Top-class Kingston display not enough for Laois in Tailteann Cup

A ding-dong battle in scorching sunshine which featured a top-class performance from Paul Kingston ended with an agonising narrow Laois loss in the final Tailteann Cup group game. 

However, despite having lost for the first time in this year’s Tailteann Cup in Pearse Park, Longford, Laois still qualify for the knock-out stages for a second successive year and are now into a preliminary quarter-final.

Paul Kingston was excellent throughout for Laois on Saturday and kicked three of the best long-range efforts you’ll see, while Evan O’Carroll was dangerous as ever.

The loss means that Laois missed out on going straight into the quarter-final as they now finish second in the group behind Fermanagh, but Wicklow’s win over Carlow means they will have home advantage in the preliminary round.

It was a ding-dong battle in Longford with the lead changing hands on several occasions, and there were plenty of talking points as the game saw two penalties awarded and five green flags raised.

Laois raced ahead in the second half after a penalty slotted by Mark Barry, but Fermanagh never went away and finished a penalty of their own minutes later to regain a three-point lead and they never looked back from there.

The game opened with a flurry of wides as both teams struggled to find their range before the Ulster side eventually found theirs and raced into a three point lead.

Sean Cassidy opened the scoring with a free on seven minutes and Joe McDade following form play before Garvan Jones slotted another free.

Laois struggled to break down Fermanagh early on and eventually got on the scoresheet when Kieran Lillis finished of a good passing move on 13 minutes, and Paul Kingston got their second from a long range effort. Ultan Kelm split the posts for Fermanagh before all hell broke loose and two green flags went up in the blink of an eye. MORE BELOW PICTURE.

Evan O'Carroll of Laois is tackled by Ultán Kelm of Fermanagh.

O’Carroll found the net after a good pass inside from Damon Larkin when he won a Killian Roche kickout but it took just seconds for Callum Jones to respond with a goal at the other end.

Scores from Mark Barry and Kingston levelled things up at 1-4 apiece on 25 minutes before disaster struck again when Conor McShea was allowed to tear through the Laois defence and hit a shot at goal that deflected in off Seamus Lacey.

A couple of scores from O’Carroll reduced the gap to 2-4 to 1-6 at half time.

A quick start to the second half for Fermanagh saw them go three ahead with points from Garvan and Callum Jones before Killian Roche slotted a free in reply. Declan McCusker and Kingston traded two monstrous long range efforts as the contest started to heat up and both sides showed their attacking capabilities.

Eoin Lowry made it a one-point game with a good effort from an angle before Josh Largo-Ellis replied to bring it back to two.
Laois went ahead for the first time in the second half when Rioghan Murphy was hauled down after good work by Kingston and a penalty was awarded which Mark Barry dispatched to put them one ahead.

There was no fear of Fermanagh lying down however as they immediately went on the offensive and equalised through Brandon Horan.

Killian Roche nailed another free, but was again replied to by Largo-Ellis before Fermanagh were awarded a penalty of their own when Conor Heffernan fouled Shane McGuillon and Callum Jones slotted low into the net to make it a three point game again for Fermanagh.

Barry and Kelm traded scores from play but all the onus now was on Laois once again to go on the attack after briefly holding the advantage. MORE BELOW PICTURE.

Pictured is Laois coach Justin McNulty.

Mark Timmons did extremely well under pressure to get a shot off at goal amidst a sea of green and he once again reduced the gap to two with 66 minutes gone.

Laois were piling bodies forward in the hopes of clawing back the deficit and secure their spot in the quarter-finals.

The referee signalled four minutes to be added on giving Laois ample time to attack, but the best they could manage was to win a free inside scoring range for Kingston and he duly slotted to bring his tally to four points in what was a top-class performance from.

The referee’s whistle shrieked on 74 minutes and Laois were out of time as Fermanagh clinched top spot in the group and Laois settle for second.

SCORERS below pic.

Pictured: Mark Barry of Laois is tackled by Jonathan Cassidy of Fermanagh

Laois: Evan O’Carroll (0-1 free) and Mark Barry (1-0 pen, 0-1 free) 1-2 each, Paul Kingston 0-4 (one free), Killian Roche 0-2 (frees), Mark Timmons, Kieran Lillis and Eoin Lowry 0-1 each

Fermanagh: Callum Jones 2-1 (1-0 pen), Conor McShea 1-0, Garvan Jones (frees), Ultan Kelm and Josh Largo-Ellis 0-2 each, Brandon Horan, Declan McCusker, Joe McDade and Sean Cassidy (free) 0-1 each

TEAMS below picture:

Pictured Ciaran Burke of Laois before the Tailteann Cup Group.

LAOIS: Killian Roche (Killeshin); Dylan Kavanagh (The Heath), Kieran Lillis (Portlaoise), Mark Timmons (Graiguecullen); Seamus Lacey (Ballylinan), Brian Byrne (Graiguecullen), Simon Fingleton (Park-Ratheniska); Damon Larkin (Portlaoise), Conor Heffernan (Killeshin); Mark Barry O’Dempsey’s), Eoin Lowry (Killeshin), Kevin Swayne (Portlaoise); Rioghan Murphy (Portarlington), Evan O’Carroll (Crettyard), Paul Kingston (Arles-Killeen). Subs: Shaun Fitzpatrick (Ballyroan-Abbey) for Lillis (50, inj), Niall Dunne (Courtwood) for Lowry (61), Mikie Dempsey (St Joseph’s) for Kavanagh (65, inj), Niall Corbet (Clonaslee St Manman’s) for O’Carroll (71, inj).

FERMANAGH: Sean McNally; Lee Cullen, Che Cullen, Jonathan Cassidy; Declan McCusker, Shane McGullion, Josh Largo-Ellis; Brandon Horan, Joe McDade; Callum Jones, Conor McShea, Fionan O’Brien; Ultan Kelm, Garvan Jones, Sean Cassidy. Subs: Darragh McGurn for G Jones (45), Conor Love for Cassidy (50), Ronan McCaffrey for O’Brien and Tiarnan Bogue for McDade (both 53), Diarmuid King for C Jones (67).

REFEREE: Thomas Murphy (Galway)