Joe McDonagh Cup: Laois make sure of Final berth

Joe McDonagh Cup

LAOIS 1-29 LONDON 0-19

By Barry McEvoy at McGovern Park

Laois officially confirmed their spot in June's Joe McDonagh Cup final against Carlow with a comfortable twelve point victory in uncomfortable conditions in McGovern Park, Ruislip this afternoon.

This was the O'Moore men's second visit to face London this year having also made the journey across the Irish Sea back in March in the NHL.

London were promoted to the Joe McDonagh Cup for the first time after winning the Christy Ring Cup last year but with five losses from five in the championship, they have been subjected to relegation and straight back to the Christy Ring for 2027.

The sun shone high and the temperature soared to thirty degrees with barely a breeze in the air, making conditions extremely tough for both sets of players.

Aaron Dunphy got Laois off the mark in the first minute and Jack Kelly followed to double the lead before replies from Ronan McGrady and Dylan Dawson brought the teams level.

Laois upped the tempo after the early trades and went on to strike four points in succession with James Keyes, Cillian Dunne, Kelly and Dunphy all on target before a reply from McGrady with his second free.

The Laois lead was increased to six points with Dunphy, Mark Dowling and Gearoid Lynch all splitting the posts successfully.

The teams traded a brace of scores each with Dowling and Keyes on the mark for Laois in reply to Dawson and Paul Kennedy, and Laois held a six point lead when Caymon Flynn called the water break.

London responded the better of the two after the break with a quick trio of scores via a McGrady brace and a brilliant long range strike from Jack Morrissey.

Martin Phelan hit back with a wonderful score from the right wing before Dunphy landed a free and Kelly hit his third point from play.

McGrady and Dunphy traded a brace of frees before half time and Laois held a 0-16 to 0-10 lead.

Dunphy again opened the scoring after the break with a good strike from play, but the Exiles came out strong with the next four scores in a row.

McGrady struck two frees either side of scores from play by Conor Byrne and Jack Loughnane.

Laois came back harder at the hosts with two from Dunphy followed by an excellent brace from Corby on the left wing and Cillian Dunne batted over an audacious effort after Jack Kelly was denied a goal.

Laois held a seven point lead at the second half water break after a couple of scores from McGrady and Morrissey cut the gap slightly.

Castletown duo Martin Phelan and Ryan Mullaney both pointed excellently from play after the break and Dunphy brought his tally to eleven with his sixth free.

Fionan Mahoney pointed after coming off the bench and he was replied to by subs Evan Kelly and Donnacha Leahy.

There was time for two more scores from Dunphy frees before a brilliant second half display from Laois was capped off with a goal.

Substitute Ben Conroy made a driving run through the heart of the London defence and handed the ball outside to Cillian Dunne who finished from a tight angle with the final score of the game.

Laois scorers: Aaron Dunphy 0-13 (eight frees), Cillian Dunne 1-2, Jack Kelly 0-3, James Keyes 0-2, Mark Dowling 0-2, Martin Phelan 0-2, Aidan Corby 0-2, Gearoid Lynch 0-1, Ryan Mullaney 0-1, Fionan Mahoney 0-1.

London scorers: Ronan McGrady 0-9 (eight frees), Jack Morrissey 0-3 (one free), Dylan Dawson 0-2, Paul Kennedy 0-1, Jack Loughnane 0-1, Conor Byrne 0-1, Evan Kelly 0-1, Donnacha Leahy 0-1.

London: Mark Kilgannon; Barry Morrissey, Adam Cunney, Niall Fitzgerald; Jack Loughnane, Jack Morrissey, Stephen Whelan; Rory Lodge, Fionn Whelan; Noah Quinlan, Ronan McGrady, Conor Byrne; Dylan Dawson, Paul Kennedy, Tom Hanifin. Subs: Ben Herlihy for F Whelan (ht), Denis O'Farrell for Hanifin (37), Philip Lavin for S Whelan (45), Evan Kelly for Quinlan (52), Donnacha Leahy for Kennedy (55)

Laois: Eoin Reilly; Diarmaid Conway, Padraig Delaney, Cody Comerford; Lee Cleere, Fiachra C Fennell, Ryan Mullaney; Gearoid Lynch, Aidan Corby; Martin Phelan, Jack Kelly, Aaron Dunphy; Mark Dowling, Cillian Dunne, James Keyes. Subs: Padraic Dunne for Conway (15, inj), Fionan Mahony for Corby (52), Cormac Byrne for J Keyes (52), Eoin Gaughan (Camross) for Delaney (56), Ben Conroy (Slieve Bloom) for Phelan (67), Ian Shanahan (Ballinakill) for Mullaney (blood, 70)

Referee: Caymon Flynn (Westmeath)