FORMER LAOIS STAR Michael Lawlor rolled back the years with a fine display in Sunday’s county senior football final.
Lawlor’s two-goal blast almost helped to pull off a shock victory for Emo against a Portlaoise side chasing a 9th successive crown at O’Moore Park.
The clubs will go at it again next Saturday (6.30pm) to find a champion but there’s a major problem looming for the winners as they will have to go again less than 24 hours later against Palatine in the AIB Leinster club championship.
That game has a 2.30pm start at Netwatch Cullen Park in Carlow but Lawlor and Emo aren’t too concerned with that prospect at this point in time.
“There’s speculation that whoever wins on Saturday is out the following day against Palatine,” said Lawlor.
“I don’t honestly know, we won’t be too worried about it.
“The Laois thing is what we would be looking for. If we win, we’ll get on with it.”
Lawlor netted twice during the second half but Emo needed a late point to salvage a replay.
And he reflected: “We didn’t kick in the first half, to be honest about it.
“Paul Lawlor got a few frees and Evan Costello kept us in it.
“We were three down and the couple of goals lifted it.
“But they brought on Zach Tuohy and he made a fierce difference.
“We got the score to draw it and we’ll be hoping to improve the next day.”
Speaking to The42 this morning, Lawlor admitted that he was stiff and sore after yesterday’s exertions.
“It’s enjoyable at the end of the day,” he smiled.
“In a county final at 42 years of age, it doesn’t get much better than that.
“We have to enjoy it while it’s there.
“I can’t remember how the first goal came about but for the second one, I got on the end of it around the square and she snuck in. Happy days!
“A lot of people were saying afterwards ‘ye left it behind’ but there was none of that talk in the dressing room after.
“When Portlaoise got the point ahead with a minute to go, I’m sure they thought they had us but we got the ball up the field and worked a free, showed a bit of character.”
When Emo won their previous county senior title, in 1972, Lawlor wasn’t even born.
And that might give you some indication of what it would mean for the club to overthrow the champions and bridge a 43-year gap at the second time of asking.
“This is what we want and there could a lot of the juniors getting a shot on Sunday morning if we win it!” Lawlor smiled.
“We’ll have a swim session tonight, train Tuesday and Thursday but mainly relax.
“Saturday will come around when it comes around, there’s no point in panicking about it.
“We’ll get the bodies and heads right and take it from there.”
Still going strong after all these years, Lawlor doesn’t think recovery will be too much of an issue this week. Adrenalin will help carry him through.
“I’d find that for League matches, you might not get out of bed for a couple of days!
“But it’s championship now, your head takes over and you recover a small bit quicker.”
While sole focus remains on Saturday, the prospect of a second game in two days for the winners if far from ideal, Lawlor insists.
“I was listening to Newstalk during the week, (Colm) Parkinson and the boys.
“They have the right idea, to reschedule things because the club is so put back.
“We started in August with a first round game but in other counties, they play the first round in May and don’t do anything for 3 months.
“Then they’re out week after week and it’s crazy, to be quite honest.
“You have to grin and get on with it until it’s sorted out.
“But this isn’t the first time this has happened and it won’t be the last unless they have a serious look at it.
“I think the replay was going to be fixed for Wednesday night but that didn’t suit ourselves.
“We have a couple of boys working in England and they would only be available for Saturday so what do you do?
“We have to be realistic. We’re not even thinking about the Leinster championship.
“Portlaoise are going for 9-in-a-row and they’re a good side so they might be but we’re definitely not.”
Close in on 4th = Are in 6th place which will be 7th place after spurs play their game in hand
@Chief: I’m on my way to being a millionaire after buying a ticket today.
@Chief: close in on 4th= 3 points closer to 4th than 3 hours ago.
Does that mean a couple of more wins and they be closing in on top spot? Daft journslism
@Mel Finn: playing to the gallery.
Peter Wright looking good in darts.
@Paul Gorry: dont know we weren’t watching it? Your in the wrong article again..
@Pauly Kel: Happy new year pauly, it was just a jest.
@Paul Gorry: you too man.
@Paul Gorry: obsessed. Typical scouser.
@Pauly Kel: appreciated Pauly.
@Karl Ó Cléirigh: give over karl my comment was light hearted for a bit of craic.now your comment is looking like you’re obsessed?
@Paul Gorry: I don’t see it that way but hey all you scouse fans are the same.
@Karl Ó Cléirigh: ok karl iam trying to relise ye a good bloke or a bad bloke?But now realise yer a bad bloke. Yer immature comment says it all really.
@Paul Gorry: grow up haha
@Karl Ó Cléirigh: oh the irony karl.
@Paul Gorry: the irony being you (a Liverpool fan) putting a smart comment on a United story and people are calling you out on it and you’re getting defensive?! Very ironic don’t you think?…..
What has Ferguson’s 80th birthday got to do with it?
@PeterC: got to do, got to do with it?
Strange lack of liverpool and Chelsea fans passing comments on man utds performance here tonight after the last couple of nights..
@Pol Mlp: i would have pol but I was watching the darts. More exciting to be fair.
@Paul Gorry: good point…anderson v humphries will be a 180 fest on new years day methinks
@Paul Gorry: Don’t think you can objectively say “more exciting to be fair” if you only watched the darts. That’s a rather silly comment to make in fairness. If you watched both you could make that comparison. What was better on the 28th? Liverpool or the darts?
@Pol Mlp: Liverpool and Chelsea fans only worry about teams at the top end of the table. Not mid table teams like utd.
@David Gaffney: liverpool obviously. Iam fluck ing having a laugh here David. Lighten up.
Really. Here we go they draw with Newcastle and win tonight against teams that more than likely will get relegated. Oh well done Utd
@Marcus Springfield: your correct. They should only report on games that United lose.
@Marcus Springfield: Really? Oh really??
@Brian Dunne: Yeah and especially the games where they get hammered… It makes some sleep well at nite here. So dull when there’s no United bashing to be had in the comments section!
@Brian Dunne: they would run out of ink then ;)
Dillusional. 4th place is Westham Spurs or Arsenal. Utd are done.
@Paul Smith: on the sherry early then…
@Paul Smith: Yeah you wish… The usual garbage… Top 4 is open to a few teams this year and it’ll be interesting regardless of who you support
3pts. Good game from mcsauce. A game of two halves, first exciting, second boring af. Onto the next one. Jack Byrne an assured presence in the studio on the punditry.
@Fred spins kdb: Definitely a better performance than recently + Wan Bissaka looked better tonight…still a lot of work to do but some positives even if the 2nd half was a snooze fest!
Looks like Scotty Mac got some new shooting boots off Santy… 1st half was good, 2nd half not so good.. 3 points and move on hopefully win the game in hand over West Ham and Arsenal.. And hope that Spurs make a mess of theirs
As United fan I wouldn’t make such a statement about them pushing for fourth just one win after a dismal match against Newcastle. If the top is where we want to be then we should constantly be demanding more, not getting ahead of ourselves over short term success.
Liverpool and Chelsea looking wobbly.
Well, considering Utd will be doing well to get 60 points this season, you can understand understand them wanting to celebrate one of their own achieving any sort of 80 this season !!!