Minor Footballers Open Leinster Championship Campaign With Win Over Laois

Image courtesy Eamon O'Callaghan

DUBLIN 5-13

LAOIS 1-11

Dublin’s Electric Ireland Leinster Minor Football Championship campaign commenced on a positive note as they accounted for Laois by fourteen points in their one-sided Group 1 encounter at the Laois GAA Centre of Excellence in Portlaoise on Wednesday evening.

The damage was done by the interval as goals by Senan Bogler, Fintan Lydon, Donach Magee and Josh Kennedy propelled the visitors to a more than healthy 4-10 to 0-4 advantage by half-time.

Much like their Under 20 counterparts the previous evening, they lacked the same cohesion after the break but a Bolger goal in the fourth quarter ensured a welcome start for Dublin.

It didn’t take long for the Dubs to open their account with Rían Doherty converting a 2^nd minute free before Laois his back through a tidy point by Ultan Dunne.

Charlie Loughran and Dunne exchanged points in a relatively even beginning but that proved misleading as the visitors began to exert their dominance on events.

A Rían Doherty mark in the 10^th minute edged Dublin back in front and with Laois experiencing a subsequent barren spell of seventeen minutes, the visitors assumed complete control, prompted by a Senan Bolger goal.

Ryan Ennis and Bolger added to the Dublin tally with Lydon denied a goal by an excellent save at point blank range from Liam Conroy in the Laois goal.

However, Conroy’s intervention proved a brief stay of execution for the hosts with the lively Doherty kicking two excellent points in quick succession while at the opposite end, Finn McDonnell reacted sharply to thwart Dunne.

Lydon did find the net in the 23^rd minute, palming in from close range from Doherty’s inviting pass, with Doherty and Lydon tagging on points to increase Dublin’s lead to thirteen points by the 25^th minute.

A brilliant solo goal from Magee heaped further misery on the hosts with Kennedy also raising a green flag in the 28^th minute to complete an extremely encouraging half by Dublin.

The second-half was a far more evenly contested affair despite Magee adding to Dublin’s lead within two minutes of the restart.

Dunne and Doherty traded frees before the hosts enjoyed a period of pressure that yielded points from Conor O’Callaghan (free), Byrne and Darren Brennan.

A Bolger point in the 44^th minute briefly stalled the home momentum but Laois continued to battle and were rewarded for their efforts through a Josh Finn goal three minutes later.

Successive points from Dunne and Brennan saw the hosts reduce their deficit to twelve points by the 52^nd minute but all hopes of an unlikely comeback were dispelled two minutes later as Bolger pounced for his second goal after a free-flowing move.

Dublin will resume their campaign with a trip to Clonguish next Wednesday evening when they face hosts Longford (7.30).

Scorers – Dublin: S Bolger 2-2, R Doherty 0-6 (2f, 1m), F Lydon, D Magee 1-1 each, J Kennedy 1-0, C Loughran, R Ennis, K Costello 0-1 apiece. Laois: U Dunne 0-5 (2f), J Finn 1-0, E Byrne, D Brennan 0-2 each, C O’Callaghan (f), C McElroy 0-1 apiece.

Dublin: F McDonnell; D McGill, F Costello, J O’Keeffe; J Kennedy, F McGinnis, R Ennis; C Gavin, K Costello; C Loughran, S Bolger, D Magee; R Doherty, F Lydon, H O’Neill. Subs: B Collins for McDonnell (Temporary Sub, half-time), E O’Donovan for McGill (half-time), F Donohoe for Lydon (half-time), B Shouldice for K Costello (46), C McCabe for Doherty (53), S Devane for Ennis (55).

Laois: L Conroy; C Moran, J Murphy, F O’Sullivan; D Whelan, J Julian, A Byrne; R Murphy, K O’Reilly; J O’Dea, E Byrne, D Brennan; C O’Callaghan, O Darcy, U Dunne. Subs Used: C McElroy for O’Reilly (20), H Connolly for Julian (30), J Finn for Darcy (half-time), P Murray for O’Dea (55).

Referee: Lar Murphy (Carlow).