Laois 1-14 Mayo 2-9
Celtic Challenge Division 3 Final
A 55th minute Liam Townsend goal was music to Laois’s ears as they claimed the Corn Michael Robinson Celtic Challenge U-17 title at the GAA National Development Centre on the National Sports Campus in Dublin this afternoon.
The Harps clubman fired the vital score in this keenly contested encounter, which saw Mayo really put it up to Brian Flanagan’s charges.
This victory was certainly a nice boost for Laois hurling ahead of the Senior side facing Offaly in the Joe McDonagh Cup final next Sunday in Croke Park.
The future is definitely bright if this display is anything to go by, as the next generation – all bar five of whom are U-16, showed great character to battle back, after Mayo had looked dangerous throughout, and held a 1-5 to 0-3 lead after just 20 minutes.
Earlier Laois had claimed the games first score after just 94 seconds, when Daire Fogarty fired the first of his eight points over the hour.
But Mayo responded well and moved ahead three minutes later following scores from their dangerman Fionn Delaney, and impressive midfielder Oisin Duffy.
The Westerners dominated many of the scoring opportunities in the first quarter, but struggled to convert, as some strong Laois pressure helped keep them at bay.
Davy Delaney were among those showing well for Laois at this stage, and with Fogarty causing the Mayo defence huge problems, he was fouled twice in scorable positions – from which he converted both chances to tie the game at 0-3 apiece at the end of the opening quarter.
Laois failed to take the lead after a Delaney miss from play soonafter, before Mayo tagged on back-to-back scores from play from Niall Peoples.
Mayo were causing Laois huge problems at this stage and a long ball from Oisin Duffy was doubled on to the net by Fionn Delaney to hand Mayo a five-point advantage.
Laois responded with a fine score from midfielder Scott Kelly, but Peoples responded with a close-range effort.
Laois came good once more and grabbed a trio of fine points from play between the 23rd and 26th minutes, with two Cillian Dunne scores sandwiched by an Eoin Holland long-range effort, as the gap was cut to two points.
However, Peoples fired the final score of the half to bring his tally to four points, and ensure a 1-7 to 0-7 lead at the break.
Laois emerged fired up after the restart, and within five minutes they drew the game for the third time.
Fogarty’s fourth point of the game came just 40 seconds after the throw-in, before he added a point from a free and Delaney grabbed one from play.
Indeed during this spell Laois also had a goal opportunity, but Liam Townsend was wide of the target – he would make amends later in the half.
Fionn Delaney grabbed Mayo’s first point of the half in the 39th minute, which was cancelled out by Fogarty, but Mayo again pounced for a goal.
It came in the 42nd minute, after David Delaney had halted a Laois attack, with the ball worked through to his cousin Fionn, who had no hesitation in registering his sides second goal – handing Mayo a 2-8 to 0-11 lead.
Cillian Dunne helped cut the deficit, but Mayo bounced back with a Ben Joyce score.
However, his 49th minute effort would be Mayo’s final score as Laois closed out this game well.
A converted 65′ from Fogarty left just two points between the sides, before Mayo squandered a number of scoring opportunities, including an effort from Peoples which came off the post.
At the opposite end Townsend was alert to a pin-point long range ball from Cillian Dunne, and Townsend fired from the tightest of angles, with his effort finishing to the net, after he just had Mayo keeper Liam Heneghan to beat in the 55th minute.
Fogarty added another pointed 65 metre free to open up a two-point lead, but Laois weren’t out of danger just yet.
Defence was key in the final minutes as Mayo piled on pressure, but Laois showed great resolve to hold on for victory, and ensure jubiliant scenes at the full-time whistle.
After the game Laois captain Daire Fogarty received the cup from the GAA’s Ciaran Kearney, who had commended Laois duo Davy Delaney and Cillian Dunne as being among those contention for the Electric Ireland Best and Fairest Award, which was presented to Mayo’s Niall Peoples.
SCORERS – Laois: Daire Fogarty 0-8 (four frees, two 65s), Cillian Dunne 0-3, Liam Townsend 1-0, Davy Delaney, Scott Kelly and Eoin Holland 0-1 each Mayo: Fionn Delaney 2-3 (0-2 frees), Niall Peoples 0-4, Ben Joyce and Oisin Duffy 0-1 each.
LAOIS: Dylan Payne (Mountmellick); Sean Hayes (Clough Ballacolla), Conor McDonnagh (Ballinakill), Conor Ryan (Castletown); Frank McGovern (Borris-Kilcotton), Eoin Holland (The Harps), Evan McSpadden (Borris-Kilcotton); Scott Kelly (Rosenallis), Jack Kennedy (The Harps); Conor Kirby (Borris-Kilcotton), Cillian Dunne (Park-Ratheniska/Timahoe), Liam Townsend (The Harps); Davy Delaney (Portlaoise), Daniel Jones (Abbeyleix), Daire Fogarty (Borris-Kilcotton). Subs used: Paddy Farrell (Colt-Shanahoe) for Kirby (50); Cillian Stenson (Rathdowney-Errill) for Holland (62).
Rest of Panel: Conor Headen (Ballypickas), Ciaran Lyons (Castletown), CJ Brennan (Clough-Ballacolla), Sean O’Donnell (Abbeyleix), Oran McKelvey (Castletown), Cormac Keegan (Portlaoise), Ben Meade (Mountrath), Eoin Doheny (Portlaoise), Cormac Page (Mountrath), Christian Concannon (Ballypickas), Shane McCann (Clonaslee-St Manman’s), Cathal Noone (Abbeyleix), Aaron Tynan (Clonad), Sean McDermott (Rathdowney-Errill), Ciaran Connell (Portarlington).
MAYO: Liam Heneghan; Marc Munnelly, Conor Loftus, Cillian Curley; Cian Fahy, Matthew Delaney, James Curran; Oisin Duffy, Dylan Quinn; Michael Gough, Ben Joyce, David Delaney; Eoghan Murray, Niall Peoples, Fionn Delaney. Sub used: Ronan Loftus for Curley (53).
REFEREE: Kevin Brady (Louth)
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