Royal thriller from Kings and Queens

Laois 1-12, Offaly 1-12

First one side hit the high notes, then the other, in a rip-roaring contest that eventually had the crowd of over 12,000 at fever pitch.

“It was magic out there, but you’re always going to have that with Laois and Offaly,” said Michael Lawlor whose goal shot at the end almost ripped the rigging from the stanchion.

Paul O’Kelly’s side displayed a frenzied appetite for battle as Laois struggled to come to grips with the visitors’ superior movement. With the half at its midway point, Offaly’s endeavour had propelled them into a 0-6 to 0-3 lead with the young forward pair of Alan McNamee and John Reynolds doing much of the damage.

They were full value for their 1-7 to 0-5 half-time lead and harsh words spoken at the break saw a revitalised Laois side rejoin hostilities for the second period.

“I said a few of them all right,” said team manager Mick O’Dwyer.

“We made a couple of changes. We were doing it all year in the league and again today the lads on the line proved they were as good as the lads starting. We have a strong panel now,” said Lawlor.

Both goals were in keeping with the breathtaking nature of the fare. McManus’ would have done the watching Brazilian World Cup player Jairzinho proud, but for drama, it was eclipsed by Lawlor’s injury time salvo after a mighty catch by Laois full-forward Kevin Fitzpatrick.

Laois’ five unanswered points after the interval drew them level before Offaly reimposed themselves on the contest. A treble of Colm Quinn frees and another McManus piledriver over the bar gave them another significant gap of three points before Mick Lawlor’s one-man heroics.

For first-year Offaly manager Paul O’Kelly, a game that looked won, looked lost, so that he was more than happy ultimately to settle for the draw.

“As Mick O’Dwyer knows very well, a match is never won until the final whistle goes. But we were there to come back, put the pressure on. We worked the 50, and Ciaran McManus showed his sheer class, an incredible point under huge pressure,” he said.

I was a bit gutted when they got the goal,” said McManus. “But the referee said there were still three minutes left. I knew we had a chance if we could win the kickout.

McManus currently works just outside Hanover, but he’ll have no problem making it back for the replay, Bank Holiday Monday next, Tullamore, 3.30pm.

“Championship? I’ll take a day’s leave if I have to,” he said.

For the fans, that replay is certainly a prospect to relish, but both managers also appreciate the extra day out.

“We came here to win the match and we thought we were good enough to win it. The difference was that we haven’t played as much recent competitive football as Laois,” said O’Kelly.

“That was our undoing at the start of the second half, it was difficult to keep the concentration going for 70 minutes. I think we’ll learn a lot from that game. We ended up with seven or eight U21s, balanced off with Vinnie Claffey, who’s an outstanding footballer. The vital thing for us is a lot of our younger players played so well.

“This was our first really serious competitive game since Westmeath, and we’ll have learned a huge amount from it. That was a fantastic exhibition of football, some brilliant footballers, a very honest game, wonderful tackling, great open play, uncompromising. And that suits us, that’s the way we like to play it. The two teams will really want to win this replay.”

“Offaly, whether it be hurling or football, never die,” said O’Dwyer.

“They’re going to be in there to the last ball, fighting all the time, but we nearly put one over on them with that goal. It would have been nice to have slipped them. We have a great bunch of footballers, in fairness, learning all the time. We’re only about six months on the road yet, this is a learning process but I think we’re doing exceptionally well so far,” he said.

Scorers for Laois: M. Lawlor 1-4 (1 free), R. Munnelly 0-3 frees), D. Delaney 0-2 (1 free), A. Fennelly 0-1, B. McDonald 0-1, S Kelly 0-1 free.

Offaly: C McManus 1-3 (2 45s), C Quinn (0-4 frees), J Reynolds 0-3, P Kellaghan 0-1, N McNamara 0-1.

LAOIS: F Byron; T Kelly, C Byrne, J Higgins; D Rooney, D Conroy, A Fennelly; P Clancy, N Garvan; R Munnelly, I Fitzgerald, M Lawlor; B McDonald, K Fitzpatrick, D Delaney.

Subs: S Kelly for D Delaney 35, P McDonnell for D Conroy 35, D Miller for I Fitzgerald (inj), D Sweeney for S Kelly 63.

OFFALY: B McLoughlin; C Daly, G Rafferty, B Monney; J Kenny, F Cullen, K Slattery; A McNamee, C McManus; C Quinn, N Coughlan, J Grennan; P Kellaghan, J Reynolds, N McNamee.

Subs: M Stones for J Kenny 35, R Malone for J Reynolds 57, V Claffey for N McNamee 62.

Referee: M Collins (Cork).