Laois have to settle for a point as late Offay comeback sees Tailteann Cup match end all square

Laois and Offaly had to settle for a point apiece as a late onslaught from Offaly saw them leave Laois Hire O'Moore Park with a a point this evening.

The O'Moore County will look at the fact that they led by six-points with two minutes of regulation time remaining.

Laois 1-11

Offaly 1-11

Laois started the game with attacking intent from the throw-in as they opened the scoring within the first minute as a long ball in from Evan O'Carroll found Paul Kingston who caught a mark and kicked it over the bar. Offaly's first score on the board came courtesy of Dylan Hyland.

Billy Sheehan's men kicked the next four scores as Kieran Lillis was fouled with Mark Barry pointing the resulting free. Kingston took his tally to two for the contest before Damon Larkin raised two white flags in succession. His second point coming as a result of him winning an Offaly kick-out. 

The Faithful County pointed twice without reply as Anton Sullivan and a free from Nigel Dunne made it a two-point game. Laois' next two scores came courtesy of their half-back line as Paddy O'Sullivan split the posts while Mark Timmons pointed after Laois had worked the ball well from their own corner. 

Dunne got his second point and his first from play as Offaly shot their first wide in the 30th minute to show how dominant Laois were all over the field. Laois could have been further ahead as they had kicked six wides in the same period.

Colm Murphy and Ciaran Donnelly traded points before the game's crucial score popped up. Murphy's tame shot looked to be harmlessly dropping into Offaly goalkeeper Ian Duffy's hands before the ball bounced off him into the path of Kieran Lillis as he tapped the ball into an empty net. Laois led 1-8 to 0-5 at the break.

Offaly began the brighter of the two sides as Dylan Hyland pointed two in succesion to cut Laois' lead to four points. Barry and O'Sullivan increased Laois' lead back to six as Offaly spurned two massive goal chances. Killian Roche pulled off a superb save to deny Jamie Evans while Cian Farrell blasted wide when through on goal. 

Dunne kicked a 45' with Laois substitute Niall Corbet getting a point for Sheehan's side as Laois still held a six-point advantage. That lead would be cut to three as a long ball in from Evans caused havoc in the Laois square with Joe Maher on hand to blast the ball into the Laois net.

Offaly would attack at a frantic pace for the last ten minutes as Hyland kicked a free to leave two between the sides. Substitute Niall Bracken proved Offaly's hero as he scored two monster points to level the game as Laois had led by six points with 68 minutes on the clock. 

Laois end their Tailteann Cup campaign against London in two weeks' time with the venue for that game to be announced on Monday evening.