Kildare fall to Laois in Leinster U20 opener

O'Neills.com Leinster U20 Hurling Championship

Laois 1-17

Kildare 0-11

Kildare suffered a nine point defeat at the hands of Laois in the Oneills.com Leinster U20 Hurling Championship at Hawkfield on Friday evening last.

Operating in Tier 2, Group 2 along with Kerry, Carlow and Laois, the final result of Friday evening's game, played in atrocious conditions, strong wind and most of the game played in a downpour, was somewhat harsh on the home side but having said that little doubt the visitors deserved their victory.

Kildare dominated for long periods in the opening half, playing into the Newbridge end with the strong wind in their backs, and while Laois opened the scoring, soon after Kildare took the lead and led throughout the half but it was a lead that always looked precarious and with a mere two point lead t the break the writing was on the wall for Eoin Stapleton's charges.
Padraig Brennan opened for visitors with a pointed free after three minutes.

An appointed score came off the upright saw Killian Harrington's effort pushed out for a 65, which Charlie Sheridan duly fired over to level.

Sheridan, Kildare's main threat both from frees and open play, added a second from play; before missing a free after Laois were pulled up by a somewhat fussy referee for over-carrying; Daire Guerin added a third a Kildare led 0-3 to 0-1 with 11 minutes on the clock.

Laois corner forward, Colin Byrne, got his side's second point.
Kildare hit their third wide, ,a fee, before team captain Ciaran Flanagan found Ciaran Kirwan who stretched the Kildare lead to three points mid-way through.

Alan Goss, who had a fine game at no. 6, found senior player Cian Boran who fired over his only score of the game. and wile Laois hit back with another point from Padraig Brennan, Alan Goss and a Charlie Sheridan free saw Kildare's lead by four but Laois hit two late points from Cody Comerford and a Padraig Brennan free as the half time whistle arrived, Kildare 0-7 Laois 0-5. It could have been greater but for a brilliant save by Laois keeper Brochan O'Reilly who denied Ciaran Kirwan.
Taking the conditions into consideration things did not look very positive for Kildare.

Within four minutes of the resumption the sides were level with points from Colin Byrne and Noah Quinlan and Laois were ahead for the first time since the opening point of the game when Cillian Dunne fired over.

As the sliother was about to be pucked out, referee showed a straight red to Conor O'Grady for an off-the-ball incident to really put the home side under pressure.

However two points from Charlie Sheridan, one free, saw Kildare, regain the lead but it did not last long with Laois firing from over Noah Quinlan, Cathal Cuddy and Cillian Dunne to go two clear on 43 minutes.

Alan Goss replied with a brilliant effort to reduce the gap; Cillian Dunne replied as the intensity levels were upped big time as both sides went at it hammer and tongs.

A fine point from Daire Guerin drew the sides level but that was as good as it tot for Kildare as Laois used their extra man to exert pressure on Kildare and it paid off with a flourish of scores, 1-5 in total without reply, the goal coming in the dying minutes from James Cuddy to leave the full-time score reading Laois 1-17 Kildare 0-11.

Disappointing display from The Lilies, the sending off certainly did not help them but even before than they just did not put enough on the board despite the efforts of Daniel O'Meara, Alan Goss and Charlie Sheridan.

Scorers: Laois, James Cuddy 1-1, Noah Quinlan 0-4, Padraig Brennan 0-3 (2 frees), Cillian Dunne 0-2 (1 free), Cody Comerford 0-1, Cathal Murphy 0-1.
Kildare, Charlie Sheridan 0-5 (2 frees, 65), Daire Guerin 0-2, Alan Goss 0-2, Ciaran Kirwan 0-1 Cian Boran 0-1.

LAOIS: Brochan O'Reilly; Cathal Cuddy, Lawson Obular, Bobby Murphy; Ciaran Flynn, Aaron Phelan, Philip Tynan; Cody Comer-
ford, Tom Cuddy; Jer Quinlan, Padraig Brennan, Noah Quinlan; Cillian Dunne, Cathal Murphy, Colin Byrne. Subs: Brian Duggan for Padraig Brennan (40 minutes) James Cuddy for Cillian Dunne (50 minutes); Cian Conroy for Philip Tynan (60 minutes).

KILDARE: Ben Loughlin (Naas); Evan O'Briain (Naas), Liam O'Reilly (Naas), Conor O'Grady (Maynooth); Sean Gleeson (Celbridge), Alan Goss (Celbridge), Bill Hennessy (Naas); Cian Kirwan (Celbridge), Daniel O'Meara (Maynooth); Ciaran Flanagan cpt (Maynooth), Daire Guerin (Naas), Cian Boran (Naas); Killian Harrington (Naas), Conn Kehoe (Moorefield), Charlie Sheridan (Naas). Subs: Conor Treacy (Celbridge) for Killian Harrington (half-time); Fionn Maher (Naas) for Conn Kehoe (46 minutes).

REFEREE: James McGrath.