under-21 who is back after a long-injury layoff, proved the kind of skillful full-forward target-man that Laois have been lacking.

First goal

Just before half-time,a quick Colm Parkinson free to Beano McDonald set him up for their first goal and Laois's big half-time lead (1-7 to 0-4). Within three minutes of the restart Joe Higgins found Kelly again with a brilliant long-ball, he dished off cleverly for Barry Brennan to goal and McIntyre was hauled ashore not long after.

Former Galway star John Divilly, a man who often broke Kildare hearts in the past, didn't exactly have them soaring either on his Lilywhite debut, conceding 1-1 before settling.

But Kildare's problems were far more extensive.

Against the big first-half wind they were guilty of an horrific dose of RHPS - repetitive hand-pass syndrome - which, at times, bordered on suicidal.

Matters weren't helped when David Lyons fouled Parkinson to concede a penalty 11 minutes into the second-half, which 'keeper Fergal Byron slotted. Some will query how Laois then conceded nine points to one in the final quarter and their tendency to stop delivering direct ball to their full-forward did not help.

SCORERS - Laois: C Conway 0-6 (5fs), B Brennan 1-1, C Kelly 1-0, F Byron 1-0 (pen), J Higgins and B McDonald 0-1 each. Kildare: D McCormack 0-4, J Doyle 0-3 (1f), P O'Neill 0-2, A Rainbow, H Lynch, T Fennin 0-1 each, P Brennan 0-1 (f).

LAOIS - F Byron; P McDonald, C Ryan, A Fennelly; J Higgins, D Conroy, B McCormack; P Clancy, N Garvan; C Parkinson, B Brennan, G Kavanagh; B McDonald, C Kelly, C Conway. Subs: P McMahon for Higgins, P Lawlor for B McDonald, M Lawlor for Parkinson, S Cooke for Brennan (all 61 mins).

KILDARE - T Corley; A McLoughlin, M McIntyre, J Lonergan; A Rainbow, J Divilly, D Lyons; C Brennan, H Lynch; P O'Neill, D McCormack, J Doyle; T Fennin, A Kelly, E Callaghan. Subs: P Hurley for Kelly, K O'Neill for McIntyre (43), D Jordan for Callaghan (50), P Brennan for Fennin (58), D Hendy for Lyons (66).

REF - C Reilly (Meath).

stevemac

looking at the laois team

-
AOIS - F Byron; P McDonald, C Ryan, A Fennelly; J Higgins, D Conroy, B McCormack; P Clancy, N Garvan; C Parkinson, B Brennan, G Kavanagh; B McDonald, C Kelly, C Conway. Subs: P McMahon for Higgins, P Lawlor for B McDonald, M Lawlor for Parkinson, S Cooke for Brennan (all 61 mins).

Brton, Fennelly, higgins, Clancy, Garvan, Brennan, Beano, conway where all starters last year. And with the others Conroy was meant to have being unlucky last year not to play more, Kavanagh was a sub, Parkinson is back from his holiday, loads of people have being shouting for Bruno McCormack to be on the panel/playing all last year and the same for Colm Kelly (both of them).

And we still have Munnelly, Tom Kelly and Billy Sheehan to come back. Donie is about somewhere (think some of the u/21's are not training with seniors although i thought cathal ryan was still u/21 this year but maybe not).

Not sure whats happened with stephen kelly, is he still on the panel?

kmart6

Mossin wrote:

things are looking pretty rosy for Laois football this year, bring on Offaly i say!!

Wait who won that match???ohh yeah that right Offaly,haha

Danno

Oh! The dizzy highs of O'Byrne Cup winnings - pfff, come back to me at the business end of the year, please.

StupidLikeAFox

stevemac wrote:

Not sure whats happened with stephen kelly, is he still on the panel?

He gave up inter county football

It was a bad display by kildare, but on the upside John Crofton did seem to have a plan. In the Nolan days the team and tactics would be chopped and changed a million times, Crofton stuck to his guns, and even when they were playin terrible he seemed to know what he was doin/wanted.

Thats just a theory though, it might just be me inventing a silver lining