Podge Delaney urges Laois to bounce back from Croke Park heartbreak ahead of Tipperary clash

The Irish Sun

a day ago

DESPITE suffering Croke Park heartbreak for the second year on the spin, Podge Delaney is keen for Laois to make the most of their chance to prove that they are no average Joes.
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Podge Delaney urged Laois to bounce back after their Joe McDonagh Cup heartbreak
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Tipperary play Laois this weekend in the All-Ireland SHC preliminary quarter-finals
But the 2025 campaign is not yet over for Tommy Fitzgerald's side, who face
As Laois discovered in their defeat to Wexford at the same stage last year, regrouping to take on top-tier opposition so soon after failing to achieve the ultimate objective is a tall order.
Experienced defender Delaney said: "It can be tricky. It's a quick turn-around, especially after losing. It can be a lot easier after a win and you have momentum behind you.
"But at the end of the day, it's a Championship game and you're putting on the Laois jersey.
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"You want to do yourself proud as well. We don't get too many years to do it so it's another Championship game where we'd like to put in a good performance."
As the only Joe McDonagh team to have won a game in the Liam MacCarthy Cup since the competitions were linked, Laois remain the benchmark when it comes to mixing it with the big boys.
Delaney was a member of the side who stunned Dublin in 2019, before going on to be beaten by eventual champions Tipp when an All-Ireland semi-final spot was up for grabs.
While riding the crest of a wave, respectable performances were also produced by recent McDonagh winners such as Antrim, Carlow and Offaly.
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However, as evidenced by an average losing margin of 24 points, it has proven more difficult for the beaten finalists to get back on the horse.
Still, Delaney said: "It's nice to get the opportunity to play the top teams as well. Back in 2019 we beat Dublin, so there's scope there to win games and have a real cut off bigger teams.
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'It's definitely a lot easier when you win the final but we'll pick ourselves back up again and go again on Saturday.'
Although the teams were level at half-time, Laois were left to rue their first-half wides tally of 11 against Kildare as they sought to atone for losing last year's final to Offaly.
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Things were looking good nonetheless as Paddy Purcell netted to give them a 1-11 to 0-11 just seconds after the restart. However, they were outscored by 2-15 to 0-8 thereafter as the Lilywhites sealed a ten-point triumph.
Delaney reflected: "I think in the second half we kind of just fell away from the game. I don't know what it was. Even at half-time and after we got the goal, I thought we had scope to push on. But we just kind of fell away.
"Kildare are obviously a savage team as well with savage, fit players, unbelievable hurlers as well. They got on top of us in the second half and we couldn't claw it back."
Prior to this season, Kildare had never won a game at that level. Laois, who competed in the Leinster SHC as recently as 2022, were favourites to seal their return.
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Delaney added: 'They had a bit of freedom. I suppose we gave them a bit too much freedom on the field as well. But look, they're a great team.
'What they're after doing in the last year is brilliant. I'm working up in Kildare so I can see first-hand the work that's going into hurling up there. It's brilliant to see it."
Laois will have home advantage on Saturday for a meeting with a Tipperary team they encounter regularly in challenge matches.
Delaney said: "We've played them nearly every year for the last few years. We know they're a savage outfit.
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'We'll just be hoping we can put in a good performance to give the fans that were up in Dublin the other day something to cheer about, because we feel like we kind of let them down."