Laois in great shape for Dubs tie
Justin McNulty’s charges are on the back of four straight wins and they will feel they have little to lose. They are playing well and have a nice balance to their side.
Plus, they are in great shape, very well conditioned all over the field. They will be written off in most quarters and the lack of genuine and sustained intensity, work-rate and ruthlessness by Dublin in their victories over Wexford and Meath gives Laois a chink of light.
But....(isn’t there always a but, when talking about the underdog). For me the O’Moore men don’t pack enough punch up front to get a match winning tally against Gilroy’s Dublin. The last time they were Leinster title winners, in 2003, they did beat Dublin 0-16 to 0-14 in the semi-final, but different players, different times.
Pat Gilroy has totally reinvented the Dublin team in the past few seasons and in the individual head-to-heads, I don’t see the Laois forwards having the pace and penetration to trouble Cian O’Sullivan, James McCarthy, Ross O’Carroll, Michael Fitzsimons and company.
No doubt, Ross Munnelly, Colm Kelly, Damien O’Connor are lively forwards, but they won’t get the space they need against the Dublin rearguard.
Dublin hunt in packs and, with Paul Flynn and Bryan Cullen adding extra defensive support, it will be a step up on what the Laois forwards faced last Saturday.
At the other end too Bernard Brogan, Kevin McMananon, Alan Brogan (if fit) and Eoghan O’ Gara (if picked) should have the “X” factor to do the necessary damage.
That said, Laois are into the All-Ireland quarter-finals for the first time since 2006, and are there on merit.
In O’Connor Park against Meath, they were the better team. They adapted to the conditions (wind and rain) a lot better, and at a crucial stage of the game, just after half-time, they had the composure and belief to rattle off three very good points from play into the gale from Billy Sheehan, Damien O’Connor and Pádraig Clancy. That made it 1-12 to 0-5 and Meath never really looked like catching them after that rapid salvo. Had Meath come out and kicked the first few scores after the break, they may have powered on and be heading for Croke Park.
The move of Pádraig Clancy to the midfield area immediately after half-time to augment the power of Brendan Quigley and Colm Begley, who both had a good games, was a good tactical move by Justin McNulty.
It nullified Meath’s attempts to get some early ball and set up a bit of possession for Sheridan and Farrell.
When Laois rattled over those three early points, it hit the Royals hard psychologically.
The other key turning points in the game came in the first-half with a very bad fumble by David Gallagher that gifted Laois a soft penalty the impressive Ross Munnelly nailed.
Ironically, Munnelly was also a big player in another key moment when he buckled, and I mean warped, in a Gaelic context, the tremendously impressive Donal Keoghan.
Munnelly picked up a fully merited yellow card, — one of at least nine – for an at times cynical Laois. But Keoghan was a mammoth loss for his team.
The youngster had been outstanding in the full-back line until his injury and had won a number of key tussles with the Laois forwards.
When Laois went to a two man full-forward line in the second-half, with acres of space in front of Damien O’Connor, Colm Kelly and subsequently MJ Tierney, McEnaney’s best man marker was gone. He was reduced to playing Mickey Burke in the corner and Keoghan’s loss was a definite factor in Laois winning.
Credit to Laois though, they kicked some stunning points from distance in the first-half, with Darren Strong and Munnelly popping over two beauties in particular. They shot 12 points from play as compared to Meath’s meagre three and their forward division played with more cohesion and fluidity than Meath who looked laboured.
Laois have a solid spine and in the likes of Meaney, O’Loughlin, Quigley, Begley, Sheehan and Clancy they are a side that won’t be bullied in the height or power stakes.
