Leinster U/21 Football Final Laoise v Offaly

[The Real Laoislad]

Laois will be missing the services of Brendan Quigley after his sending off against Tyrone
This Laois team is the bulk of the team that have won minor Leinster and All Ireland Championships in the last few years,I don't know much about the Offaly team but like any Kings v QueensCounty affair there will be local pride at stake.
A good game in prospect.I think it's in O'Moore park not sure maybe some of the BIFFOS can confirm this for me? Or indeed how good the Faithfull are at this age group?

[Lone Shark]

On paper Laois are much stronger, and will be strong favourites for this - I'd say they'll be about 1/2 for the game, or shorter.

This particular Offaly vintage is certainly not one of the most talented we've had at this age group, but character-wise you couldn't fault them. Most of these players will have played in the Leinster minor final against Leix two years ago, and it's hard to pick out a rake of them who you'd say are outstanding players, but having said that collectively they tend to put their shoulders to the wheel and grind out results. As a supporter I certainly would have huge praise for them with regard to their attitude and work rate.

Player wise, Quigley being available or not will be crucial. As with all Offaly teams these days, the backs are sticky, competitive, good to support, the forwards link well but power around the middle is non-existent. I obviously didn't see what he got his red card for, but to read quotes from Liam Kerins yesterday where he said, somewhat incongruously, that he didn't see the incident, but it was harsh, and from the Laois county board today where they have said they will appeal even though they don't even know what they are appealling yet, it's very clear thqat guilty or innocent all the stops are going to be pulled out to get him on the field. If he plays, Offaly don't have anyone that can come close to competing with him around the middle.

Tis on in O'Moore Park - scheduled for April 15th, but with the league now going to be that day as well, it may get moved to the Saturday - remains to be seen.

[The Real Laoislad]

I saw exactly what happenend to Quigley and he deserved his red card,Basically Quigley was trying to haul one of the Armagh players away from the bunch of players who had surrounded the Two Armagh fellas who had Conway pinned to the ground,and when i say haul i mean running 40yards down the pitch jumping shoulder first into the chest of a Armagh player
Didn't hit him hard enough i reckon

[Lone Shark]

I see in the absence of grounds for appeal Laois are going down the road of emotional blackmail instead. Let the man off or he'll go Australia. Perhaps this didn't come from a county board source, but it's a cheap trick from whoever inspired it.



Laois face the prospect of losing star midfielder Brendan Quigley to Australian Rules for a second time following reports that he was approached by two separate clubs this week.

And Laois chiefs fear that the four-week suspension that is currently hanging over the Timahoe player will help him to make up his mind. Quigley was sent off after being involved in a melee during last Saturday's NFL win over Armagh, and is expected to miss next Sunday's Leinster under 21 final against Offaly as well as the knock-out stages of the NFL should Laois qualify.

Quigley was recruited along with fellow 2003 All-Ireland minor winner Colm Begley by the Brisbane Lions at the end of 2005, but did not settle in Australia and returned home after a few months. He is said to be deeply disillusioned with this latest twist in his GAA career.

[Bord na Mona man]

For feck's sake.
I'd nearly double the suspension of anyone who tries the blackmail route.
The implication is always that us reactionary GAA folk are supposedly scared sh1tless of anyone defecting to another sport and will want to see all the stops pulled out to prevent it.
The media love banging this particular drum.
Personally I wouldn't have given a fiddlers if Cluxton, Forde, Devenney and all the others who played this card abandoned football to play soccer after getting suspended.
I didn't think it was disgrace that the GAA "let" Setanta O'hAilpin leave for Australia. Neither is it appalling, nor dreadful that two kids in Kildare may have to take up soccer because they can't play for any random club!

Those who run the association should have enough guts not to start bending to implied threats!

[Lone Shark]

I see that nobody down in Laois was listening to the Ken Casey affair - apparently they are separate grades all over again. I notice they don't say what grounds Quigley is appealing on either - just a shot in the dark it appears.


Laois chiefs are confident that star midfielder Brendan Quigley will be cleared to play in Saturday's Leinster under 21 football final against Offaly at Portlaoise.

The Timahoe clubman, who has attracted the interest of AFL club scouts in recent weeks, could be eligible to line-out even if the outcome of Friday night's appeal against his sending off in last Saturday week's NFL Division 1B clash with Armagh isn't successful.

Quigley was issued with a straight red card by Roscommon referee Declan Hunt after a first half brawl involving up to 20 players. He will be accompanied to Friday's Hearing Committee's meeting in Kilkenny by a county board official.

Laois will argue that Quigley's four-week suspension should not apply to the under 21 grade, which would allow him to play against the Faithful County.

[The Real Laoislad]

Laois defeat old rivals to clinch 8th Leinster U21 title

Laois gained back-to-back Cadbury's Leinster Under-21 football titles at O'Moore Park following a hard-fought 0-13 to 1-07 triumph over their midlands rivals Offaly.

A score-hungry Laois side were not exactly accurate in front of the posts in the opening half and with seven wides by the interval, they were certainly living dangerously.

However, the hosts were very much in control at that stage as they held a 0-06 to 1-01 lead but Laois manager Sean Dempsey would have been very much conscious that his side could and perhaps should have been out of sight.

Laois began the game very brightly thanks to points from David Conway and Donal Brennan within the opening eight minutes but a sudden lapse in concentration left them guilty of missed opportunities in front of the posts.

While at the opposite end, a strong full-back line of Brian Meredith, Mark Timmons and team captain Cahir Healy ensured that that Offaly forwards were kept at bay.

The visitors opened their account in the 23rd-minute, with a Thomas Coughlan point, and they were gifted a lifeline when half-forward Sean Ryan of Birr found the net three minutes later.

Laois finished the half strongly with a Craig Rogers point, which gave them a two-point buffer at the interval.

Offaly were a stronger force in the second half and points arrived from Thomas Coughlan, Ken Casey and Stephen Lonergan.

Laois could only add two scores to their tally, leaving the gap at the minimum as the game entered the final quarter.

The visitors looked to have levelled in the 38th-minute when Niall Smith sent the ball between the posts, but the midfielder was adjudged to have picked the ball off the ground by referee Pat Fox and tellingly, just moments later, Laois went two points clear thanks to a third Michael Tierney point.

The O'Moore County youngsters continued to live dangerously in the closing stages with the sides trading points on two occasions, but a fifth point from senior panellist Tierney copper-fastened the win and Laois' eighth provincial title at the age grade.

Filed under: Laois Football