The Midlands League qualified for the semi finals of the Kennedy Cup in dramatic fashion in a sopping wet University of Limerick yesterday.
After a successful couple of opening days, the Midlands, who have Mountmellick’s John Nelson as part of their management team, took on Cork in the quarter final.
They began on Monday in Group 8 where they trashed Tipperary South 6-0 – Portlaoise duo Sean Conka and David Timmons plus Mountmellick’s Eoghan Nelson on the scoresheet while his clubmate David O’Reilly also featured.
That result proved crucial as they drew 0-0 with Limerick County on Tuesday but topped the group on points difference.
That set up yesterday’s quarter final which was against the current holders – Cork.
Mark Monaghan of Tullamore Town gave Midlands the lead but Cork equalised five minutes from the end to send the game to penalties.
As the rain poured, David Timmons and Sean Conka were among the succesful penalty takers as Midlands won 4-2.
They will be up against West Cork in the semi final at 5pm this afternoon – just the second time ever the Midlands have reached this stage.
There are two other teams with considerable Laois presence in them and both suffered heartbreak yesterday.
Kilkenny contain four Laois players in their squad – Joey, Sean and Conor Dempsey from the Lions AFC, Durrow and Conor Hickey from Clover United in Rathdowney.
They were in Group 1 where they began with a 3-0 win over WWEC.
Joey and Sean Dempsey were on the scoresheet as Kilkenny came from 2-0 down to draw with Limerick Desmond in Round 2.
That comeback was crucial as they later defeated Carlow 3-1 and topped the group, like Midlands, on goal difference.
That put them through to the Cup quarter final where they faced Galway in a simply crazy game.
Galway had a man sent off in the first half with Kilkenny scoring either side of half time through Jack Mulcahy to go 2-0 up.
Galway replied with a penalty but Kilkenny restored their three goal lead via Andrejs Kirilovs.
It stayed like that until injury time with Galway pulling one back in the first minute of it.
Kilkenny then had their keeper Danny O’Neill sent off for a second yellow card and from the resulting penalty, Ruairi Flaherty sent the game to spot kicks.
Here, Galway just had all of the momentum and they eventually won 5-4.
All is not lost for Kilkenny as they drop into Plate competition for those who finish between 5th and 8th where they take on Cork at 3pm in the semi final.
There was penalty shoot out misery for Carlow too as they were knocked out of the Shield competition.
St Pat’s of Graiguecullen feature on this team as Emily Kelly, Maksym Gorczynca and Thomas Lawler all play while Luke Fitzpatrick is part of the management team.
They were in Group 1 and lost 2-1 to Limerick Desmond before fighting back to defeat WWEC 5-0.
A 3-1 loss to Kilkenny meant they finished third and headed for the Shield.
Here they took on Inishowen where the game finished 1-1 but their opponents won 6-5 on penalties.
Carlow are now competing in a place match against Longford at 3pm.
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