Laois Junior Football Championship

SCFC · July 21, 2015, 12:31:50 PM

Laois Junior Football Championship
O'Dempsey's v The Heath
Rosenallis v Stradbally
Portlaoise v Barrowhouse
Ballyroan Abbey v The Rock
Mountmellick v Portarlington
Graiguecullen v St Joseph's
Ballylinan v The Harps

Seven games down for decision this week in the opening round of the JFC – should be a pretty open championship.
Park/Ratheniska are already through after last year's beaten finalists Slieve Bloom/Castletown pulled the plug on the football this year.
P/R will be favourites to bounce straight back up. I also think Rosenallis have a good chance – beaten by Courtwood in the last two semi-finals, they have plenty of good young players. Josephs are fairly strong at this grade too although they could finish the championship with a lot weaker team than they start with if their seniors need to delve into the junior panel.
Barrowhouse are dark horses – the word is they have Emmett Malone and Joe Murphy back to lend experience to those good young minors they have. Would be great to see them winning a championship.
Of the others – Portlaoise's third team could be anything, very hard to read them. O'Dempsey's will be decent but have a tough game against The Heath who are also not too bad. Stradbally will struggle I think. Mountmellick, Port, Ballyroan, The Rock, Harps, Ballylinan and Graigue are all rank outsiders.

Heshs Umpire · July 22, 2015, 09:02:55 AM

I'd say Portarlington could do OK in this. Lot of good young lads who won't be on their senior team.

Uisce · July 22, 2015, 01:08:23 PM

Interesting championship, no real obvious potential winner but plenty of contenders. Park coming down from intermediate would be the most likely but no guarantees with them. They are a bit inconsistent, some good results in Division 2 followed by some very bad results. Any of the senior teams second team can't be written off, will obviously depend on how many are plucked for senior championship. Always find it a bit unfair that some teams can potentially get weaker as the championship progresses but no realistic way to get around that.

Heshs Umpire · July 22, 2015, 10:19:54 PM

A few results tonight.
Heath 10 O'D's 8
Barrowhouse 14 P'Laoise 11
Rosenallis 2-11 Strad 1-5 (thereabouts anyway!)

SCFC · July 23, 2015, 07:54:34 AM

Ballyroan beat The Rock last night by 12/13 pts

Heshs Umpire · July 23, 2015, 11:15:40 AM

Saw the second half of Rosenallis v Stradbally last night.
Very impressed with Rosenallis number 13, think his name is Colm Poole.

Unlaoised · July 23, 2015, 04:45:17 PM

Portlaoise didn't take loosing too well last night I hear there was a few sendings off and the ref got a lot of stick form the Town supporters.

Spillane · July 23, 2015, 05:32:35 PM

In fairness they're not use to losing much in the town

is it the same format as senior championship with a "winners" side and a "losers" side for the next round?

Heshs Umpire · July 24, 2015, 09:55:52 PM

Port beat Mountmellick handy enough tonight. And Ballylinan beat The Harps.

SCFC · July 25, 2015, 09:47:19 AM

Joseph's 2-14 Graigue 2-5

Heshs Umpire · July 25, 2015, 10:35:44 PM

Laois Shopping Centre JFC draw: Winners side: Barrowhouse v Rosenallis; St Joseph's v Park/Rath; B'roan Abbey v Port; The Heath v Ballylinan Losers side: O'Dempseys (Bye); Mountmellick v Portlaoise; The Rock v Graiguecullen; The Harps v Stradbally

SCFC · August 05, 2015, 08:46:49 AM

Very good win for Barrowhouse over Rosenallis last night.
Anyone know the 3rd round draw? Nothing on Laois GAA, twitter, Facebook!

Heshs Umpire · August 05, 2015, 09:31:07 AM

Rosenallis v Graiguecullen on Sunday 9 Aug venue tbc 6:00pm

Park Ratheniska v Portlaoise on Sunday in colt 6.00

Ballylinan v Odempseys on Tuesday 11 Aug in Annanough 7.15

Portarlington v Stradbally on Tuesday in Emo

TheGreatGame · August 05, 2015, 11:45:53 AM

Can anyone explain why the junior championship starts before the senior/intermediate championship in football? My own club is more of a hurling club and our football team came up against two teams who would have had a few senior players involved. We lost both in fairly close games and are out now, but I know the players feel a bit p****d off that there wasn't a round of senior games played before ours.

From the Terrace · August 05, 2015, 12:17:04 PM

It is unfair on the harps i presume as the senior clubs will be putting out a lot weaker teams from next weekend on. The county board have it this way, Having the first round of senior championship starting this late surely has to be looked at.. On the junior Barrowhouse have surely gone up in the ranking thinking between themselves & the heath & depending on who joes loose to senior team.