Late Antrim push not enough as Laois cling on for narrow win

Third victory of their Division 3 campaign keeps Laois in the hunt for promotion and eases any fears of relegation

DEAD-EYED: Mark Barry was again on form for Laois, Pic: INPHO/Ben Brady

Allianz NFL Div 3: Laois 0-22 Antrim 1-17 

Laois have picked up their third win in this season’s NFL Division 3 campaign as they held on for a narrow two-point win over Antrim in O’Moore Park.

Laois were six points and a man up late in the second half having played almost 30 minutes with an extra man after Antrim defender Kavan Keenan picked up a second yellow card.

The home side seemed to be home and dry as the clock ticked towards injury time but Antrim battled on to the final whistle, reducing the gap to two deep in the five minutes of injury time.

They desperately went in search of a two-point equaliser and even kicked a free 40 metres backwards late on in order to get a score from outside the arc.

But Laois held on for a vital win that leaves them on six points, still in the running for promotion but, most crucially, on course to avoid instant relegation back to Division 4.

In a game that swung in both directions throughout the first half, Antrim opened up a 1-7 to 0-4 lead by the 20th minute, their goal coming from Conor Hand with a delicate finish from distance with the Laois goal empty after Killian Roche was caught up the field.

Laois did get a run of scores late in the half with Niall Corbet particularly impressive with three points from play. At the break, Antrim led 1-9 to 0-11.

They also got the first two scores of the second half - a 45 from keeper Michael Byrne and Conchuir Johnston effort from play - to go three ahead again.

Laois responded with points from Mark Barry and Corbet and when corner-back Keenan - who had sailed close to the wind all evening - got his marching orders in the 45th minute it firmly handed the initiative to Laois.

Laois drew level from the resulting Barry free and then hit the front via Danny O’Reilly from distance. Brian Byrne also came up from defence to add a point.

Antrim stayed in it though as Niall Burns and Dominic McEnhill kept the gap at one as we entered the final 15 minutes. But the excellent Pa Kirwan increased Laois’s lead with a score from just inside the arc and then a fisted effort after a lung-busting run.

Mark Barry then added his sixth point of the game to make it 0-20 to 1-13 as we headed for the 60th minute.

Laois pushed the gap out to seven when Damon Larkin got his third and although Antrim finished with two-pointers from Dermot McAleese and Patrick McBride, Laois held on.

Scorers for Laois: M Barry 0-8 (5f), N Corbet 0-4, D Larkin 0-3, P Kirwan and K Roche (2pt free) 0-2 each, B Byrne, B Dempsey and D O’Reilly 0-1 each.

Scorers for Antrim: N Burns, P McBride (one two-pointer), M Byrne (two-point free, one 45) and D McEnhill (one free) 0-3 each, C Hand 1-0, R McQuillan and D McAleese (two pointer) 0-2 each, C Johnston 0-1 

LAOIS: K Roche; S Fingleton, T Collins, B Dempsey; P Kirwan, B Byrne, S Lacey; C Heffernan, D Larkin; D O’Reilly, R Coffey, K Swayne; M Barry, J Hogan, N Corbet. Subs: P O’Sullivan for Swayne (65), F Holland for Corbet (68), R Brady for Hogan (72), S O’Neill for O’Reilly (73) 

ANTRIM: M Byrne; E McCabe, E Walsh, K Keenan; J Finnegan, J Lenehan, D McAleese; C Hand, E Quinn; P McBride, N Burns, F Nagle; R McQuillan, C Johnston, D McEnhill. Subs: P Stewart for Quinn (ht), R Murray for Johnston (46), Ni Hynds for Hand (67) REFEREE: Jonathan Hayes (Limerick)