Laois dig deep to deny Down in thrilling Newry clash

Laois have rounded off their 2026 Division 3 Allianz Football League campaign with an impressive four-point victory over table-toppers Down in Newry on Sunday afternoon.

Justin McNulty's side had led by four points at the break, but then went behind by six points with 20 minutes to play. Laois pulled it out of the bag with substitute Paul Kingston scoring 2-3 in the second half to see Laois over the line.

Down got off to a quick start as they went two points to no score ahead after five minutes. Daniel Guinness played in Patrick Brooks to split the posts before Guinness got a point of his own. For the next 10 minutes, it was all Laois as they fired over six points without reply. Evan O'Carroll kicked the first two as he was too strong for his marker and he slotted over both points off his left foot. Down almost got in for goal shortly after as Eamon Brown was fouled and he took a solo and go, but he kicked his effort wide.

Pa Kirwan raised the only orange flag of the first half when he curled over a lovely score from the right. Daragh Galvin and a second score from Kirwan saw Laois lead 0-6 to 0-2 after 16 minutes. John McGeough needed two chances to point for Down as his first shot was saved before he gathered the rebound and fisted the ball over. Laois were pushing up on the Down kickout and it worked a treat when Ronan Coffey won a Ronan Burns kick-out and it ended with Brian Byrne raising a white flag off his left. 

O'Carroll pointed a free to take his tally to three after Paddy O'Sullivan had played the ball to Galvin, and he was fouled. Odhran Murdock cut Laois' lead to four points just before Daragh Galvin had a shot for goal saved by Ronan Burns, Roche kicked over the resulting 45. Evan O'Carroll pushed Laois six points up with 26 minutes played. Callum Rogers almost got in for goal, but Roche made a great diving save to deny him.

Pat Havern ended the half with three points for Down, while Roche pointed a free after O'Carroll was fouled. Laois led 0-11 to 0-7 at the break.

Whatever was said in the Down dressing room at half-time seemed to ignite something in the home side as they came out and scored three points within 90 seconds of the restart. Eamon Brown, Havern (free) and Brooks scored the points. Laois were handed an easy chance at getting their 12th point, as they were prevented from taking a solo and go. O'Carroll tapped over the free from close-range.

Eamon Brown and O'Sullivan traded points as Laois still led by two, but Down would soon go ahead as they kicked five points in a row with Havern pointing a two-pointer along with points from John McGeough and Eamon Brown. Paul Kingston came on at half-time and opened his account, but Down were well on top at this stage and they kicked another three points without reply. They went from being four down at the break to five points up with just 12 minutes of the second period played.

Laois, to their credit, steadied the ship and began to score down the other end. O'Carroll put them back within four, but Murdock raised an orange flag and it looked like there might only be one winner.

Up stepped Kingston to get a goal for Laois as he found the net before Roche slotted a free between the posts. Havern kicked a free to push Down three points up, but Laois rallied and found 1-6 without reply to firmly take control. Rioghan Murphy scored a point from the bench and then Kingston scored a screamer after O'Carroll had played the ball into him and it looked like he had nowhere to go, but the Arles-Killeen man smashed the ball past Burns from a tight angle. Points followed from O'Sullivan, O'Carroll and Murphy before Kingston swung over a two-pointer and Laois led 2-22 to 0-22 with three minutes left.

Down went in search of two-pointers to try to steal a draw, but could only manage one from the boot of Havern. Any of their other attempts drifted well wide of Roche's goal.

The win for Laois sees them finish their Division 3 campaign with three wins, three losses and a draw. They'll have a three-week break now before travelling to Tullamore to face Offaly in Round One of the Leinster Championship.

Full-Time

Laois 2-22

Down 0-24

SCORERS- Laois: Paul Kingston 2-3 (one two-pointer), Evan O'Carroll 0-7 (0-3 frees), Pa Kirwan (one two-pointer) and Killian Roche 0-3 each (0-2 frees, 0-1 45), Rioghan Murphy and Paddy O'Sullivan 0-2 each, Daragh Galvin and Brian Byrne 0-1 each. Down: Pat Havern 0-10 (one two-point free, 0-2 frees), John McGeough 0-4, Eamon Brown and Odhran Murdock (one two-pointer) 0-3 each, Patrick Brooks 0-2, Daniel Guinness and Miceal Rooney 0-1 each.

LAOIS: Killian Roche (Killeshin); Alex Mohan (Portarlington), Trevor Collins (Graiguecullen), Jack Lacey (St Joseph's); Pa Kirwan (Emo), Simon Fingleton (Park-Ratheniska), Aaron McEvoy (Ballyroan-Abbey); Ciaran Burke (Crettyard), Conor Heffernan (Killeshin); Paddy O'Sullivan (Portarlington), Ronan Coffey (Portarlington), Kevin Swayne (Portlaoise); Brian Byrne (Graiguecullen), Daragh Galvin (Portarlington), Evan O'Carroll (Crettyard). Subs: Paul Kingston (Arles-Killeen) for Galvin (HT), Rioghan Murphy (Portarlington) for Kirwan (48 mins), Cian Nolan (Park-Ratheniska) for McEvoy (50 mins), Niall Corbet (Clonaslee St Manman's) for Coffey (63 mins), Mikie Dempsey (St Joseph's) for Fingleton (67 mins)

DOWN: Ronan Burns; Finn Murdock, Pierce Laverty, Ryan McEvoy; Patrick Brooks, Patrick McCarthy, Callum Rogers; Odhran Murdock, Daniel Guinness; Miceal Rooney, Peter Fegan, Eamon Brown; Barry O’Hagan, Pat Havern, John McGeough. Subs: Ruairi O'Hare for O'Hagan (22 mins, inj), Ruairi McCormack for McCarthy (57 mins), Jamie Doran for Brown (63 mins)

Referee: Barry Judge (Sligo)