All-Ireland MFC Quarter-final refixture/Laois 1-10 Cork 0-6: A huge disappointment for the mischievous types in the sizable crowd who like their football garnished with the sort of carry on that caused this All-Ireland minor football quarter-final tie to be refixed for Thurles yesterday.
The GAC's action in imposing suspensions in the wake of the scenes that marred the original meeting had a good affect. Players and officials alike were on their best behaviour, not even a handbag in sight. Laois were convincing winners of a lopsided game during which four yellow cards for minor offences was as close as it got to the dust-up of the abandoned tie.
Laois manager Seán Dempsey is hoping he will have a full panel to pick from for next Sunday's semi-final clash with Kerry in Croke Park. The Games Administration Committee of the GAA will deal with five separate appeals by Dempsey's players for suspensions to be lifted this morning.
Donal Brennan, who turned in a five-star performance at full forward, was not available for a personal hearing at the GAC's meeting on Saturday and will appear before the committee today. Brennan had been left on the bench when the team was named -earlier in the week, pending Saturday's GAC meeting that did not materialise. He replaced Joe Delaney from the start and proved a major influence among the Laois front-runners.
The title holders, with seven of last year's team, based their win on a sparkling show of scoring power during the two minutes added on before the interval. Slick and ambitious moves had marked Laois's forward play up to this without much to show for it on the scoreboard. Cork, with less opportunities, had somehow stayed in contention on level scores (0-4 apiece) with 30 minutes on the clock. Then the Laois machine moved into top gear with Brennan edging his side in front with a spectacular point. Ian Fleming and David Conway tacked on rapid points before Fleming squeezed in a great goal off a Michael Tierney pass. Laois were ahead by 1-7 to 0-4 at half-time.
Cork, against the wind in the second half, struggled badly and were suckers for counter-attacks. Most crucial of all was their failure to register a score for more than half an hour - during the last 15 minutes of the first half and throughout the first 15 minutes of the second half.
LAOIS: C Munnelly; C Healy, M Timmins, B Meredith; K Smith, C Begley, N Donagher; E Butler, C Rogers; S O'Neill (0-1), I Fleming (1-1), S O'Leary; M Tierney (0-2, frees), D Brennan (0-3), D Conway (0-3). Sub: D Reddin for O'Leary (57 mins).
CORK: Ken O'Halloran; S O'Donoghue, Kevin O'Halloran, K Harrington; E Cadogan, N Horgan, S Keohane; F Gould, C Keane (0-1); P Kerrigan, C Callanan (0-1), D Crowley; D Goulding (0-3, two frees), A Concannon, K Canty (0-1). Subs: F Lynch for Concannon (half-time), G O'Shea for Keohane (half-time), D Limerick for Harrington (35 mins), R Leahy for Kerrigan (45 mins), D McCarthy for Crowley (50 mins).
Referee: G Kinneavy (Roscommon).
