O’Dwyer laments lost lead

ALL afternoon Laois and Mayo traded scores with an abandon normally reserved for youngsters swapping football stickers, but Mick O’Dwyer was certain the result had finally been decided when Noel Garvan launched his third missile between John Healey’s posts.

That score put the Leinster county two points ahead — a daunting margin considering less than three minutes were left to play.

“I thought it was over at that stage, to be honest,” admitted the Laois manager. “You never know with football. Anything can happen and it happened today. Other games we have played during the year, we have got scores that have won the game for us in the dying moments. We’re just hoping we’ll be able to produce the same endeavour the next day.”

As with any draw, both teams will have left Croke Park with regrets. Yesterday, there were more than a few. Mayo let four possible goals slip through their grasp in the first half, Laois had two.

“Neutrals would have got great enjoyment out of it. It was great, free-flowing football. Both teams had chances and could have won it. I thought we had two golden goal chances and didn’t put them away,” said O’Dwyer.

“The one that hit the bottom of the post just before half-time — that would have been a vital goal. Then Ross got a chance and they were two gilt-edged chances. We kept on fighting though and nearly did it in the finish.”

When Laois rewind the video of the game this week they will realise they were culpable in letting the game slip from their grasp as the final whistle approached. After his last point Garvan gravitated back towards his natural domain of centrefield and no-one replaced him up front.

For that last few minutes Donie Brennan was the only Laois player within shouting distance of the Mayo goal and though Garvan did pluck one Ciaran McDonald ball from under his own crossbar they paid the price for sacrificing their attacking capabilities.

“We’re happy to be still there,” said midfielder Padraic Clancy. “It would be worse if we were going home beaten. Neutrals would probably say that it was a fair result but we would be a small bit disappointed that we didn’t take it on when we were two points up.

“Mayo are a good footballing side though. They’ve been here before over the last couple of years and they kept their heads. There was space all over. Both teams play the running game so it was tough enough towards the end.”

Both O’Dwyer and Mickey Moran will have much to ponder on over the next few days. Laois’ worries will centre on their porous first-half defending and the disappointing displays from key men, Ross Munnelly and Billy Sheehan.

There were heartening positives too. The experiment of naming Garvan in the unfamiliar role of full-forward was rewarded handsomely with his hat-trick of scores and the introduction of Donie Brennan was critical in maintaining the team’s championship ambitions.

“(Garvan) came back to his best actually,” enthused O’Dwyer. “He came out to midfield and caught two great balls as well. Noel was out for 12 weeks earlier in the year with an injury but he’s a great footballer and a great fetcher. That’s a plus and Donie when he came on showed great skill.”