Westmeath 6-13 Laois 0-7
Leinster U-20 FC Andrew Corden Cup Semi-final
The 2025 season has ended for the Laois U-20 footballers after they were well beaten by Westmeath in Kinnegad this season.
After failing to advance from their group in the Leinster championship, Laois entered the Andrew Corden Cup which eventually goes into the All-Ireland ‘B’.
Westmeath are the defending Leinster champions here and they were full value as they won by 24 points.
It didn’t take long for the home side to open the scoring, as Kaelan Connell raised a white flag in the very first minute.
Laois’s first chance came shortly after, falling to Courtwood’s Ryan Little, but his goal-bound shot was blocked by a swarm of five Westmeath defenders.
Westmeath doubled their lead after eight minutes, showing patience in the build-up before Finn Duffy opened his account.
He almost followed it up with the game’s first goal, but was denied by Laois goalkeeper Ben Dillon.
That chance came after a great catch by midfielder Shane Ormsby.
Ormsby then had a goal opportunity of his own moments later when his dropping shot was fumbled by Dillon, but the Laois netminder recovered just in time to push it out for a 45, which ultimately came to nothing.
Shane Corcoran got his side’s third point. Duffy added his second and Westmeath’s fourth point with 15 minutes on the clock.
Laois’ Paddy Fitzpatrick had a shot for a point that dropped short, but he reacted quickly to win the ball back. However, he was denied by Westmeath goalkeeper Luke Nicholson.
The visitors looked far more comfortable in the atrocious weather conditions, which were worsening by the minute.
Rain lashed down steadily, and splashes of water flew from the turf as players sprinted for loose ball.
Ronan Murphy extended Westmeath’s lead to five points. The home side then struck a major blow when Shane Corcoran went on a surging run from the sideline and smashed the ball into the top corner to raise the game’s first green flag. That made it 1-4 to no score after 22 minutes.
Laois finally got on the scoreboard through Paddy Fitzpatrick, who slotted over a much-needed point with 25 minutes on the clock.
They added another shortly after, when Jeremy Kelly converted a free following a Westmeath foul for playing the ball on the ground.
Disaster struck for Laois just before the break as Westmeath found the net again. Shane Ormsby’s shot was by Dillon, but Jack Duncan reacted quickest to the rebound and tucked it away to leave the score at 2-5 to 0-2 at half-time.
The second half began with a mighty score from Laois half-back Jack Julian, who powered forward and split the posts to lift his side.
Paddy Fitzpatrick then added his second point of the day, giving Laois a brief spell of momentum.
However, Westmeath responded with composure. Duncan slotted over his first point of the game, and Duffy followed up with another point to restore their commanding lead.
Two minutes later, Westmeath pounced on a Laois kick-out, and Duncan made no mistake, rattling the net for his second goal of the game.
Kelly replied for Laois with a fine two-pointer, but Westmeath continued to pile on the pressure. Corcoran took his tally to 1-2 before Westmeath raised a fourth green flag.
Laois lost yet another kick-out, and this time, Tadhg Baker blasted the ball past Dillon to make it 4-8 to 0-6 after 45 minutes.
The goals kept coming for Westmeath as they continued to dominate the game. Jack Duncan completed his hat-trick with a clinical finish after Laois goalkeeper Ben Dillon fumbled the ball in the air. Duncan was quick to react, punching the ball into the net to extend Westmeath’s lead even further.
Matthew Thornton then added a point to his side’s tally, as The Lake County showed no signs of letting up. Laois briefly halted the onslaught with a point from Paddy Fitzpatrick.
Tiarnan O’Donovan got in on the action, cleverly palming the ball into the net for Westmeath’s sixth goal.
The home side’s relentless attack and clinical finishing left Laois struggling to keep pace, with the scoreboard ticking over rapidly in Westmeath’s favour.
Substitute Conor Callaghan added two more points for Westmeath, tapping over a pair of frees as they continued to control the game.
Thornton followed up with his second score of the contest, further piling on the pressure. O’Donovan, who had already found the net, added to his tally with a point for the final score of the game.
SCORERS— Westmeath: Jack Duncan 3-1, Shane Corcoran 1-2, Tiarnan O’Donovan 1-1, Tadhg Baker 1-0, Finn Duffy 0-3 (0-1 free), Matthew Thornton and Conor Callaghan (frees) 0-2 each, Ronan Murray (free) and Kealan Connell 0-1 each. Laois: Paddy Fitzpatrick and Jeremy Kelly (0-1 free and one two-pointer) 0-3 each, Jack Julian 0-1
LAOIS: Ben Dillon (Stradbally); Darragh Loughman (Ballylinan), Conor Raggett (Portlaoise), Pauric Ramsbottom (Timahoe); Jack Julian (Ballylinan), Jake Darcy (Annanough), Tom O’Connell (Mountmellick); Niall Lalor (Kilcavan), Cormac Deegan (Annanough); Ryan Phelan (O’Dempsey’s), Fionn McEvoy (Stradbally), James Dunne (Clonaslee St Manman’s); Paddy Fitzpatrick (The Heath), Ryan Little (Courtwood), Jeremy Kelly (St Joseph’s). Subs: Jake Colbert (The Rock) for Deegan, David Donohue (Stradbally) for Little, Sam Ryan (Sallins) for O’Connell, and Rory Lalor (Kilcavan) for Phelan (all 43 mins), and Eoghan Slattery (Courtwood) for Loughman (51 mins).
WESTMEATH: Luke Nicholson; Sean Dillon, Adam Keane, Seanaí Bracken; Aodhan Curran, Peter Murphy, Taylor Slevin; Shane Ormsby, Billy Moffatt; Kaelan Connell, Tadhg Baker, Ronan Murray; Jack Duncan, Shane Corcoran, Finn Duffy. Subs: Gareth Mullaniff for Slevin (12 mins, inj), Matthew Thornton for Connell (41 mins), Eoghan Daly for Dillon and Conor Callaghan for Duffy (Both 49 mins), and Tiarnan O’Donovan for Murray (51 mins).
REFEREE: Fergal Smyth (Offaly).
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