Champs must try again

Reigning Laois SHC champions Rathdowney-Errill played out a thrilling draw with Clough-Ballacolla.

In a repeat of last year’s epic two-game series, Clough-Ballacolla needed a point in the final minute of normal time to force the replay, after an exhilarating game that finished 1-20 to 2-17 in O’Moore Park.

Rathdowney-Errill got off to the better start and raced into a 0-4 to 0-1 lead after five minutes thanks to a couple of points from Darren King. Clough-Ballacolla were struggling to get a foothold in the game, but they roared into life a minute later when Stephen Maher’s precise pass set Willie Dunphy up for the first goal of the game. Two minute later they had another, as Willie Hyland thumped a 21m free to the net and led 2-2 to 0-4.

What followed was an exhibition of scoring from Rathdowney-Errill. Led by the peerless Darren King, they started to pick off points from all angles and distances and were level within ten minutes, at 0-10 to 2-4.

The points kept coming as King led the charge and things got even better when his brother Ross goaled just before half time to leave them 1-15 to 2-7 up at half time.

Clough-Ballacolla came back at them in the second half and, led by Willie Hyland, chipped away at their lead until they went ahead with 13 minutes left to play. They couldn’t hold on though and must do it again, with the fixture yet to be confirmed.

In the other quarter-final, Portlaoise got their campaign back on track with a 2-15 to 1-6 win over Castletown-Slieve Bloom on Saturday night.