Laois Senior footballers second-best as Kildare cruise in Newbridge

Laois have suffered their second defeat in this year's Allianz Football League Division 3 campaign after they were comfortably beaten by Kildare in Cedral St Conleth's Park on Saturday evening.

Justin McNulty's side were no match for Kildare, who raced into an early five-point lead and they never looked back to win by 12 points in the end.

Kildare 0-21

Laois 0-9

Kildare took the game to Laois from the first whistle and had a point on the board inside 30 seconds as Cathal Hagney fisted the ball over the bar. Then came the game's first two-pointer as Ben McCormack raised an orange flag from outside the 40-metre arc. Niall Kelly kicked two scores back-to-back as Kildare led five points to nil with only four minutes played.

Eight minutes went by and Laois had no score to their name but should have had with Mark Barry missing a very kickable free by his standards. Ronan Coffey finally got Laois off the mark with a well-taken score. Kildare would increase their lead by two points as Callum Bolton scored the game's second two-pointer after 10 minutes. At this stage, Laois had a mammoth task ahead of them trailing seven points to one. Alex Beirne added a free to Kildare's tally.

Barry still hadn't found his shooting boots as he missed a second free in the same position. The O'Dempsey's forward finally opened his account with 19 minutes played in what was only Laois' second score. Beirne popped over a second score of the evening after patient build-up from Brian Flanagan's side. Barry kicked over a third point for Laois from a free after Kildare's Callum Bolton was penalised for not letting Laois take a quick free. 

Kildare similarly ended the half the way they started it as they got the last three scores of the first period. Ben McCormack, Darragh Swords and David Hyland all raised white flags as Kildare led 0-12 to 0-3 at the break.

It didn't take long for Kildare to increase their advantage as Swords fisted a point over the bar. Coffey kicked a second point from play for Laois, their only scorer from open play until the 60th minute when Seamus Lacey raised a white flag. Kildare could have had a goal two minutes later but Niall Kelly's effort went over the bar instead of under it. Laois were then reduced to 14 men for 10 minutes as Pa Kirwan was shown a black card by referee Conor Lane. 

In that time, Kildare raised a further four white flags courtesy of Hagney, Brian McLoughlin (two) and Kevin Feely. Didier Cordonnier slotted over a 45' after Kirwan returned to the field. Seamus Lacey and Josh Hogan got a point each for Laois but the game was all but over at that stage. Feely and Conor Heffernan traded points before Kildare's Ryan Sinkey rattled the crossbar with Killian Roche out of the goals. Niall Dolan came off the bench to kick a 21st point for the home side.

Laois ended with two points courtesy of Barry and Pa Kirwan as Kildare ran out convincing winners in the end to continue their unbeaten run in Division 3 with four wins from four. Laois play Antrim in Laois Hire O'Moore Park on Saturday, March 1 in Round 5.