Joe McDonagh Cup: Dunphy inspires Laois

Joe McDonagh Cup

Laois 4-28 Down 0-27

By Alan Hartnett at Laois Hire O'Moore Park

Laois edged closer to a third Joe McDonagh Cup final in a row after they defeated Down.

Tommy Fitzgerald's men weren't at their best, but it was still good enough to beat Down on a day when Stephen 'Picky' Maher became Laois's all-time leading scorer in the championship.

The Clough-Ballacolla man scored eight points in his 50 minutes on the field and he now holds the record with 216 points.

The other significant performance came from Borris-Kilcotton's Aaron Dunphy, who finished with 3-5 - including a second half hat trick.

The win means that as long as Laois avoid defeat against London next Sunday, they will face Carlow in the final in June.

Down are all but out of the running now as they will need to beat Westmeath, hope Laois lose to London and Antrim beat Carlow - and gain a huge points difference swing too.

Down hit the front in the opening minute thanks to a Pearse Og McCrickard free, but Laois replied with six unanswered points - all from play.

Stephen Maher registered two of those while Martin Phelan, Tomas Keyes, Ben Conroy and Cillian Dunne followed suit.

McCrickard replied with a free, but Laois were eight points up by the 15th minute thanks to Keyes, Maher and Phelan.

Daithi Sands, Tom McGrattan and McCrickard then got Down back into it with their first scores from play.

Aaron Dunphy's first score in the 20th minute meant that all of Laois's forwards had scored by that stage with Aidan Corby and a 65 from Maher making it 0-14 to 0-5.

However, Down were much the better side in the remaining 15 minutes and reduced Laois's lead substantially.

Pearse Og McCrickard led the way as he finished the half with seven in total, while Cahal Coleman and Tim Prenter also pointed.

Aaron Dunphy ended the half on a high for Laois with a score as his side took a 0-18 to 0-11 lead into the interval.

Laois made a brilliant start to the second half as a customary driving run from Tomas Keyes was finished to the net by the Camross man.

Stephen Maher then took his tally to eight points with two frees to make him the highest scoring Laois hurler in championship history overtaking James Young of Clonaslee-St Manman's.

Down rallied after that with points from McCrickard and Tom McGrattan cutting the gap to eight but Laois finished the tie as a contest in the 52nd minute.

Martin Phelan won a long ball and fed Aidan Corby who picked out Aaron Dunphy on the run and his shot was too powerful for Down keeper Pearce Smyth.

And he repeated the trick four minutes later when he finished smartly after a neat pass from sub James Keyes.

The Borris-Kilcotton man then completed his hat-trick after another sub, Jack Kelly, picked him out with a long ball and he slotted the ball into the bottom corner.

The sides traded points from there as Laois triumphed.

Scorers for Laois: Aaron Dunphy 3-5 (2fs), Stephen Maher 0-8 (3fs, 1 65), Tomas Keyes 1-2, Aidan Corby and Martin Phelan 0-3 each, David Dooley and James Keyes 0-2 each, Cillian Dunne, Jack Kelly and Ben Conroy 0-1 each.

Scorers for Down: Pearse Og McCrickard 0-15 (7fs), Tom McGrattan 0-3 (1f), Tim Prenter, Finn Turpin and Daithi Sands 0-2 each, Barry Trainor, Cahal Coleman and Paul Sheehan (65) 0-1 each.

Laois: Eoin Reilly; Ian Shanahan, Fiachra C-Fennell, Lee Cleere; Ciaran McEvoy, Padraig Delaney, Ryan Mullaney; David Dooley, Aidan Corby; Martin Phelan, Stephen Maher, Aaron Dunphy; Ben Conroy, Cillian Dunne, Tomás Keyes.

Subs: Diarmaid Conway for McEvoy (HT), Mark Dowling for Conroy (44), James Keyes for Maher and Jack Kelly for Dunne (both 52), Padraic Dunne for Shanahan (59)

Down: Pearce Smyth; Ronan Smyth, Ruairi McCrickard, Ben Teggart; Barry Trainor, Caolan Taggart, Niall McFarland; Donal Hughes, Tim Prenter; Pearse Og McCrickard, Finn Turpin, Daithi Sands; Tom McGrattan, Ronan Beatty, Cahal Coleman.

Subs: Shea Pucci for Beatty (47), Owen McDermott for Coleman (53), Paul Sheehan for Hughes (58), Tom Murray for Smyth (63).

Referee: Colm McDonald (Antrim).