Relegation playoff awaits for Laois as Kildare inflict third straight defeat

Laois 1-8 Kildare 2-18
National Football League Division 2 South Round 3

A relegation playoff against Down lies ahead of Laois in two weeks time as they suffered their third successive defeat of the season.

Kildare were far superior to Laois in almost ever aspect of the game and thoroughly deserved their win.

As expected, Laois were much changed from the team that was named during the week. Alan Farrell, Seamus Lacey, Brian Byrne and Gary Walsh all came in for Trevor Collins, Colm Begley, Donie Kingston and Mark Barry.

Laois actually began the game really well as John O’Loughlin won the throw in and fed Evan O’Carroll who kicked them ahead.

But that would be as good as it would get in the first half as the problems that dogged them in the defeats to Cork and Clare reared their heads.

Too many wides, too slow in attack and coughing up goal chances would be their undoing in the first period.

Kildare got on top with Neil Flynn, Jimmy Hyland, Brian McLoughlin and Kevin Feely all pointing.

Laois responded through an Evan O’Carroll effort after a great turnover by Seamus Lacey to leave it 0-4 to 0-2 at the water break.

Laois would not score from play for the remainder of the half and ended it with seven wides.

Gary Walsh added two frees for them but Kildare had scores from Brian McLoughlin, Kevin Feely, Kevin Flynn and Fergal Conway to go well clear.

Laois had a huge let off them when Kildare split them open and Brian McLoughlin squared the ball over Niall Corbet’s head where Luke Flynn was waiting for a tap in only for captain Kieran Lillis to get back and claw the ball off the line.

But they didn’t heed that warning and four minutes before half time Kevin Feely spun off the back of an injured Danny O’Reilly and created the same opportunity for Luke Flynn which he took.

Kildare led 1-7 to 0-4 at the break and went further ahead on the resumption through Neil Flynn.

Laois hit back with their first score from play in 20 minutes through Gary Walsh but it all went wrong for them soon after.

A misplaced pass from Paddy O’Sullivan created a counter attack for Kildare with Fergal Conway and Darragh Kirwan combining for wing back Kevin Flynn to breeze through and score a brilliant goal.

Laois looked dead and buried but a huge Kildare mistake gave them hope.

Goalscorer Flynn had a free in his own half and tried a crossfield pass to keeper Mark Donnellan but it skewed into the air and landed in Gary Walsh’s arms.

He beat two defenders and rattled the net for Laois’s first goal of 2021.

Walsh added a free and captain Kieran Lillis kicked one from play to leave five in it. Walsh then had a chance from a free to cut the gap to four but he missed and the momentum swung back to Kildare.

Neil Flynn and Aaron Masterson added points to leave them 2-11 to 1-7 ahead after 50 minutes.

Masterson scored again after the water break and then Gary Walsh and Jimmy Hyland swapped frees to leave eight in it with ten to play.

Kildare, knowing that Cork were winning against Clare, kept piling on the pressure and scores to run out 13 point winners in the end and claim a semi final place.

SCORERS – Laois: Gary Walsh 1-5 (four frees), Evan O’Carroll 0-2, Kieran Lillis 0-1 Kildare: Neil Flynn 0-4 (three frees), Kevin Flynn 1-1, Jimmy Hyland 0-4 (one free, one mark), Luke Flynn 1-0, Aaron Masterson 0-2, Shane O’Sullivan 0-3 (one mark), Brian McLoughlin 0-1, Kevin Feely 0-1, Fergal Conway 0-1, Conor Hartley 0-1

LAOIS: Niall Corbet; Gareth Dillon, Mark Timmons, Robbie Pigott; Seamus Lacey, Alan Farrell, Paddy O’Sullivan; Danny O’Reilly, John O’Loughlin; Brian Byrne, Kieran Lillis, Eoin Lowry; Paul Kingston, Gary Walsh, Evan O’Carroll. Subs: Benny Carroll for O’Reilly (ht, inj), Mark Barry for Kingston (49), Eoin Buggie for O’Sullivan (53), Finbarr Crowley for Timmons and Brian Daly for Byrne (both 57), Sean Byrne for O’Loughlin and Ross Munnelly for Walsh (both 63)

KILDARE: Mark Donnellan; Mark Dempsey, Mick O’Grady, Eoin Doyle; Kevin Flynn, David Hyland, Ryan Houlihan; Luke Flynn, Kevin Feely; Fergal Conway, Paul Criobbin, Neil Flynn; Jimmy Hyland, Darragh Kirwan, Brian McLoughlin. Subs: Aaron Masterson for Feely (ht), Shane O’Sullivan for McLoughlin (48), Alex Beirne for Kirwan (52), Paddy Brophy for N Flynn (58), Shane Ryan for Houlihan and Conor Hartley for Cribbin (both 66)

Referee: Paul Faloon (Down)

SEE ALSO – Wexford too strong as Laois head for camogie league relegation playoff

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source https://www.laoistoday.ie/2021/05/30/relegation-playoff-awaits-for-laois-as-kildare-inflict-third-straight-defeat/