Next stop Tailteann Cup as Laois footballers see Leinster campaign ended by Louth

Laois have been knocked out of this year's Leinster Football Championship after Louth had five points to spare over Justin McNulty's side in Cedral St Conleth's Park on Sunday. Laois put in a superb performance, but two second-half goals from Louth saw them over the line. 

Louth 2-16

Laois 0-17

Laois kicked into the breeze for the first 35 minutes, with Louth getting the first score of this Leinster Championship quarter-final. Ciaran Byrne, who came into the starting 15 in place of Louth midfielder Tommy Durnin, turned his marker and split the posts. Laois had a slight goal chance with five minutes on the clock, but Mark Barry couldn't get enough power into his soccer-style effort along the ground. Louth increased their lead to two a minute later as Kieran McArdle curled the ball between the uprights.

Laois' captain Brian Byrne was fouled for Justin McNulty's side to open their scoring with Ronan Coffey pointing the resulting free. Louth's Ciaran Byrne took his tally to two points soon after. Laois had another chance to get in for a goal, potentially, but Kevin Swayne over-hit his hand-pass over the top to Barry. Danny O'Reilly opened his account for Laois before Louth hit two scores on the trot courtesy of Ciaran Downey and Peter Lynch.

The O'Moore County trailed by three points at this stage, but a five-minute spell of three scores unanswered saw them level with 17 minutes played. Barry pointed a free, Damon Larkin fisted the ball over, and Niall Corbet all scored to put Laois right back into the game. Louth replied with two points of their own as Downey and Andy McDonnell raised white flags. 

Laois hit a purple patch and got the next four scores to go ahead for the first time in Newbridge. Coffey and Barry scored from play, with Brian Byrne having a great goal chance saved by Niall McDonnell. Barry added another two points to his tally, one from a free, to see Laois go nine points to seven in front. Ryan Burns pointed a free in the second minute of added time as Laois went into the dressing rooms ahead by a single point, 0-9 to 0-8.

Louth's start to the second-half was probably the winning of the game for them as they scored 1-2 without reply. Their goal came courtesy of a penalty after Trevor Collins fouled Paul Matthews in the square. Burns stepped up to send Killian Roche the wrong way. Burns raised a white flag from play a minute later while Downey curled over his third point of the game for Louth. Laois' 10th point was simple in its making as a great catch from Conor Heffernan saw him play the ball to Benny Carroll, and he played in Coffey to score. Simon Fingleton put his body on the line to deny a Louth goal, and it cost him as he had to go off the field with what looked like a wrist injury.

Burns pointed the 45' which came from that Fingleton intervention. Laois cut Louth's lead to a single point as Larkin and two points from Barry saw Laois narrow the gap. Louth pushed that lead back to three again courtesy of Craig Lennon and Tommy Durnin. Benny Carroll was shown a black card in the 58th minute as Louth broke away for that Tommy Durnin point.

Laois kept plugging away and kicked the next scores with a man less. Brian Byrne's effort at goal was saved over by McDonnell, and Barry slotted over another point from play. Louth hit the front from here with the man advantage and scored 1-3 unanswered. Ciaran Byrne scored two of the points while Dylan McKeown pointed from the bench, with Byrne getting Louth's second goal after he rounded Laois goalkeeper Killian Roche. Laois ended the game with two late points from Barry (free) and Kevin Swayne.

Laois now head for the Tailteann Cup, which begins on the weekend of May 10 and 11. Louth will face Kildare in a Leinster Championship semi-final.