Camross defeat Abbyleix to claim 27th Laois SHC

Camross 4-18 Abbeyleix 0-14 Laois SHC Final

Camross have claimed their 27th Laois SHC title after an emphatic victory over Abbeyleix in O'Moore Park on Sunday afternoon.

David Cuddy's charges laid the foundation for their win in the opening 15 minutes when the star of this year's championship scored a hat-trick.Tomas Keyes was simply unplayable all game and it was the three goals he got in the opening quarter that ultimately secured the win.

This was Abbeyleix's first appearance in a final since 1949 and although they will be extremely disappointed, they are a young side and will be back.

Camross absolutely blew away a miss-firing Abbeyleix in the opening half of the game. The pressure was on from the first minute and when Abbeyleix failed to clear, Tomas Keyes pounced for a goal to give Camross the perfect start.

Abbeyleix got underway with points from Colin Byrne and Liam Delaney but they also had five wides. Down the other end, Camross made them pay. Mark Dowling set up Tomas Keyes for a second goal chance which he duly dispatched.

Points from Tom Cuddy, Eoin Gaughan, Liam Delaney and Andrew Collier all followed. Abbeyleix got a third point through Eoghan Fennelly but the wides continued and they had eight by the midpoint of the half.

Camross only had one and when a surging run from Liam Delaney resulted in him finding Keyes, the classy corner forward picked out the back of the net.That made it 3-05 to 0-03 at the end of the first quarter and things briefly improved for Abbeyleix as Eoghan Fennelly and Liam Doyle pointed.

Keyes and Zane Keenan pointed before Liam Delaney set up Mark Dowling for a chance. He cracked a shot off the underside of the crossbar and it landed over the line - 14 points between them with 27 minutes