Laois fight back and book clash with Kerry

Laois 0-10 Kildare 0-10

Laois were looking to book their place in the last four, while Kildare were hoping to avoid the trapdoor into Division Two. Both had their wishes granted and for Mick O'Dwyer there's a reunion with Kerry in six days.

"Why do they keep on doing this to me?" O'Dwyer joked. "Kildare today and Kerry the next day."

Only a late rally of three points inside the last six minutes secured a draw for the home side and had Kildare another attacker capable of lacing John Doyle's boots then Laois would have been buried long before that.

Last year Laois destroyed Kildare in the Leinster Championship on the wide spaces of Croke Park, but John Crofton obviously learned from that defeat, settling on his formation accordingly.

A heavier, more physical side than Laois, Kildare flooded the midfield engine room with bodies, and Laois found their attacks blocked at every turn. For much of the game, Laois were reduced to hand passes of two or three yards in trying to escape the white blanket, while Kildare looked to launch quick raids into the opposition backline

"The most pleasing aspect to that performance was our organisation," Crofton affirmed. "We played our game plan to a tee up to 40 yards out from goal. We need to get more scores on the board, there's no doubt about that. We need more cohesion in the inside forward line as well."

The result wasn't pretty and the opening half was the worst these eyes have seen this season The first 25 minutes saw just one point from play after a delay of 21 minutes that encompassed the GPA protest, a minute's silence and Amhrann na bhFiann. Doyle was the man to raise the white flag.

For long stretches it looked like this just wasn't to be Laois' day, a sense that was heightened by Chris Conway's effort that rebounded off Enda Murphy's post. As he returned to terra firma, Conway jarred his knee and, after being stretchered off, it emerged he'd damaged ligaments in his knee which may yet threaten his championship aspirations.

It was a costly day for Laois on the injury front. Before the throw-in Padraig McMahon slipped a disc in his back and Laois' other corner-back, Aidan Fennelly, followed him off for treatment after only 27 minutes with a hamstring ailment.

All three will probably be marked absent against Kerry next week and O'Dwyer will likely have to do without the U21s he could call on yesterday, as they have an All-Ireland semi-final a week later.

For O'Dwyer, whose interest in the league has never risen above tepid, such frustrations were enough to make his blood boil, as was perfectly clear when he was asked if he was excited by the possibility of some silverware next month.

"If you can get injuries like we did today I don't think anybody would want to be committed to the league. The league doesn't matter," he barked. "There's only one thing that matters and that's the championship."

After three impressive wins over Down, Derry and Armagh in recent weeks, Laois' championship stock had shot through the roof, but their struggles yesterday may necessitate a re-evaluation. Problems still remain. Darren Rooney is a fine defender, but wing-back is his prime domain, not full-back. The lack of a dead-ball specialist is another potential Achilles heel, as is their perennial lack of bulk. As Kildare showed yesterday, a big, solid and well-drilled team will cause Laois serious conundrums, but O'Dwyer doesn't look like he is about to start fretting over one 70-minute performance in what was far from ideal weather.

"The conditions were very difficult there today. There was a very strong wind and wind will always destroy good football. The football wasn't great, but it was a needle game. They were fighting relegation and we wanted to win the division, which we did.

"That's a good Kildare team and don't tell me it isn't. They're a big, physical side. I liked them there today. They looked good. We showed great bottle to come back though and I'm most pleased about that."

LAOIS: F Byron; A Fennelly, D Rooney, P McMahon; J Higgins, D Conroy, B McCormack (0-1); P Clancy (0-2), T Kelly; B Sheehan (0-1), C Conway (0-2f), G Kavanagh; P Lawlor (0-3), C Parkinson, K Kelly. Subs: R Munnelly (0-1f) for Conway 21, D Brennan for Fennelly 27, C Kelly (St Joseph's) for K Kelly 35, N Garvan for Brennan 35, I Fitzgerald for Parkinson 74.

KILDARE: E Murphy; A McLoughlin, M Hogarty, J Lonergan; A Rainbow, G Ryan, D Lyons; M Foley, K Brennan; K Ennis (0-2, 1f), D McCormack, R Sweeney; J Doyle (0-8, 6f), J Divilly, P O'Neill. Subs: P Mullarkey for Foley 67, T O'Neill for Ennis 67.

Referee: P Russell (Tipperary).