Clare 0-27
Laois 3-17
CLARE PICKED UP their first championship victory under Brian Lohan, defeating Laois in the first round qualifier at Nowlan Park.
Laois were in the game right until the finish. Aaron Dunphy’s 67th minute goal, their third of the game, brought Eddie Brennan’s side back to within three points and setting up a cagey final few minutes.
Paddy Purcell and Mark Kavanagh reduced the deficit to a single point in the fourth minute stoppage-time, but Clare held out to seal the win.
Clare shot 0-27 yet hit 12 wides and Brian Lohan will be disappointed at conceding three goals to a side that were competing in the Joe McDonagh Cup a year ago.
They will face a step up in quality next weekend in the Round 2 backdoor tie against either Tipperary, Wexford or Cork/Dublin.
Both sides in Kilkenny were coming back off the back of convincing provincial defeats. Laois were outgunned by Dublin while a Tony Kelly masterclass couldn’t prevent the Banner from falling to Limerick.
Kelly continued his impressive scoring run, firing over 0-13 to compliment the 0-17 he shot against Limerick. Once again Clare were heavily dependent on their star forward, though Cathal Malone and Aron Shanagher also impressed.
Laois were buoyed by the return of Rathdowney Errill pair Jack Kelly and Mark Kavanagh to the starting team, but the former was taken off by the break.
Eddie Brennan’s side lost key forward Ross King forced off with an injury in the first-half, but not before his seventh minute goal helped them into a 1-1 to 0-3 lead.
As ever, Kelly led the Clare charge. His personal tally amounted to ten points in the opening period, easing the Banner seven clear by the interval.
But Clare lost David McInerney to a red card shortly before the break, and Laois took full advantage of their extra man in the third quarter. In the eight minutes after half-time, Laois fired 1-4.
The goal arrived from James Keyes and left the underdogs trailing by 0-18 to 2-10 after 43 minutes. Clare registered five scores in quick succession to reassert their dominance by the water break.
Though Dunphy’s late goal set-up a cagey finale, the pre-game favourites held out.
It wasn’t a vintage Clare performance, but they got the job done.
Scorers for Clare: Tony Kelly 0-13 (0-9f), Aron Shanagher 0-3, Ryan Taylor, David McInerney, Cathal Malone and Seadna Morey 0-2 each, Rory Hayes, Aidan McCarthy (0-1f) and Colin Guilfoyle 0-1 each.
Scorers for Laois: Mark Kavanagh 0-6 (0-3f, 0-1 sideline), Ross King 1-2, James Keyes and Aaron Dunphy 1-1 each, Willie Dunphy and Paddy Purcell 0-2 each, Jack kelly, Padraig Delaney and Ciaran McEvoy 0-1 each.
Clare
1. Eibhear Quilligan (Feakle)
2. Rory Hayes (Wolfe Tones)
3. Conor Cleary (St Joseph’s Miltown)
4. Paul Flanagan (Ballyea)
5. Stephen O’Halloran (Clarecastle)
6. Aidan McCarthy (Inagh-Kilnamona)
7. Seadna Morey (Sixmilebridge)
8. David McInerney (Tulla – captain)
9. Tony Kelly (Ballyea)
10. Colin Guilfoyle (Newmarket on Fergus)
11. David Reidy (Éire Óg)
12. Cathal Malone (Sixmilebridge)
13. Shane O’Donnell (Éire Óg)
14. Aron Shanagher (Wolfe Tones)
15. Ryan Taylor (Clooney-Quin)
Subs
Shane Golden for Reidy (53)
Diarmuid Ryan for Guilfoyle (56)
Gary Cooney for Taylor (62)
Aaron Cunningham for Shanagher (67)
Laois
1. Enda Rowland (Abbeyleix)
2. Lee Cleere (Clough Ballacolla)
3. Sean Downey (Ballinakill)
4. Donnchadh Hartnett (Mountmellick)
5. Jack Kelly (Rathdowney Errill)
6. Padraig Delaney (The Harps)
7. Ryan Mullaney (Castletown)
8. Fiachra C Fennell (Rosenallis)
18. Eric Killeen (Rathdowney Errill)
10. Aaron Dunphy (Borris in Ossory Kilcotton)
11. Willie Dunphy (Clough Ballacolla)
12. James Keyes (Colt Shanahoe)
13. Mark Kavanagh ((Rathdowney Errill)
14. Ross King (Rathdowney Errill)
21. Colm Stapleton (Borris-Kilcotton)
Subs
Patrick Purcell for King (23)
Stephen Maher for Kelly (ht)
Ciaran McEvoy (0-01) for Killeen (49)
Conor Phelan for Downey (66)
Mark Hennessy for Maher (70)
Referee: Thomas Walsh (Waterford)
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