SFC 2026

[Jd]

Courtwood were poor yesterday and Port punished them but to suggest that they are a poor team is unfair. Last year they beat 2 of the last three co championship winners this year they added another 2. No div 2 club played in championship won div 1 outright. I don't know Mark Bates and have never spoken to the man but to suggest that he is a bluffer smacks of jealousy and bitterness. I think Courtwood and Bates  deserve great credit for where they are as the second most consistent senior team in Laois from what I think is a small enough catchment area. Congratulations to Portarlington 6 out of seven is almost Portlaoise like dominance.

[Saint 1963]

Courtwood are a very good side and can rightly be proud of being no 2 in the County for the second year running but Stradbally kicked 18 wides against them and lost by 2. Joseph's had 40 scoring attempts and kicked 20 wides and also lost by 2.
Port were never going to be beaten by a team who gave away that many chances to the opposition!

[SCFC]

As predicted, Port just had far too much for Courtwood. They are an excellent team within the county and it would be great to see them push on and make some strides in Leinster. Both Murphys were excellent. Moore did a lot of damage even though clearly not fully fit. Already difficult to see who can beat Port next year! Hard to make a case for any of the other 13 teams.
Disappointing day for Courtwood but let's be honest here - they are punching way above their weight and fair play to them. Reaching two county finals in a row is actually incredible for such a small club. Town clubs like Portlaoise, Graiguecullen, Mountmellick should be embarrassed to be behind the likes of Courtwood and Killeshin. 

[Laois Rising]

Another really poor quality Laois senior championship comes to a predictable end. This is a very good Portarlington team but it is a sad reflection on where Laois football is at that we don't have three or four very competitive Laois teams in the mix that can consistently challenge them. Ballyroan-Abbey looked like they had the makings of a really good side after their u20 successes and it quiet hasn't clicked for them. Joseph's have on paper probably the next best team in the county but fell short again this year of expectation. Graigue, Emo and Stradbally all had some pretty poor performances in this year's championship. Portlaoise' next generation of young players sadly still have a long way to go if want to regain former glories. Killeshin and Courtwood punching above their weight was great to see but seeing how they lost their semi-finals and final respectively it more a case of them beating poor or wasteful teams as opposed to them being at a very high competitive level themselves.     

[Laoisman456]

Any ideas on how the Laois u20 championship will go or how each team is fixed?

[redsetanta]

I think both minor and senior finals disappointed the way they went. They were both over long before the final whistle.
I would agree that the standard of football is poor currently and the fact that Portarlington are so far ahead doesn't help. It's been like this for a while though. Portlaoise had years of dominance and it was a small rural club, Kilcruise, that tried break the dominance.
Looking at the Westmeath county final was like chalk and cheese. Two very competitive teams driving each other on and some of the scoring was exceptional.
Westmeath would be very close us over the years but led by their schools they are well ahead of us at the moment.

[El Jefe]

I'd imagine that if Courtwood do happen to win then Leinster will be the last thing on their minds out in them parts.
Courtwood to squeak home by 2

Leinster last thing on their mind, Port played the perfect game all Courtwood wanted was a free outside of the arch, fairly embarrassing performance from them no point from play in 2nd half and no point from an outfield player apart from the GK, That just shows Courtwood only where they are because of a Byron's points and lucky draws, there a lucky team and bates is a pure bluffer. Thank f**k they've been found out..

Written by someone obviously wouldn't know a football if it landed on top of their head.
You're talking about a club who was playing in the Junior Championship 12 years ago. Won Intermediate 7 years ago. Lucky draws? They beat Stradbally, Ballyroan and St Joseph's on the way to back to back finals. Have a second team playing in Division 7 and at Junior C level. Took Port to a replay last year, were level at half time this year and still level with 20 minutes to go. All this while missing 5 players from last years team while already having a small squad. Not bad for a team who have been "found out".
And on Bates, he's one of the most highly rated young managers around who has just been appointed Laois U20 manager. He'll be a senior intercounty manager somewhere in time.
Quite possibly one of the most idiotic posts ever written here.
Fair play to Port. Well deserved again. Hope they do well in Leinster but they'll have to improve hugely on last years showing.
Just one point on the game. Port would still have gone on to win but Cooney threw up the ball when it should have been a free to Courtwood when Coffey overcarried on the ground. Clear as day free. Port won it, Fitzpatrick kicked a two pointer. They then won the kickout, ball into Murphy, goal. 5 points in a minute from what was a courtwood free and a goal that was actually 7 steps. Like I said, think Port were still heading for the win but one decision put the game to bed very quick.

[LaoisHeritage]

Any ideas on how the Laois u20 championship will go or how each team is fixed?

Stradbally parish gaels will be strong again, same team that won the minor 3 years ago. Annanough have 5 or 6 and stradbally have 3 or 4 starting on their adult team and Timahoe will have a few good lads as well. Portlaoise and Portarlington will be good enough again. Two of them have so many players in general and both will have 3 or 4 players each on the 20s next year. All 3 are in the same group so one will be out in the group stage. Mountmellick parish gaels might be strong as their 3 adult teams seem to be fairly young. Graiguecullen and Joseph's will be hard bet as usual but I reckon stradbally should win it.