Taylor’s two penalties seal it for Sligo
The Connacht visitors were trailing by a point before Taylor's brace propelled them towards a comfortable last 20 minutes.
The only surprise was that it took them so long to raise the green flag in the first place. Laois keeper Fergal Byron had already demonstrated just why he was awarded an Allstar last season with a series of saves from Sligo's midfielder Michael McNamara. Nine minutes into the second period, Byron came out on top again, but referee John Geaney awarded a penalty after Darren Rooney had impeded McNamara as he was winding up to shoot.
It was Taylor's double that put Sligo into a 2-5 to 0-6 lead and nothing Laois had managed until that point suggested a comeback.
The brightest Laois light was midfielder Pádraig Clancy who did the work of two men against McNamara, Sean Davey and Paul Durcan.
Amid all the stumbles and errors, the home side still managed to build up a 0-5 to 0-2 lead by the 32nd minute, although Taylor's second point painted a fairer picture at the break. Sligo resumed with a McNamara point direct from the throw-in. Conway responded with a free two minutes later, but the Laois defence was unravelling at an alarming rate
Sligo P Taylor 2-3 (2 penalties), D Sloyan 0-1 free, M McNamara 0-1, M Brehony 0-1. Laois: C Conway 0-4 (2 frees), P Lawlor 0-1 free, K Fitzpatrick 0-1, M Delaney 0-1, D Rooney 0-1.
F. Byron; P. McDonald, C. Byrne, T. McDonald; D. Rooney, T. Kelly, K. Fitzpatrick; P. Clancy, N. Garvan; M. Delaney, C. Conway, C. Parkinson; P. Lawlor, M. Dunne, M. Lawlor. Subs: C. Kelly for M. Lawlor 35, D. Brennan for D. Rooney 42 (inj), M. Lawlor for N. Garvan 57.
P. Greene; N. McGuire, P. Naughton, B. Phillips; P. Durcan, M. Langan, D. Durkin; M. McNamara, S. Davey; P. McGovern, M. Brehony, B. Curran; D. Sloyan, P. Taylor, G. McGowan. Subs: T. Brennan for G. McGowan 3 (inj), J. Davey for T. Brennan 43, P. Gallagher for P. Naughton 68.
J Geaney (Cork).
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