Carlow’s journey to the hallowed turf of Croke Park ended in heartbreak on Saturday afternoon as Laois claimed the Joe McDonagh Cup with a 1-27 to 1-18 victory.
The Barrowsiders travelled to headquarters dreaming of a third Joe McDonagh title, while close rivals Laois made the familiar trip up the M7 with ambitions of their own. After months of hard work, both counties arrived in Dublin with silverware on the line.
Carlow made the brighter start and had their supporters roaring when James Doyle found the net early in the contest. It was the perfect opening for Pat Bennett’s side and gave them a platform to build on.
Laois responded impressively, reeling off five points in succession to settle themselves and ensure the game developed into the tight, hard-fought battle many had expected.
The sides traded scores throughout much of the afternoon, with Carlow refusing to let the game slip away. However, a series of missed opportunities proved costly as the Barrowsiders struggled to convert chances that had served them so well throughout the campaign.
With the game finely balanced entering the final quarter, Laois forward Cillian Dunne struck for a crucial goal that swung momentum back in his side’s favour. Even then, Carlow remained within touching distance and trailed by just a single score heading into the closing stages.
But as the clock ticked down, Laois found another gear. They finished strongly in injury time, punishing Carlow’s missed chances to pull clear and secure the trophy.
After the final whistle, Carlow manager Pat Bennett pointed to his side’s shooting statistics as the defining factor.
“I think 23 wides says it all. We haven’t done that all year. We panicked a little bit with the ball.
“You are not going to win a final doing that.”
Despite the disappointment, Bennett could not hide his pride in a group that many had written off before a ball was struck this season.
“In saying that, they never gave up; I’m so proud of those guys.
“Ok we didn’t win, but if you look at the stats, it was down to our shooting, what we did, not what Laois did.”
The Carlow boss also reflected on how far the team had come in his first year in charge.
“The guys are gutted, and I am so proud of them. All year everyone was saying, will you be able to stay in the Joe Mac?
“Laois and Antrim were favourites, we weren’t given a prayer.”
