Joe McHugh Cup final: Kildare 2-26 Laois 1-19
The highs and lows of hurling. Only seven weeks ago, Brian Dowling questioned his ability as a manager after Kildare’s Joe McDonagh Cup round one defeat to Kerry.
They had been desperate for a win to end their awful record in the competition but slipped to a ninth defeat in nine games across three campaigns.
Now, Kerry are coming to terms with relegation while Kildare are the champions. A remarkable mid-season turnaround was capped with a terrific final performance at Croke Park.
In truth, Kildare were fortunate to be level with Laois at half-time, 0-11 to 0-11, considering all the chances the O’Moore County failed to take.
Inside Gaelic Games: The weekly GAA newsletter from The Irish Times
Conor McManus: Here’s my ranking of the top 12 counties going into the knockouts
Croke Park to host two double-headers as weekend fixture details confirmed
Lousy game-management, too few scorers - what Mayo, Derry and the Rossies can teach the teams that remain
When Ben Conroy bundled home a Laois goal seconds after the restart, leaving the 2024 runners-up three points ahead and with momentum on their side, it looked ominous.
Kildare’s response, just like that turnaround after the Kerry game, was very impressive. From there, they outscored the favourites by 2-15 to 0-8 to win by a 10-point margin.
Substitute Jack Travers and Jack Sheridan grabbed the goals, while free-taker David Qualter finished with 0-13. But it was one giant collective effort from a team that appeared noticeably fitter as the game wore on. Cian Boran stood tall at the centre of a brilliant defensive effort.
Kildare will host Dublin in an All-Ireland preliminary quarter-final next weekend, while Laois, beaten in the final for the second year in a row, will play Tipperary.
All of which seemed highly unlikely after that Kildare loss to Kerry.
“That was one of the worst dressingrooms I’ve ever been in,” said Dowling. “I didn’t know what to say to the lads. It was hard to say anything. I questioned my own ability as a manager, you know. [You’re thinking] where do you go from here? What do you do?”
I don’t know how many times we went wide on the near post; it definitely hurt us
— Tommy Fitzgerald
Kildare met up on the Tuesday evening afterwards, traded “a few home truths between ourselves, as players and management” and resolved to do better.
Five wins later, they have achieved something special. Next year, they will compete in the Leinster Senior Hurling Championship for the first time since 2004.
That will take Dowling, a former Kilkenny senior player and county camogie manager, into direct opposition with his own county.
“I definitely didn’t think of that when I took on the job,” he said with a shrug.
Laois will despair at back-to-back final defeats. They will inevitably focus on their wasteful first half when they hit 11 wides, dropped five score attempts short and had a shot at goal saved.
It left them on level terms with Kildare when they should have been well ahead.
“I don’t know how many times we went wide on the near post; it definitely hurt us,” said Laois manager Tommy Fitzgerald.
The Conroy goal straight off the second-half throw-in, following a great run by Paddy Purcell, left Laois three clear and presented an opportunity to impose their authority.
But they were outplayed and outfought from there on by a well coached and ravenous Kildare team that produced a stunning second half.
Travers’s first goal summed up Kildare’s desire as Darragh Melville furiously turned over a Laois defender and passed to Sheridan, whose shot was blocked out to Travers to strike home.
Sheridan grabbed the second goal himself, shrugging off a jersey pull and darting beyond Ryan Mullaney before rifling low to the net.
KILDARE: P McKenna; R Hogan, R Boran, D O’Meara; P Dolan (0-1), C Boran, S Leacy (0-1); D Guerin, C McCabe; C Dowling, J Sheridan (1-4), D Qualter (0-13, 11f, 1 65); D Melville, J Burke (0-2), G Keegan (0-3).
Subs: J Travers (1-1) for Dowling (59 mins); M Curtin (0-1) for McCabe (64); C Kehoe for Melville, L O’Reilly for Dolan (both 69); O Lynam for Keegan (72).
LAOIS: C Dunne; F C Fennell (0-1), J Walshe, C Comerford; P Delaney (0-2, 2f), L Cleere (0-1), D Conway; A Corby, J Keyes (0-2); P Purcell (0-2), T Keyes (0-6, 5f), D Dooley; M Dowling, J Quinlan, B Conroy (1-2).
Subs: A Dunphy for T Keyes (54 mins); P Dunne for Comerford (60); J Duggan (0-1) for Dowling (62); R Mullaney for Walsh (64); PJ Scully (0-2, 1f) for Conroy (66).
Referee: M Kennedy (Tipperary).
