Laois Senior Football Championship 2016

[Dave like the tv channel]

Great win for Stradbally and much needed in Laois football. Portlaoise have been catchable, but the aura surrounding them since 2007 has probably given them an edge and a few extra points in the run.

A new team is top of the pile and the DRA cases and fishing trips they've been doing puts this into context. Portlaoise have seen this coming and now, hopefully, they're back in the pack and we can have a competitive championship again.

Congrats to Stradbally. #16, after 11 years on #15. And what a way to win it!

[Saint75]

Best game of the year, in fact best game of the last few years. Stradbally are not extraordinary but they have great belief and fighting spirit and that can bring you a long way. The loss of Bruno was huge for Portlaoise and but for Cahillane they really had no go to forward. Dillon was very good but I was very disappointed with Craig Rodgers today. I was surprised they didn't have Zack togged out as he probably would have won it for them but it would have been a shame to see Stradbally lose after the way they played.

The goal in the last minute was as good a goal as has been seen anywhere this year but was even better as it left Portlaoise with no time to get back into it. Well referred by Eddie even if he gave a few handy frees to Portlaoise but it didn't deter Stradbally and they fought man for man till the end when they got their just reward. I didn't see any controversial point as has been mentioned above. 

Stradbally could have a good run in Leinster if they put their minds to it , hopefully they will. Well done all concerned.

Best game for years???
Most exciting maybe but the general quality of the footballers must be of great concern to the new Laois manager. It was hard to pick out an inter county standard player today.

The future of club football in Laois should be more competitive but we need to start developing quality footballers fast.

[High Fielder]

Agree with that. It's easy to confuse excitement with quality, but the proof will come when Stradbally and Laois take on teams from other counties. We are guilty in Laois at times of living in our own little bubble, and marking players out because they excel in poor company. The first game today was pitiful to watch, and proof that our underage coaching is terrible. The basic skills at times were way below an acceptable level, and so many lads were physically weak. Good hard tackling and strength in possession were particularly poor, but that wouldn't worry me as much at that age as the crazy amount of wayward passes. All in all, Stradbally winning a title aside, a bad day for football.

[Unison]

Experts on here, saying Portlaoise were ten points the better team. Bad say for them.

[Tony]

Well done to Stradbally. Comerford and Begley were my pick for men of the match. I'd say even a lot of people in portlaoise wont mind this result too much. it's good for Laois Football. Ref had an ok game - he has to get more backing though, too many linesmen / umpires say nothing to play it safe.

[From the Terrace]

Not sure bout that tony, id say portlaoise are sick. Fair play to strad, great for laois football. Sick of listening to all negative stuff here, anyone with a head for football knows laois usually punch over their weight, although last few years haven't been great. Hopefully this new setup will work out well.

[town1980]

what a day for laois football,,the stand was full of man from differant parts of laois supporting stradbally,,bruno and zach have been the main lads getting portlaoise to 9 titles them not on the field and they are pipped and looked very ordinary,,how malachy left craig rodgers on the team is beyond me he was soooo bad ,,,paul cahalaine who got oceans of ball could not punish stradbally he was 1v1 with jamie kav all the second half and for me jamie kav was outstanding to hold him,,,frigi murphy was my mom,,but begly and comerford were also immense,,strad brought great intensity to the game but malachy got it all wrong and tommy conroy getting sent to the stands shows you his arrogence fair play eddie for doing your job,,it gives all of laois great hope i now believe portlaoise are slipping,,,st joes portarlington graigue and broanabbey there are county titles there for yee ,,,stradbally are proof to everyone ,,well done the little town

[Saint75]

Not sure bout that tony, id say portlaoise are sick. Fair play to strad, great for laois football. Sick of listening to all negative stuff here, anyone with a head for football knows laois usually punch over their weight, although last few years haven't been great. Hopefully this new setup will work out well.

Laois may have punched above their weight in the past but we always had some really good footballers. The point is that the future is not looking good. The last good crop of players are coming to an end. Our performances underage for the last 10yrs has been poor. 'Anyone with a head for football knows that'🙄

[High Fielder]

Experts on here, saying Portlaoise were ten points the better team. Bad say for them.

I was one of those people. For what it's worth, I still believe it. There was a period in the second half where Portlaoise were dominant and the Stradbally back line was all at sea. That was the point at which to kill the game off. Portlaoise's lack of ruthlessness rather than anything Stradbally were doing kept it competitive. Fair play to Stradbally. They stuck at itand never gave up and it was nice to see them winning a title. Portlaoise will know they lost it rather than Stradbally winning it though. The Stradbally back line will get a proper doing somewhere along the line.

[Uisce]

I think its a bit premature to be saying that this is now a new era for Laois club football. This could be the kick up the arse Portlaoise needed to get going again. I agree that they certainly aren't as strong as previous years but I wouldn't be one bit surprised if they were winners again next year. It was a good result for Laois football however as it was becoming stale. However I can't understand how people are saying it was an outstanding game. It was a relatively poor game and without the excitement at the end I would say it was as forgettable as a previous 9 finals, Portlaoise just playing out to another win. But well done to Strad, written off by most, it was a serious win!

[El Jefe]

There was a lot of off-the-ball stuff going on especially in the first half but very unfair to say that Eddie lost control of the game. Impossible to see everything but could've definitely done with more support from his officials. He did let the game flow in fairness which added to the excitement
Not the highest standard game every but a great watch and a fairytale ending for Stradbally. Portlaoise looked the better side in the second half and never looked like losing it until the goal. Never seen a team & management in as much shock at the final whistle. Fair play to Stradbally, they kept themselves in it even when Portlaoise stepped things up and never let the gap get too wide. The chap Comerford had a smashing game. Jody Dillon didn't do much in the game and looked knackered with 10 minutes to go but some finish from him.
Been some year of finals in O'Moore Park

[Dave like the tv channel]

but I wouldn't be one bit surprised if they were winners again next year.

True, but at least there will be a competitive edge. I don't think the scenario is like when Crossmaglen's 13-in-a-row ended....they missed a year and resumed to another seven(?). Portlaoise have been coming back to the pack and I believe that other teams will start next year with a greater expectation.

We need a competitive club scene. We've Port, Pauls and Ballyroan dominating the underage scene, with Joes/Barrowhouse at U21. A bunch of new winning teams would be refreshing.

[BallyroanAbu]

Portlaoise have been coming back for 3 years now they prob held on because of their belief.  They were a great team but I think they prob never achieved what they should have that is  an "All Ireland Club".  I am sure they will be competitive but I doubt they will be as dominant for sometime again if ever.  The smaller clubs into the future will amalgamate and GAA in Portlaoise is struggling at the moment.  What can you say about Stradbally well fair play their own belief and tradition helped no end and well done.   For those saying the quality was poor, it's club football it usually is but it is one of the great finals for entertainment and tension for me that's enough.   Go on the Little Village now were all coming for you.

[town1980]

well said broan abu,,,your own club is tipping along nicely and producing alot of footballers under age,,yee lost the minor but it might benifit the young lads in the future,,,yee performed excellently and were a whisker away from beating kileen,,joesphs and yee seem to have a crop comming to add titles to yere name,,both clubs with tradition of winning titles

[El Jefe]

Agree with that. It's easy to confuse excitement with quality, but the proof will come when Stradbally and Laois take on teams from other counties. We are guilty in Laois at times of living in our own little bubble, and marking players out because they excel in poor company. The first game today was pitiful to watch, and proof that our underage coaching is terrible. The basic skills at times were way below an acceptable level, and so many lads were physically weak. Good hard tackling and strength in possession were particularly poor, but that wouldn't worry me as much at that age as the crazy amount of wayward passes. All in all, Stradbally winning a title aside, a bad day for football.

You're judging this on one match, if you'd see either of these two teams during the year both at U16 & U17 level you'd know they're both far better than they showed yesterday. Big game with an unusually big crowd for them to play in front of, have to cut them some slack. A good majority of them are part of the Laois U16 side that's probably the best underage side the county has at the minute. Bad game yes but not a fair reflection on either side