Leinster Club Football and Hurling

[Unlaoised]

Just a thread to wish both Portlaoise and Ballacolla the best of luck over the next two weekends.

They are two highly attractive fixtures and both are on our doorstep in Portlaoise.

I think we have a chance in both although Oularth will be hard beaten.

Looking forward to attending both games and hopefully we can get two victories.

[merman]

Best of luck to Clough/Ballacolla tomorrow.

Huge obstacle but a genuine opportunity.
If they have 100% belief and conviction then they might just have the players and panel to cause a bit of an upset.

I'd be hopeful that they have the right blend of forwards to upset Oulart with strength, speed and athleticism in the right areas. Defensively, their full-back line will be under severe scrutiny and they can't afford to concede goals early. I'm really looking forward to seeing Lee Cleere at this level.

Playing in OMP has to count for something and with a favourable weather forecast I hope plenty of Laois supporters get out and follow them and leave the TG4 viewing for the Wexford folk...

[TheGreatGame]

Hard luck to C/B, they gave it their all.  They will feel extremely hard done by for two of the goals as Cleere seemed to be fouled before the first and the penalty was an awful decision by the ref.  They will have regrets looking back at the wide count and the opportunity to progress was certainly there, but they can hold their heads high.  In Cleere and Phelan they have two of the very best young hurlers in the county coming through, and what can be said for John A?  Some man.

[burdizzo]

Oulart were certainly there for the taking, but CB just couldn't take their chances. The third goal was soft, and a killer, as it put them five points up in a tight game. However, I do think the penalty was a penalty - just about. The ball should have been cleared in the corner, anyway.
Hopefully Darren Maher will make himself available for the county next year.

[Giovanni]

Felt sorry for C/B today. They were the better team I thought. Hard to fathom some of the wides though and you don't beat teams like Oulart with that many wides.

The first goal, in particular, was a real sickener. You have a situation where an Oulart player drops a C/B player with a pull back and while the C/B player is on the ground, the Oulart man goes on to make the decisive pass for the goal. This is seen by the umpires and linesmen because the Oulart player subsequently gets a yellow card (it should have been red) but the goal in any case is allowed to stand. In every other game, the play gets called back to the point where the foul was committed. In our game, you can drop lads all you like, you can have whatever advantage this gives you, including a score if any accrues, and only after all that will the offending player be given a meaningless yellow card. I don't get that logic at all to be honest.

[finbar o tool]

agree with the last 3 posts, CB will be kicking themselves when they watch the replay. 13 wides against 4 for Oulart. cant do that at club championship and get away with it. shame. hard luck to them. they will be hard to beat again next year.

[blueandwhite1]

Such a pity. Rare to see a team so dominant generally come out on the wrong side.

[portlaoisekid]

Devastated to see C/B lose, I really fancied them before the match and genuinely believe they left it behind them. OTB were cuter and I suppose that comes from experience and they deserve credit for pulling through. Hopefully C/B learn from this and see that they are well able to compete and beat the best club teams around.

As for the football Sunday, I see it as an extremely tight match between Sarsfields and Portlaoise, by all accounts Sarsfields are extremely confident about beating Portlaoise.  I feel Portlaoise will have to improve greatly to beat them and as with the hurling last Sunday I think goals will decide this game.

[Tobias]

Are portlaoise in the club intermediate hurling championship too?

[burdizzo]

Yes. Don't know who they play, but apparently they have a bye to the semi-final. Trumera are playing this weekend, too - against Brownstown from Westmeath. Seemingly they only lost to Portlaoise by a point in a recent practice match.

[Jimmy P]

Portlaoise are playing Meath Senior champions Kiltale in the semi final. Kiltale are 9/2 second favourites to win Leinster outright and beat Ballinakill in the semi last year before losing by 3 points to Mullinvat of Kilkenny in the final. They ousted Conor McDonalds club of Wexford in the last round and will probably be too strong for Portlaoise. Bennettsbridge are hot favourites to win a second Leinster crown in two years having won the junior equivalent last year and to win junior and intermediate championships back to back in Kilkenny is some achievement. Too long a gap for Portlaoise without any competitive hurling will be their downfall

[Unison]

Well done Portlaoise! It's pretty clear that Malachy McNulty is held in high regard in The Town. Hope ye get to final now!

[Tony]

Healy was unreal. So sad if we don't see him play for Laois footballers next season - not only for laois. He's one of the best footballers in Leinster, and probably the one of the most committed GAA people in the whole country. He's doing everything he can in fairness to get back for the hurlers and portlaoise. Adding Laois senior football to that is lots of course. I think he's chosen the UK to work so that he can be near his girlfriend which is obviously fair enough.

I just think the likes of Healy, Cahilane, Seale, Rodgers, cotter would make a massive difference to the laois squad.

[Unlaoised]

Well done to Portlaoise yesterday they did well to come out of a really big battle .....

It wasn't helped by the Stop start ref that was in charge..

Great to see so many like meself not from Portlaoise getting behind them yesterday...

Hopefully the players will remember that when they are thinking about togging out for Laois

[Tony]

That's true Unlaoised, but sometimes it comes down to priorites. If a lad makes his career and family a priority over playing for Loais, can we really blame him?