Paddy Purcell goals condemn Antrim to Joe McDonagh Cup for 2022
Ross King of Laois, right, and team-mate PJ Scully, in action against Antrim's Gerard Walsh and Stephen Rooney during the GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship preliminary round match at Parnell Park in Dublin. Picture: Seb Daly/Sportsfile
Laois will play Liam MacCarthy Cup hurling in 2022 after securing their top flight status in the Championship with a dramatic win at Parnell Park.
Leading by 11 points with 41 minutes played, it looked like it was going to be plain sailing for 'Cheddar' Plunkett's side but they were pushed all the way by a determined Antrim who reduced the deficit to just two.
Ross King's 49th minute dismissal rocked Laois and they lost full-back Sean Downey to a 45th minute sin-binning also as the Saffrons rallied.
Just two points separated the teams at the second water break but the interval allowed Laois to gather themselves and they outscored Antrim by 1-6 to 0-5 in the final quarter to progress in the Championship.
They will take their place in Monday's draw for the qualifiers though just as significant is the fact that they will play in the Leinster championship again in 2022 while Antrim will return to the Joe McDonagh Cup.
Paddy Purcell struck 2-2 for Laois and his second goal approaching the hour mark was crucial as it allowed the 2019 All-Ireland quarter-finalists to finally breathe out after a massive Antrim fightback.
PJ Scully was top scorer for the Leinster side with 0-10, two of those coming from line balls.
Enda Rowland was terrific in goals too and saved a second-half penalty from Neil McManus.
Antrim had a terrific league campaign but lost to Dublin in the Leinster championship and couldn't raise their game to match Laois' ferocity at first here.
Laois ran 0-11 to 0-4 clear at the first water break and Purcell's first goal in stoppage time helped them to lead 1-17 to 0-10 at half-time.
Antrim rallied in the third quarter, however, and aided by those Laois dismissals got the margin down to just two. Sub Eoin O'Neill netted twice for Antrim though McManus couldn't convert from the spot after Conor Johnston was hauled down by Downey.
The second water break came just in time for Laois who were able to compose themselves and they began the final quarter with three points in a row from Jack Kelly, Scully and Willie Dunphy.
They were important scores that settled Laois and Purcell's goal put them seven clear, giving them a vital cushion in the run-in.
PJ Scully 0-10 (0-7f, 0-2 s/l), Paddy Purcell 2-2, Podge Delaney 0-3, Willie Dunphy 0-3, Jack Kelly 0-3, Ross King 0-2, Ciaran Collier 0-1, Ciaran McEvoy 0-1, Fiachra C Fennell 0-1, Charles Dwyer 0-1.
Ciaran Clarke 0-8 (0-7f, 0-1 65), Eoin O'Neill 2-0, Neil McManus 0-4, Keelan Molloy 0-3, Conal Cunning 0-2, James McNaughton 0-2 (0-1f), Conor Johnston 0-1, Shane Elliott 0-1.
Enda Rowland; Donnchadh Hartnett, Sean Downey, Lee Cleere; Podge Delaney, Ciaran McEvoy, Ryan Mullaney; Fiachra C Fennell, Jack Kelly; Paddy Purcell, Willie Dunphy, Ciaran Collier; Charles Dwyer, PJ Scully, Ross King.
James Ryan for Mullaney 53, Eanna Lyons for Collier 58, James Keyes for Purcell 65, Aaron Dunphy for Willie Dunphy 72, Ciaran Comerford for Dwyer 75.
Ryan Elliott; Damon McMullan, Stephen Rooney, Gerard Walsh; Eoghan Campbell, Paddy Burke, Aodhan O'Brien; Keelan Molloy, Ciaran Johnston; Neil McManus, Michael Bradley, James McNaughton; Conor Johnston, Conal Cunning, Ciaran Clarke.
Aaron Crawford for McMullan 18, Joe Maskey for Campbell h/t, Eoin O'Neill for Bradley h/t, Shane Elliott for Conor Johnston 59, Matthew Donnelly for O'Brien 71.
Sean Cleere (Kilkenny).
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