Down v Laois

[behind the wire]

where was that article from?

not sure how much it applies to the down set up because they do have a few on field leaders. some interesting points regaring the young players though, it is something which liam doyle has spoke of in the past i think (re attitudes after underage success).

[lob her in lad]

The problem is rooted in the past and it's developed into a culture of arrogance that's gone on too long to change. Mick O'Dwyer recently said of the side in this confession box, "He [Fergal Byron] was speaking from his heart because he gave me a wonderful commitment while I was there. Others couldn't say that. There was marvellous material in Laois but they were never as willing to give the same commitment as I got in Kildare. They didn't have the commitment or the same drive." But others there during O'Dwyer's four-year stint put that down as an understatement.

"Micko didn't care after a while because there was nothing he could do about what was going on," says a source familiar with what went on at the time. "But in Kildare guys would run up mountains for that man just because he said so. In Laois they needed explanations. Now that wasn't all of them but there were boys there who would fake injury during laps just to get out of them. All the talent in the world and most of it wasted in that place."

During O'Dwyer's final year, the most successful manager of them all was questioned by a side with just a single provincial title to their name. They ridiculed his methods, demanded change and modernisation and got the beating of a lifetime against Dublin. They didn't learn from that either though because O'Dwyer was far from the only manager to suffer at their hands. When Liam Kearns came to the county in 2007, it was to move forward a career that had seen him take Limerick to the brink of a Munster title. But there was a stage when he couldn't even find a player able to captain Laois. Ross Munnelly was said to be too selfish on the ball, Joe Higgins and Tom Kelly didn't show up for the league and after that there was a void when it came to finding a leader.

And Kearns faced far more startling problems than finding a recipient for an armband. Two players in the side had tried to move towards professionalism, refusing to play for Laois until they were sponsored to do so. What had once been ripe and vibrant was rotten to the core. A member of the Laois set-up at the time who wishes to remain nameless takes it further.

"They were put on a pedestal in Laois after winning those minor titles. If you go in to a pub there are pictures on the wall, there's someone there to buy them a pint and remind them of when they won underage All Irelands. You get that respect for winning senior titles in other counties. And they are making the same mistakes. Before it was Beano and Munnelly, now it's Donie Kingston and Tierney who are elevated too high. Some young guys go into the dressing room and think they rule it. The older guys never put them in their place. No leadership. It's gone too far in Laois and there's no going back. Mentally it's frightening just how weak they are."

I think this post sums up Laois football over the past ten years or so. Gone are the days of pride in playing for the blue and white and now it's done for what they can get out of it. It is not all of the players though just a small core that poison the atmosphere for the rest. I know a good few of the county panelists who are dedicated to the cause and would put the county ahead of all others but again it is the selfish spoilt element that wrecks it.
We as a county are to blame however. I remember when we won our first minor AI in the 90's. The county went wild and all these so called stars let it go to their heads and we let them and now we are sadly reaping the rewards of it.

[western exile]

where was that article from?

Sunday Tribune
http://www.tribune.ie/sport/gaelic-football/article/2009/jul/05/laois-kids-futures-all-in-the-past/

[The Real Laoislad]

Laois Senior Football Team v Down

Dempsey makes five changes


Laois Manager Sean Dempsey has taken a surgical blade to his side for Saturday's must win clash with Down in Newry.
In come team captain Aidan Fennelly, Niall Donoher, Craig Rogers, Colm Coss and Peter O'Leary.
Out go Darren Rooney, Ger Reddin, Brian McCormack, Billy Sheehan and Donal Kingston.

The team in full is:
Michael Nolan; Cathal Ryan, Mark Timmons, Rory Stapleton; Aidan Fennelly, John O'Loughlin, Niall Donoher; Padraig Clancy, Kevin Meaney; Brendan Quigley, Craig Rogers, Ross Munnelly; Michael J Tierney, Colm Coss, Peter O'Leary.




Delighted to see Fennelly back,but am surprised at Kingston being dropped,especially after the game he had against Down last year...
Good sub to bring on though

[western exile]

Mountmellick clubman Colm Coss has been named at full-forward in the Laois team to take on Down in Saturday's All-Ireland SFC second-round qualifier in Newry (throw-in 7.30pm).

Coss will make his Championship debut for the O'Moore men as they look to avenge last year's 2-14 to 1-15 qualifier defeat to the same opponents.

Back then, Donie Kingston helped himself to 1-5 but it was not enough to prevent Laois from bowing out of the Championship.

For this weekend's clash, Kingston has been dropped to the bench as Coss comes in for him.

In all, Laois manager Sean Dempsey has made five changes to the side he put out for the Leinster semi-final loss to Kildare.

There are two other new inclusions in the midlanders' attack, with Peter O'Leary and Craig Rogers replacing Billy Sheehan and Brian 'Bruno' McCormack.

Aidan Fennelly has been drafted in for Darren Rooney in the half-back line, where Niall Donoher has also replaced Ger Reddin.

LAOIS (SFC v Down): M Nolan; C Ryan, M Timmons, R Stapleton; A Fennelly, J O'Loughlin, N Donoher; P Clancy, K Meaney; B Quigley, C Rogers, R Munnelly; MJ Tierney, C Coss, P O'Leary.

http://breakingnews.ie/sport/coss-to-debut-for-laois-against-down-417898.html#ixzz0KgNwEcP2&D

[western exile]

Belfast Telegraph
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/gaa/canny-carr-has-sights-on-bigger-picture-at-down-14387637.html  

Canny Carr has sights on bigger picture at Down
Tuesday, 7 July 2009
 
Down manager Ross Carr is hoping that recent history will repeat itself when his side confront Laois in the second round of the All Ireland football qualifiers at Pairc Esler, Newry on Saturday (7pm).

When the sides met in the same competition last year, Down turned in a stunning first-half performance to lay the basis for an unexpected victory before going on to lose — equally unexpectedly — to Wexford.

Yet it is a measure of the transformation which the Down side has undergone in the interim that only five players who started in last Saturday's victory over London — Paul Murphy, Dan Gordon, Kevin McKernan, Daniel Hughes and Brendan Coulter — were on duty in last year's win over Laois.

It was earlier this year that Carr decided to show faith with a posse of new faces and although promotion to Division Two of the National League was achieved, defeat in the divisional final against Tipperary followed by a first round Ulster Championship loss to Fermanagh clearly impacted on morale.

If last weekend's win over London generated only a muted response, that's because the standard of the opposition was such that Down discovered little fresh about themselves.

They will certainly have their credentials examined much more closely by a Laois side who, even though they lost to Kildare in the Leinster semi-final, will still bring a considerable ration of experience and skill to the table, notably in attack where M J Tierney and Donie Kingston in particular could unhinge the Mourne rearguard.

Ambrose Rodgers, Aidan Carr and Colm Murney are expected to

be in the frame for places in the Down line-up while Under 21 ace Timmy Hanna may have to make way in the half-back line.

Manager Carr, who acknowledged prior to the London game that his team were in a no-win situation, is aware that victory over Laois would instil a greater level of buoyancy within the county.

"What happened last year counts for nothing," said Carr.

"Maybe we are lucky to be playing at home again for the second week in a row but Laois will be very difficult."

[The Real Laoislad]

Down 4/6
Laois 6/4
Draw 15/2

[supersub]

Some amount of 'articles' written regarding these two teams!

[lob her in lad]

Think i'll put a fiver on Laois. Will there be many lads travelling up to the game. A lot of my mates I have been talking to will be taking the trip to Oxygen instead. Shame really because Laois could do with some support over the border.

[Our Nail Loney]

4/6    Down   15/2   Laois           6/4   
3/1    Down -5   12/1   Laois +5   2/7   
23/10 Down -4   10/1   Laois +4   2/5   
7/4    Down -3   9/1   Laois +3   8/15
5/4    Down -2   17/2   Laois +2   4/5   
4/9    Down +1   17/2   Laois -1   9/4   
1/4    Down +2   11/1   Laois -2   10/3   
1/6    Down +3    13/1   Laois -3   9/2   
1/10    Down +4   17/1   Laois -4   6/1   
10/11 Down -1   8/1   Laois +1   11/10   

[swagger]

weather gives to be torrential downpours all day saturday, i dont remember the last time a down tema won a championship match in the rain!

[charlie stubbs]

This will be some borefest, two of the poorest teams left. 

You really are a c**k sometimes.

At least these teams are still in the draw, take your bitterness elsewhere.

though i dont think either team is great, think has the makings of a really good game

[Mourne Rover]

Down's poor record in the rain has been frequently discussed on this site. I think there is general agreement that we have not won a championship game on a really wet day since the USC preliminary round against Donegal in Clones way back 1996. The  forecast indicates that our next opportunity to challenge the perception that we are a fair-weather team will come on Saturday.

[Trevor Hill]

Ambrose Rogers is back in the Down team for Saturdays All-Ireland Football second round qualifier against Laois at Newry (1930 BST).

Rogers takes over from Warrenpoints John Boyle in the only change from last weekends victory over London.

Right half-forward Rogers is back in the Mourne starting line-up after suffering a ruptured spleen in last summers defeat by Wexford.  Ambrose come in last weekend in the last few minutes of the game.

Laois make five changes from their Leinster SFC hammering by Kildare.

Colm Coss will make his championship debut while Aidan Fennelly, Craig Rogers, Michael John Tierney and Peter OLeary are also included.

Donie Kingston, Darren Rooney, captain Brian McCormack, Ger Reddin and Billy Sheehan drop out of the starting line-up.

Coss, a member of this years Laois under 21 side, was only added to the senior squad after the NFL campaign.

However, Coss now spearheads a new-look full-forward line which also features Tierney and OLeary.

Coss retains his place after replacing fellow under-21 Donie Kingston during the second half of the Kildare game.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Down: Brendan McVeigh, Ciaran McGovern, Kevin McKernan, Damian Rafferty, Timmy Hanna, Paul Murphy, Conor Garvey, Dan Gordon, Stephen Kearney, Ambrose Rogers, Conor Maginn, Brendan McArdle, Brendan Coulter, Paul McCumiskey, Daniel Hughes

Laois: M Nolan; C Ryan, M Timmons, R Stapleton; A Fennelly, J OLoughlin, N Donoher; P Clancy, K Meaney; B Quigley, C Rogers, R Munnelly; MJ Tierney, C Coss, P OLeary.

[Mourne Rover]

It's great to see Ambrose back, but there must be the usual suspicions of late chances to the line-up. McKernan is a fine player but he is not really a full back and he may be injured anyway. It will be something of a surprise if Carr does not return to the half back line, and Kearney did very little last week to justify his retention at midfield. Boyle was not great against London but he made more impact than either Maginn or McArdle. There must be a fair chance that Fitzpatrick will be in from the start, and if he and Dan can strike it off anything is possible. We have a reasonable record under the lights in Newry, but our last three competitive performances this summer have been sub-standard. While Laois's form is also very ordinary, they at least managed to survive in division two when Fermanagh, who saw us off in the USC, went down. It could be very tight.