2024 Allianz Hurling League Division 2A – Laois 4-20 Kerry 1-19

Laois defeated Kerry by 4-20 to 1-19 in Round 5 of the Allianz Hurling League Division 2A on Saturday March 16th at Laois Hire O’Moore Park Portlaoise.

Laois overcome slow start to see off Kerry

Report By Alan Hartnett for RTE Sport

Laois warmed up for their league semi-final against Down with a comfortable victory over Kerry at O’Moore Park.

Willie Maher’s charges played with the wind in the first half but struggled initially as Kerry led 0-04 to 0-02 after 15 minutes.

Dan Goggin was particularly impressive at that stage with three points, while Fionan Mackessy also scored from distance against the wind.

Ross King and Podge Delaney had opened the scoring for Laois and it was King who regained the advantage for them in the 16th minute as his mishit shot deceived everyone and ended up in the back of the net.

Ian Shanahan created Laois’s second goal as he won a puckout and surged forward before finding James Duggan, who slammed a shot into the net.

Laois’s third goal came in the 24th minute when Tomas Keyes, who had threatened a few times before that, got space and buried a shot into the top corner.

Aidan Corby, Ryan Mullaney, Willie Dunphy and Stephen Bergin joined the point scoring after that as Laois led 3-12 to 0-08 at the break.

In fairness to Kerry, they stuck at it in the second half and did make a game of it – getting back to within five points near the end.

That endeavour was exemplified by Fionan Mackessy, who drilled a 14 metre-free into the net, while Goggin took his tally to seven points by the end.

However, Laois would finish with a flourish as a second Tomas Keyes goal in injury time settled any doubt over the result, with Laois winning by 10 in the end.

Elsewhere, in the last round of group action, Down enjoyed a 3-19 to 1-16 win over Meath, who finish bottom of the standings with just one win in the campaign.

Scorers
Laois: Ross King 1-07 (0-03 frees), Tomas Keyes 2-03, James Duggan 1-01, Willie Dunphy 0-02, Ryan Mullaney, Podge Delaney, Fiachra C Fennell, Ian Shanahan, Aidan Corby, John Lennon and Stephen Bergin 0-01 each

Kerry: Dan Goggin 0-07, Maurice O’Connor 0-06 (frees), Fionan Mackessy 1-01 (1-00 free), Michael Leane 0-02, Kyle O’Connor, Evan Murphy and Gavin Dooley 0-01 each.

Laois: Cathal Dunne; Padraic Dunne, Ryan Mullaney, Lee Cleere; Fiachra C Fennell, Padraig Delaney, Ian Shanahan; Diarmaid Conway, Aidan Corby; Ross King, James Duggan, John Lennon; Tomas Keyes, Willie Dunphy, Stephen Bergin.
Subs: Donnchadh Hartnett for Conway (44), Eric Killeen for Duggan (45), Podge Lawlor for Shanahan and James Keyes for King (both 60), Bryan Bredin for Lennon (71)

Kerry: Diarmuid Quirke; Fior McCarthy, Daithi Griffin, Kyle O’Connor; Bill Keane, Evan Murphy, Eric Leen; Gavin Dooley, Fionan Mackessy; Killian Hayes, Maurice O’Connor, Dan Goggin; Michael Leane, Tom Doyle, David Woulfe.
Subs: Tomas O’Connor for Doyle and Ronan Walsh for Woulfe (both ht), Morgan Madden for Dooley and Darragh Reen for Hayes (both 58), Seamie Foran for McCarthy (69)

Referee: Conor Doyle (Tipperary)

Ticket Information

🥎 Kerry travel to Laois in Round 5 of the 2024 Allianz Hurling League Division 2A.

TICKETS https://t.co/1laIhyCzMR and in participating Centra & SuperValu stores. #WeAreKerry #CiarraíAbú pic.twitter.com/cThWch2JZx

— Kerry GAA (@Kerry_Official) March 11, 2024