Royals relieved as Laois waste last-gasp chance

FOR long periods Meath looked like they would secure a place in the last four of the Leinster senior football championship quite comfortably, but as manager Eamonn O’Brien admitted afterwards, his side was relieved to have a second chance.

Michael John Tierney had an opportunity to snatch victory for Laois in the final seconds of extra time but his shot from wide on the right screwed off his less favoured right boot and harmlessly wide.

It would have been a fantastic effort by Seán Dempsey’s men to have won because for much of the game they were second best, as Brian Meade lorded midfield, Seamus Kenny mopped up the breaks and Graham Reilly tormented Colm Begley.

Both Kenny and Reilly departed the fray with injuries however and with Dempsey’s slew of substitutions proving very effective, along with the switch of captain, Pádraig McMahon to marshal Joe Sheridan and Donie Kingston to win possession at centre-forward, Laois thundered into proceedings when it mattered most.

In the end, they showed remarkable depths of character to score three points in the final four minutes of extra time to secure a second bite of the cherry after a titanic tussle.

They looked to have been dealt a fatal blow in the 86th minute, when Cormac McGuinness’ high attempt at a point was spilled into his net by goalkeeper Mickey Nolan.

But substitute Michael John Tierney converted a free second later, before John O’Loughlin, who also started the game on the bench, roared forward from the defence to fire the levelling scores.

The first came with the left boot after a good move, while the equaliser was arced over with the right peg, having dummied to shoot on the other side.

The O’Moores had already done well to bring the tie to extra time having looked down and out when the brilliant Reilly pointed in the 55th minute to put Meath 1-8 to 0-6 in front.

Significantly though, the St Colmcille’s man aggravated an ankle injury in the process of kicking that score and had to be replaced.

Within three minutes Laois were back in the game. The powerful Kingston pointed after a wonderful crossfield ball by Ross Munnelly to Begley, freed by Reilly’s departure.

And in a matter of seconds, Munnelly played another fine pass to send McMahon through in space down the left. The defender drove forward before unleashing a thunderbolt to the roof of the Meath net.

Joe Sheridan and Shane O’Rourke stretched Meath’s advantage to three but in a portent of things to come, Laois finished with three points to level.

Again Tierney started the run with a free before another sub Pádraig Clancy clipped over the important brace, after good supply from Kingston and Munnelly.

Meath captain, Nigel Crawford failed to prove his fitness with a back complaint, with Meade coming into the team in his stead.

Laois began well with a first minute point from debutant Darren Strong, after astute work from Kingston and Craig Rogers but Meath’s superior attacking threat soon became evident.

Reilly was the real danger man and after Cian Ward had equalised from a free, the half-forward was on hand to lash home from close range in the fifth minute.

Sheridan was a constant menace at full-forward until McMahon stood beside him in the second half and the big man broke the ball well before showing good vision to toe-poke the ball in Reilly’s direction.

Kingston slotted two frees to settle Laois but they were too deliberate in possession, whereas Meath moved the ball with more urgency.

Reilly was proving very difficult to handle and he added two points to help his side establish a 1-6 to 0-5 interval lead. He had two more points in the second half before injury curtailed his involvement. It hardly seems coincidental that Laois turned the tide in that final 15 minutes..

Meath quickly went ahead in extra time thanks to Sheridan and Conor Gillespie but a magnificent free from Kingston and fisted point from Cahir Healy levelled before the game’s final, dramatic 10-minute period left the sides facing a replay in Tullamore on Saturday.

Laois - M Nolan; P O'Leary, M Timmons, P McMahon (1-0); C Healy (0-1), C Ryan, C Begley; B Quigley, K Meaney; B Sheehan, C Rogers, D Strong (0-1); P Cahillane, D Kingston (0-6, 3f), R Munnelly (0-1, 1f). Subs - P Clancy (0-2) for Cahillane; J O'Loughlin (0-2) for Sheehan; MJ Tierney (0-3, 2f, 1 '45) for Strong, P Lawlor for Rogers, D Booth for Ryan, N Donoher for Munnelly.

Meath - P O'Rourke, C O'Connor, K Reilly, E Harrington, M Burke, A Moyles, C King, B Meade, M Ward, S Kenny, J Sheridan (0-3), G Reilly (1-4, 0-1f)), C Ward (0-2, 2f), S O'Rourke (0-2), S Bray (0-1). Subs - P Byrne for G Reilly, J Queeney for C Ward, G O'Brien for King, C Gillespie (0-1) for Kenny, B Farrell for Bray, C McGuinness (1-0) for Moyles, Bray for Farrell.

Referee: Marty Duffy (Sligo).