In the concluding match of the Division Four campaign, Laois triumphed over Leitrim with a score of 3-14 to 0-9. Leitrim was hoping for their inaugural victory at Croke Park, having played only five times previously at the venue. For a moment, their supporters, who had travelled from the small county of Connacht, saw this aspiration within reach. Andy Moran’s team was only trailing by just two points at the 47th minute.
However, any hope of Leitrim avenging their 2019 final defeat and securing their first league/championship silverware since 1994 quickly evaporated. Paul Kingston scored a point for Laois in response, followed by a goal from Eoin Lowry, extending their lead by six points. Leitrim couldn’t recover from this blow, and from the 48th minute on, they didn’t score, while Laois added an additional 2-6 to their tally.
This was a revengeful victory for Laois, wiping out the unexpected round six defeat they suffered in Portlaoise against the same opponent. Kingston and Lowry both ended with 1-2 each, while the first goal by Laois was courtesy of Ben Dempsey at the 18th minute, putting them in the lead which Leitrim could not overturn.
However, the real hero of the show was Evan O’Carroll, the Laois captain. Playing as a full-forward, he scored six points and was instrumental in setting up the goals for Dempsey and Lowry. His aggressive playing style kept the Leitrim full-back line on their toes.
Laois take this stunning victory into their Leinster SFC opener versus Offaly on April 13. On the other hand, Leitrim has to regroup quickly as they are scheduled to play against Sligo in the Connacht SFC the following weekend, where they will certainly face a stern test. O’Carroll’s dominance in this game was evident from the start; he bypassed advanced marks twice within the first 14 minutes, making intentions clear with attempts at goal each time.
During the first half, Leitrim managed to keep pace, thanks largely to excellent performance from Ryan and Riordan O’Rourke, followed by Mark Plunkett and goaltender Nevin O’Donnell. However, in comparison, Laois seemed to consistently score with less effort, particularly once they fended off a subsequent revival from Leitrim in the third quarter, ultimately deciding the match.
It’s noteworthy that this marks the first trophy for Laois since they also claimed the same title in 2018. The Laois team was composed of K Roche, B Dempsey, J Kelly, E Buggie, B Byrne, M Timmons, S Lacey, K Lillis, D Larkin, K Swayne, E Lowry, S Fitzpatrick, M Barry, E O’Carroll, and P Kingston. The substitutions included S Fingleton for Byrne, C Heffernan for Lillis, R Murphy for Kingston, N Dunne for Fitzpatrick and Dempsey for Swayne.
As for Leitrim, contributions were made by N O’Donnell, C Reynolds, M Diffley, D Casey, J Gilheany, D Wrynn, A Flynn, J Foley, P Dolan, B McNulty, M Plunkett, D Rooney, T Prior, Ryan and Riordan O’Rourke. Their substitutions included, E Sweeney for Reynolds, P Keaney for Prior, S Quinn for Riordan O’Rourke, A Reynolds for Casey and J Rooney for Flynn.
The match was overseen by Referee T Murphy from Galway.