Laois hand Armagh defeat

LAOIS 2-11 ARMAGH 2-8

Four players were shown straight red cards as Laois emerged from the Athletic Grounds in Armagh with a three-point victory in Division 2 of the NFL tonight.

Westmeath referee Pat Fox was a controversial figure as all four players, two from each side, were dismissed nine minutes into the second half following an altercation near the sideline.

That minute of madness marred an otherwise clean, free-flowing game of football with the sides level on six occasions, including twice in the second half.

Armagh began impressively and held a 1-3 to 0-1 lead after 13 minutes, as the visitors failed to settle early on.

A brace of Ronan Clarke points and a Brian Mallon score was added too with Armagh's lone goal of the first half, which arrived in the 13th minute, coming from an unlikely source.

The Laois defence were carved open as Armagh right-corner back Finnian Moriarty burst forward and slotted a low, hard shot to the left corner of the net, past Laois goalkeeper Michael Nolan.

However, Laois rallied strongly and added 1-2 without reply over the next nine minutes, with half-back Peter O'Leary slotting home a 19th-minute goal.

This was just reward for O'Leary who showed great energy for Laois throughout. He made a lung-bursting run from 50 metres out before slicing the ball to the net.

The closing stages of the half were keenly contested, with the teams level on three occasions before the interval. Armagh edged into a 1-6 to 1-5 half-time lead thanks to a Kevin O'Rourke score.

Laois equalised thanks to a point from substitute MJ Tierney on the restart, before Donie Brennan collected a 40th minute goal by cheekily chipping Armagh goalkeeper Philip McEvoy.

Then came the flurry of red cards, before Armagh cancelled out Brennan's three-pointer with a magnificent Ronan Clarke goal in the 49th minute.

Level at 2-6 apiece, a lively fourth quarter was in prospect. But Laois showed greater hunger and outscored the hosts by five points to two in the closing stages to register a morale-boosting victory.

Scores for Laois: R Munnelly (1f) 0-4; D Brennan 1-1; P O'Leary 1-0; MJ Tierney (2f) 0-2; B McCormack, P McNulty, P McMahon, P Clancy 0-1 each.

Scores for Armagh: R Clarke (1f) 1-2; F Moriarty 1-0; K O'Rourke 0-2; B Mallon, P Toal (f), R Henderson, S McDonnell (f) 0-1 each.

ARMAGH: P McEvoy; F Moriarty, V Martin, B Shannon; C Rafferty, C McKeever, JP Donnelly; J Lavery, C Vernon; Martin O'Rourke, B Mallon, P Toal; K O'Rourke, R Clarke, R Henderson. Subs: A O'Rourke for McKeever (9 –yellow); A Mallon for A O'Rourke (32-yellow); S McDonnell for Henderson (47); P McKeever for Martin O'Rourke (55)

LAOIS: M Nolan; P Begley, M Timmons, R Stapleton; P O'Leary, G Reddin, P McMahon; P Clancy, N Garvan; B McCormack, B Quigley, J Horan; D Brennan, R Munnelly, C Bergin. Subs: C Ryan for Timmons (6); MJ Tierney for Garvan (17-yellow); P McNulty for Horan (27); B McDonald for Brennan (46-48 Blood); K Meaney for Bergin (50)

REFEREE: Pat Fox (Westmeath)