The Minor Football Championship came to a conclusion back in September as Ballyroan-Abbey defeated Portlaoise to claim the cup.
Ballyroan-Abbey were going for their second title in three years after ending a 47 year wait for minor glory in 2018.
They have seven players represented, including one from Rathdowney-Errill who was eligible to play for them as an isolated player.
Defeated finalists Portlaoise have five while Graiguecullen and Na Fianna Og, or Arles-Killeen to be exact, make up the rest of the selection.
Check it out below:
1- Conor Brown (Portlaoise)
A very competent young keeper who has also represented Athlone Town in the League of Ireland.
Brown will be eligible for this grade again next year and will be hoping to nail down the Laois jersey too when that championship begins next year.
2- Sam Quinn (Ballyroan-Abbey)
Sam Quinn is any managers dream because every time he takes to the field he gives a performance.
Simply outstanding throughout the championship for Ballyroan-Abbey and his man marking ability is second to none.
3- Ben Reddin (Portlaoise)
Played the majority of the club championship on the half back line but Reddin is selected here following his performances with Laois.
He is an old school no-nonsense defender who never looks flustered and routinely makes a dispossession or a good block.
4- Matthew Gibney (Ballyroan-Abbey)#
Ballyroan-Abbey did not concede a goal in either the semi final or final this year and a lot of that was down to this young man.
Full back Matthew Gibney marshalled his defence and put his body on the line when required to keep teams out.
5- Shaun Fitzpatrick (Ballyroan-Abbey)
For the third year running, Shaun Fitzpatrick has been named on the minor football team of the year.
The flying wing back is so consistent and he’ll easily make the step up to adult football in 2021.
6- Ben Dempsey (Portlaoise)
Extraordinarily versatile, Dempsey is comfortable on almost every line on the field it would seem.
Played mainly at centre back for Portlaoise but showed with Laois he could operate at wing forward or full back – a trait that will be very useful as he graduates to adult GAA in 2021.
7- Josh Hogan (Portlaoise)
Good in the air, athletic, a tight man marker – there are a lot of things to like about Josh Hogan.
He’s also a remarkably consistent performer who continues to improve with every game he plays.
8- Davin McEvoy (Ballyroan-Abbey)
Man of the match in the county final and deservedly so with the performance he put in in the final quarter in particular.
This is his second minor title to win and he is another who is primed to tackle adult level next year.
9- Lawson Obular (Ballyroan-Abbey)
This Ballyroan-Abbey won U-13, U-14, U-15 and U-17 ‘A’ championships in Laois and this man has had a large hand in all of them.
He has explosive power that is unmatchable really and it will be very interesting to see how his playing career develops from here.
10- Padraig Rafter (Rathdowney-Errill)
There can’t be too many Rathdowney-Errill lads with minor ‘A’ football medals in their back pockets – but that’s what Padraig Rafter has.
He worked tirelessly on the wing for Ballyroan-Abbey all year and proved a massive edition to their team this season.
11- Jack Byrne (Graiguecullen)
Graiguecullen pushed Portlaoise all the way in the semi final and this young man had another stellar year.
Eligible for this grade again in 2021, he will be hoping to nail down a starting place with the Laois minors next season.
12- Colin McEvoy (Portlaoise)
The same goes for Colin McEvoy who is also eligible for this grade in 2021.
His ability to field ball from kick-outs is a very useful tool for any team and his kick passing ability from the half forward line is impressive too.
13- Colin Dunne (Arles-Killeen)
Into the full forward line now where Na Fianna Og’s sole representative Colin Dunne is up next.
The Arles-Killeen man scored freely in all of their games as they reached the semi final this year and he will be a big edition to their senior team in 2021.
14- Aaron Brennan (Ballyroan-Abbey)
Aaron Brennan had a dream county final and when Ballyroan-Abbey struggled in the game, he always seemed to pop up in some space to relieve the pressure.
His goal was a thing of beauty, a cracking half volley near the end of the first half, and his all-around play makes him worthy of being on this team.
15- Conor Kelly (Graiguecullen)
Conor Kelly burst onto the scene as a 15-year-old when he kicked 12 points for Graiguecullen in a minor ‘B’ win over Clonaslee in 2018.
Two years on and he has continued on that upward trajectory that sees him primed to take the adult ranks by storm next year too.
SEE ALSO – Introducing the 2020 LaoisToday Senior Ladies football Team of the Year
The post Introducing the 2020 LaoisToday Minor football Team of the Year appeared first on Laois Today.
source https://www.laoistoday.ie/2020/12/24/introducing-the-2020-laoistoday-minor-football-team-of-the-year/
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