Just before kick-off at Portlaoise, the commentator noted that it had been almost a century since Laois and New York had last faced each other on the pitch at the Polo Grounds in the 1930s. As the match neared its 20-minute mark with New York unexpectedly one point ahead, Laois coach Justin McNulty might have yearned for that lengthy hiatus to have been extended.
During that period, New York were leading by one man as a result of Laois’s Shaun Fitzpatrick being dismissed from the game in the 49th minute. New York was in very favourable position to replicate their notable victory against Leitrim in the Connacht SFC the previous year. Regrettably, they lost their hold on the match, scoring only one more point via a free from Killian Butler. In the 58th minute, a game-changing Laois goal was scored by veteran defender Mark Timmons.
This turned the table in favour of Laois by three points. Late scores from Mark Barry and goalkeeper Killian Roche assisted the Division Three champions in securing a 1-13 to 1-9 preliminary quarter-final victory. In total, Laois’s offence outperformed New York’s by 1-3 to 0-1 in the final moments of the game, allowing them to progress to Monday’s quarter-final draw. They will now share bowl one with Wicklow, Limerick and Antrim, all preliminary quarter-final winners, while Kildare, Sligo, Fermanagh and tournament favourites Down will occupy bowl two.
From Laois’s standpoint, they will not be able to rematch Fermanagh due to previous encounters in the group phase, although they could potentially face the formidable Down, who scored eight goals against them in last year’s Croke Park semi-final.
Commenting on the prospective opponents, McNulty stated, “We should not jump to conclusions until we have a clear idea of who we will be up against, then we can start our preparations accordingly.” He voiced his delight over his team’s composed performance in tense moments, particularly when they were a man down. Though admitting that New York’s forceful presence at the front could have put Laois in a difficult position, McNulty expressed satisfaction with how his team remained calm and managed to secure a win.
Alan O’Mara, the manager of the New York team, who just got hitched on Friday, had an unexpected honeymoon in Portlaoise, a scenario which his spouse, who came to watch the match, had not considered. A noteworthy weekend was in store for the ex-Cavan goalkeeper as his squad achieved a half-time lead of 1-6 to 0-8 due to primarily a contribution of 1-1 by Bobby O’Regan from Kerry.
During the third quarter, the point share was distributed evenly, enabling New York to maintain their one-point advantage. Sadly, they were eventually stung by a goal from Timmons. He exploited a mistake in defence, grabbed a loose ball and scored a low goal.
O’Mara reflected on the match stating that this is top level country football and if the minimal gains aren’t in your favour, your team will suffer as theirs did today. Though there’s pride in their performance, there’s also regret and disappointment as they came close but didn’t complete their goal.
The fellow Tailteann Cup All Star, Ruairí McCann, was named the man of the match when Antrim overcame London by 3-11 to 2-10 at Corrigan Park. London scored twice at the start but McCann from Aghagallon answered with a goal making the half-time score 2-2 to 1-5.
In the meanwhile, a victory was scored by Limerick over Tipperary by 1-18 to 1-10 on Saturday, courtesy of 1-3 from Emmet Rigter.
Oisín McConville’s Wicklow shall continue their joyous run with a record seventh championship game following victory over Leitrim by 2-15 to 1-11 at Longford’s Pearse Park.
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