Laois Senior Football Championship 2021

[Chrimtain]

Anyone know what players from Portarlington have excluded themselves from committing to Laois next year? And, overall, how is Billy Sheehan progressing with creating a panel for 2022?

[The PRO]

First get together tomorrow Saturday morning. No idea on who's been called up.

[town1980]

he has had  one to one meetings with the players and seemingly told them how bad they all are which can be either good or bad time will tell hopefully good

[Robbo]

Think the final will be close.
And I think Portarlington's full-back line might be key.
I can't see where any Portlaoise individual hits a massive score despite them having created a lot of chances in recent games.
I wouldn't be surprised if Portlaoise actually dominate the ball and win the kickout/midfield battle, especially if Broady plays...yet still not get the scores to see them through.

Port by 2; 0.12-1.7. 

[Robbo]

Strongly fancy Ballyroan in the junior final.
They have loads of pace and power. They'll run all-day and I think it'd do their senor team to have their second team playing a grade higher. They had a strong league and have lost a few to the senior but not as many as I thought they would even.

[SCFC]

Strongly fancy Ballyroan in the junior final.
They have loads of pace and power. They'll run all-day and I think it'd do their senor team to have their second team playing a grade higher. They had a strong league and have lost a few to the senior but not as many as I thought they would even.

I think you may be right. I'd love to see Barrowhouse pull it off after the way they've been treated with transfers over the years. But I think BA have a lot of fine young players and they know how to win finals from their underage days.

[portlaoisekid]

Port are some outfit both individually and collectively and of course have a cracking manager to boot. They are justifiable favorites for Sunday and looking at it in the cold light of day they should win well. If Portlaoise play like they did in each round before the semi it will be certainly be over by the water break.

Hard to know where Portlaoise are at but certainly we know where Port are at, you dont win finals with uncertainty around performances. Portlaoise have done a super job to reach the final after the first round defeat to Courtwood and it will bring the younger lads on no end for the next few years.

Head ruling heart, Port 2.10 Portlaoise 0.08

[Spillane]

Looking forward to attending my first senior final in a while, since Stradbally stung the town (to my delight)

But i have to admit this will be my first time supporting Portlaoise in a county final!! Before I receive stick, I'll give you my reasoning.

I think if Port win this one, they could go on and dominate for few years as Portlaoise have done in the past. But I think if PL were to win, it might give the teams around Laois more confidence that they can actually lift the cup themselves.
Going by recent results - Emo & Courtwood have toppled the town. Joes and O'Dempseys had their chances too. And by all accounts Ballyroan Abbey are a coming team too that let the occasion get to them. All these teams will definitely fancy another crack at the town!

While on the flip side, Port have gotten to another Final, without really getting near their top-gear and without having to! Again I find this similar to the PL teams of the past. Only needing to perform when they had a final or a leinster campaign on their doorstep. Because of this I fancy Port to edge it, where their backs are able to hold the town's forwards better than the other way around.

PL 0-7 Port 0-10

Will try catch the junior final, not knowing much about either team. I think Barrowhouse "doggedness" in wintery conditions might be the deciding factor, due to the younger Ballyroan team.
Good to see strong names such as Whelan, Dunne and Mcweys for Ballyroan and Brennan and Langton for Barrowhouse still popping up on their teams.

B'house 1-13 Ballyroan 0-12

On a side note, why was the minor finals not played before the senior? No such thing as a minor playing senior anymore since the rule change!

[Keyser Söze]

Port are some outfit both individually and collectively and of course have a cracking manager to boot. They are justifiable favorites for Sunday and looking at it in the cold light of day they should win well. If Portlaoise play like they did in each round before the semi it will be certainly be over by the water break.

Hard to know where Portlaoise are at but certainly we know where Port are at, you dont win finals with uncertainty around performances. Portlaoise have done a super job to reach the final after the first round defeat to Courtwood and it will bring the younger lads on no end for the next few years.

Head ruling heart, Port 2.10 Portlaoise 0.08

It's like reading that article on Laois Today where they looked back on the 1991 final and carried an interview with Mick Lillis in the buildup. It was Port's to lose then as well! Beware the talented "underdog"!

[Smellyball]

 reasoning.

I think if Port win this one, they could go on and dominate for few years as Portlaoise have done in the past. But I think if PL were to win, it might give the teams around Laois more confidence that they can actually lift the cup themselves.
Going by recent results - Emo & Courtwood have toppled the town. Joes and O'Dempseys had their chances too. And by all accounts Ballyroan Abbey are a coming team too that let the occasion get to them. All these teams will definitely fancy another crack at the town!

That makes zero sense to me.
Teams would gain confidence by seeing the all conquering portlaoise back to business as usual, rather than a Port win possibly signalling the end of the most dominant run in championship history...

I'll go for Port to win by 3 or 4

[BallyroanAbu]

Portlaoise to win,  I was so impressed by their first half against us.  Unreal stuff

[Helix.]

Portlaoise to win,  I was so impressed by their first half against us.  Unreal stuff

Portlaoise had their arses handed to them today.

Portarlington far superior and will reign supreme for a few years. Will easily do 3 in a row. I'd say it's the end of that current Portlaoise team for a while. While they never got going and wasteful up front, they never looked like winning. Portarlington had the luxury of missing a penalty as well. Game was over after about 20 minutes. Disappointing spectacle for a neutral but fair play to Portarlington; bossed it from start to finish. Colm Murphy and Paddy O Sullivan standouts for me today.
A possible dark horse for Leinster.

The junior went to the wire in normal time. Ballyroan had too much in extra time. Missed a ball of chances and should have been home and hosed in normal time. Questionable for referee to signal 1 minute extra time and finished on just 63 minutes giving ballyroan a chance to equalise. They'll be strong enough to stay intermediate next year too!

[Silkyskillssunshinee]

Fair play to Portarlington, they were awesome today. Their movement up front was top class and they moved the ball so quickly. Murphy and Foster are two dangerous inside forwards, with Coffey and Ryan providing plenty of energy behind them.

I thought Portlaoise's midfield of Lillis and McEvoy would be their strongest area of the field and give them a platform to build from but Port won that battle as well with Byrne very good again.. Portarlington's six backs and goalkeeper were all very solid, as they have been throughout this championship.

They say Portlaoise are in transition but I'd say it could waiting a while before they win a Senior champ. Portarlington are well in front of them as seen today, while the likes of Ballyroan, Joseph's and Graiguecullen have more underage talent coming through than them.

Port could be a bit of a dark horse for Leinster now but it's a very difficult competition to win, as proven by how some of the great Portlaoise teams came up short on numerous occasion.

[Chrimtain]

Congratulations to Portarlington. Although I would love to see them do well in Leinster, I'm not sure they have the quality to do so. Clearly, there is no one to match them in Laois, but competing against the best from other counties is a different story. Let's see how they get on against the Westmeath champions for a start. Hopefully, they can get the better of them, but it won't be easy.

[Keyser Söze]

Serious achievement to pull that performance out of the bag in a final. Fair play