Brennan too slick for city boys

All-Ireland MFC final replay: Laois 2-10 Dublin 1-9 It was a case of sweet revenge for Laois as they convincingly won their third minor All-Ireland title, at Dr Cullen Park yesterday.

For Dublin, after beating them in the Leinster final, this defeat is that much more difficult to swallow. Several obstacles hindered them from the outset.

Their top scorer all year, Aidan Relihan, had to cry off with flu, while wing back Donnacha Reilly was another late withdrawal through injury.

However, the main problem was the manner of the Laois performance in this replayed final, in particular the wizardry of Donal Brennan and the towering all-round play of Colm Kelly of St Joseph's.

The vital period came midway through the second half when Kelly blasted to the back of the net after Peter McNulty had picked him out after an unstoppable run to stretch the lead to 2-7 to 0-7.

Dublin simply had no response.

It had been coming, though. Moments earlier, Kelly was denied what seemed a certain goal after a superb save from Dublin goalkeeper Kieran Walsh.

Walsh also denied Laois a minute into the second half when he got down well to stop a penalty from Colm Kelly, namesake of his fellow forward, after McNulty was bundled over by Willie Lowry.

Seán Dempsey, in his first year at the helm of the this young Laois side - they have seven players returning next year - paid tribute to the work-rate of his charges and the vital first goal from Brennan.

"The goal was great," he said "Not only was it a goal but it put us ahead and it made Dublin push themselves very hard, which they did.

"Donie (Brennan) is not the biggest fella in the world, as you see, but he is well able to operate in tight spaces and he is very clever with the ball. He took it well."

Dublin's main source of scores was Kevin Leahy - he landed six points in total - and John Coughlan was excellent at midfield, but the outstanding player on display was undoubtedly Brennan.

The lightweight forward was surprisingly moved into full forward in the drawn encounter two weeks ago, but the tactical switch paid off as his pace caused the Dublin captain Kian Cleere plenty of problems.

It was the same again yesterday as he stole a yard on him before squeezing his shot in at Kieran Walsh's near post for the opening goal in the sixth minute.

At the end of the first half Laois should have led by more than one point, 1-4 to 0-6. Five wides, to Dublin's two, kept it close but the signs of what was to come were there.

Cleere was eventually switched on to Colm Kelly, of St Joseph's, where things hardly improved, but at least the pace of Brennan was off his mind.

Aidan Downes took up the task of containing Brennan but within seconds he had lost him. It was a let-off of sorts as his shot flew over the bar.

The second half passed Ciarán O'Hare's side by as they failed to put in the sort of performance that enabled them to see off Laois on July 20th in the Leinster final.

"There was a huge crowd out there," he said. "The intensity is unbelievable for the players and you're going to make mistakes when you are put under pressure.

"Their (Laois) work-rate is unbelievable. They really worked us around the pitch. We made mistakes and they capitalised on it. Their forwards got the better of our defence." he added.

Laois were unfazed by the penalty miss with Michael Tierney striking over a 45 immediately after. Then Kelly displayed some magnificent fielding to set up Brennan for his second point.

The crushing second goal arrived soon after and sparked a plethora of replacements from Dublin, including James Brogan who had missed most of the season with a cruciate injury.

Brogan scored the Dublin goal on the hour mark but by that stage Tierney and captain Craig Rogers had supplied the insurance scores to send the majority of the 16,000 crowd into a frenzy - something the people of Laois are getting to be very familiar with.

LAOIS: C Gorman; C Healy, C Ryan, R Stapleton; P O'Leary, C Begley, N Donagher; B Quigley, C Rogers (0-1); C Bergin (0-1), C Kelly (Stradbally), P McNulty (0-2); M Tierney (0-4, three frees, 45), D Brennan (1-2), C Kelly (St Joseph's, 1-0). Subs: I Fleming for C Kelly (60 mins); D Murphy for M Tierney (63 mins).

DUBLIN: K Walsh; A Downes, K Cleere (0-1), W Lowry; C Murtagh, G Brennan, I Ward; B Phelan, J Coughlan; M Vaughan (0-1), F Fitzgerald, G O'Meara; J O'Hara, K Leahy (0-6, three frees), B Kennedy (0-1, free). Subs: J Brogan (1-0) for J O'Hara (39 mins); D Walsh for A Downes (48 mins); M Hallows for C Murtagh (52 mins); W Moore for F Fitzgerald (56 mins).

Referee: M Hughes (Tyrone).