![\"Cillian](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/00247b09-614.jpg\"\/)
\nCillian Dunne celebrates a late point <\/p>\n
Cillian Dunne capped a terrific debut season with 1-06 for Laois who, after final defeats in 2024 and 2025, have finally gotten over the line in a Joe McDonagh Cup decider.<\/p>\n
Laois were just two points ahead with 15 minutes to go when substitute Mark Dowling slapped the ball across to Dunne who pulled straight away and hit the net.<\/p>\n
From there, Laois powered to a landmark final win, reeling off the last six points of the game to secure their place in next season’s Leinster SHC.<\/p>\n
Stephen ‘Picky’ Maher matched rookie Dunne’s scoring heroics at Croke Park with nine points, six of which came from placed balls, while Aaron Dunphy and Jack Kelly, who split six points between them, and substitute James Keyes were all influential across the 70 or so minutes.<\/p>\n
There was a powerful defensive effort from Laois who held a goal-hungry Carlow side – Pat Bennett’s side blasted 17 goals in the group – to just 1-18.<\/p>\n
Laois regretted a high wides count in the previous two finals, when they were beaten, but it was Carlow that rued their wasteful play this time with a whopping 22 wides.<\/p>\n
Carlow also carved out four decent goal chances, aside from the one that James Doyle converted in the second minute, but couldn’t take any of them.<\/p>\n
\nCillian Dunne celebrates a late point <\/p>\n
Carlow returned to a more accustomed lineup having fielded an entirely different team in their final group game against Antrim.<\/p>\n
Two thirds of the team that lost to the Saffrons were on the bench this time while the other third didn’t even make the 26.<\/p>\n
Laois made changes too from the side that started their final round-robin game, a comfortable win over London, with captain David Dooley, Maher, Ben Conroy and Tom\u00e1s Keyes all back in.<\/p>\n
Pundits predicted a cracking encounter given the quality of both teams, and the two forward units in particular.<\/p>\n
And we had two scores registered by the time the game was 30 seconds old, a Marty Kavanagh Carlow point and one from Laois talisman Maher.<\/p>\n
And with just over a minute on the clock, Carlow pounced for an opportunity Doyle goal.<\/p>\n
Laois goalkeeper Eoin Reilly failed to deal with Carlow captain Chris Nolan’s point attempt that dropped short and when the ball broke out to Doyle, he doubled on it to the net.<\/p>\n
Reilly redeemed himself later on, catching a tricky ball on his goal line in the 16th minute and, shortly after, doing well to control a Jack Treacy shot.<\/p>\n
Carlow had two decent goal attempts in the 20th and 23rd minutes that came to nought, Nolan hitting the umpire with the first shot and Donagh Murphy blocked by Podge Delaney with the second.<\/p>\n
Throw in 11 first half wides and you can understand why Carlow left the field frustrated at half time as Laois led 0-13 to 1-07.<\/p>\n
Laois had their wides too, six in all in the half, but Dunne sniped three beauties into the Hill 16 End.<\/p>\n
And the ultra experienced Maher showed all his quality with five points to help open up that three-point advantage at the break.<\/p>\n
Jack Treacy came good in the second half for Carlow with three points but they were always chasing a Laois side, partly because of all the wides they continued to rack up.<\/p>\n
Carlow fail to clear and Cillian Dunne punishes them by hitting the back of the net.<\/p>\n
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