National Hurling League Division Two Final/Laois 2-19 Wicklow 0-7:When hurling flows, be it high summer or in a wintry gale, it reaches a mythical status that leaves all other games in its wake. For every one of those days there are multiple occasions like the curtain-raiser in Thurles yesterday. This Division Two final yet again exemplified the massive gulf in quality between the elite and also-rans.
Offaly are the latest traditional hurling base to slide out the Division One trap-door. Well, that's presuming that decision isn't overturned at committee level.
By right, Laois should be passing their neighbours on the ladder up to Division One but to achieve promotion they must beat Limerick in a play-off on Sunday week before their Leinster championship opener against Offaly in Tullamore.
Not this match or the season just past can be seen as adequate preparation for what comes next. It's like watching an entirely different sport; devoid of the pace and skill levels. During the half-time interval the Waterford hurlers came out to survey the surface. The returning Wicklow players looked like minors beside these physical specimens.
By that stage a Laois victory was already secure, 0-11 to 0-4, and it appeared merely a matter of how much James Young could post before time ran out.
Young finished with 0-10, four from play, in yet another display of high-grade shooting. The Tinnahinch man belongs on the elite hurling plain. If born a few miles in another direction he would be a household name nationwide. Willie Hyland proved an able scoring lieutenant with 0-4 off his wily left hand.
Wicklow came into this meeting with an unbeaten record and manager John Mitchell said in midweek the team could compete with the Division One teams. This is a pipe-dream.
Laois manager Damien Fox put defeat to Wicklow in the league down to several of his players "being out until 2.30am" at club dinner dances the night before the fixture.
Wicklow's half back line struggled to put any distance or accuracy on their clearances. It led to several Laois scores.
They had chances, like when Wayne O'Gorman's turn of pace and pass to Gary Doran looked certain to yield an early goal only for a crucial Ciarán Fitzpatrick intervention. Jonathan O'Neill kept them barely ticking over with some decent free-taking but their chief marksman was off colour in open play.
Dual player Leighton Glynn was another to toil admirably in an often bypassed midfield.
The loss of O'Gorman, to a suspected fractured arm, further deflated the forwards' confidence. Wing back Liam Kennedy followed soon after.
It officially became a rout 13 minutes into the second half when John Brophy shot to the net to punish several pitiful attempts to clear the Wicklow lines. The inability to find the target up the other end was equally terrible - 12 wides in the second-half alone.
The contest ended meekly with Laois pulling away - thanks to a Noel Costello goal - but this is the last stroll they will experience for some time.
LAOIS: P Mullaney; B Campion, D Rooney, C Fitzpatrick; M McEvoy, M Whelan, C Dunne; J Fitzpatrick, S Dollard; W Hyland (0-4), J Young (0-10, six frees), J Brophy (1-0); Joe Phelan (0-1), T Fitzgerald, Jason Phelan (0-2). Subs: N Costello (1-0) for Joe Phelan (56 mins), P Russell (0-1) for Jason Phelan (62 mins), E Jackman (0-1) for W Hyland (64 mins), D McGill for S Dollard (67 mins), B Ferns for C Fitzpatrick (70 mins).
WICKLOW: T Finn; E O'Neill, G Keogh, W Collins; G Birmingham, J Murphy, L Kennedy; L Glynn, D Moran; J O'Neill (0-4, four frees), D Hyland (0-1), G Doran; S Furlong, W O'Gorman, S Kelly. Subs: A Tiernan (0-2) for W O'Gorman (32 mins), E Kearns for J O'Neill (33-35 mins, temp), A Furlong for L Kennedy (half-time) , B Stones for D Moran (45 mins), J Keogh (0-1, one free) for S Kelly (57 mins), E Sullivan for G Doran (60 mins).
Referee: S McMahon (Clare).
