Second half comeback falls short as 14 man Laois beaten by Fermanagh in Division 3

Laois have suffered their third defeat in this year's Allianz Football League Division 3 after Justin McNulty's 14 players had battled back to be level with 13 minutes left, but Fermanagh's extra man proved crucial as the home side got their first win of the campaign.

Robert Tyrrell was the Laois player who received the red card with 28 minutes on the clock. That now Laois' second game in the last three that they've been shown a straight red card.

Laois might need to go to Newry next week, needing something to stay in Division 3, but that will all depend on the results of the games on Sunday.

It took a few minutes for the game's first score, as three minutes went by before Laois' Evan O'Carroll opened the scoring. Brandon Horan replied down the other end two minutes later for the home side. Laois' goal had a bit of fortune attached to it as O'Carroll's effort on goal was saved onto the post before it ricocheted off the goalie Sean McNally and over the line.

It was from here that Fermanagh began to take control, as they went from being four points down to a point up. Darragh McGurn was central to all the good things that Fermanagh did and he almost got a goal, but his effort flashed wide of Killian Roche's net.

Five minutes later, McGurn made up for his miss as he smashed the ball past Roche. Points from Conor Love and Ronan McCaffrey put Fermanagh ahead by a point with 14 minutes on the clock. Trevor Collins popped up from defence to raise a white flag before O'Carroll took his tally to 1-3. 17 minutes went by before Laois scored again as Fermanagh kicked on.

Ciaran Corrigan and Garvan Jones put Fermanagh ahead again before O'Carroll almost got a second goal, but his shot rattled the post, and Fermanagh cleared the ball to safety. Horan pushed Fermanagh two points ahead, but that would soon go to five points as they raised their second green flag. A long ball in from McGurn dropped short and fell straight into the hands of Luke Flanagan, who couldn't miss from where he was in the small square.

Laois' task was made a lot harder with 28 minutes on the clock as Courtwood's Rob Tyrrell was shown a straight red card by Kevin Faloon for kicking out at a Fermanagh player. Horan scored his third point of the half before Killian Roche came forward to point a free to end 17 minutes without a point for Laois. Fermanagh led 2-7 to 1-5 at the sounding of the hooter at half-time.

McGurn was once again to the fore for Fermanagh as he pointed to push them further ahead. Laois got back to within three points with their next two scores as Killian Roche slotted a two-point free between the posts before he gave an assist from a free for Rioghan Murphy to get his first of the evening.

Love and McGurn popped up with a point each as Fermanagh's lead went back to five. Laois took the game from the scruff of the neck as they scored five points unanswered with a player less. O'Carroll pointed a free before Conor Heffernan took a solo and go on the halfway line before sprinting forward and scoring a point. Substitutes Brian Byrne and Paul Kingston scored a point each with O'Carroll pointing a free in between the two points.

It was now game on and Laois were right back in the contest, but Fermanagh were then gifted a chance to go ahead when referee Kevin Faloon blew up Roche for taking too long to kick out the ball after a Fermanagh wide. Love stepped up to put the home side in front yet again.

Love and Ronan McCaffrey pushed that lead to three points with 62 minutes played. O’Carroll added another score to his tally when he pointed a free. Roche then made a superb save to deny Oisin Kelm after a shot had hit the upright and fell to the Fermanagh substitute, but somehow Roche got down to get his hand on it.

That gave Laois one final chance at potentially raising an orange flag or even a better a green one, but it wasn’t to be however as Fermanagh recorded their first win of this year’s Division 3.

Laois’ final game of the league campaign comes against Down in Newry on Sunday, March 22.

Full Time

Fermanagh 2-13

Laois 1-14 

SCORERS – Fermanagh: Darragh McGurn 1-2, Conor Love 0-4 (0-1 free), Luke Flanagan 1-0, Brandon Horan 0-3, Ronan McCaffery 0-2, Ciaran Corrigan and Garvan Jones 0-1 each. Laois: Evan O’Carroll 1-6 (0-3 frees, one two-pointer), Killian Roche 0-3 (0-1 free, one two-point free), Trevor Collins, Conor Heffernan, Rioghan Murphy, Brian Byrne, and Paul Kingston 0-1 each. 

LAOIS: Killian Roche (Killeshin); Jake Darcy (Annanough), Jack Lacey (St Joseph's), Trevor Collins (Graiguecullen); Paddy O'Sullivan (Portarlington), Aaron McEvoy (Ballyroan-Abbey), Simon Fingleton (Park-Ratheniska); Rob Tyrrell (Courtwood), Conor Heffernan (Killeshin); Kevin Swayne (Portlaoise), Ronan Coffey (Portarlington), Darren Brennan (Portlaoise); Rioghan Murphy (Portarlington), Daragh Galvin (Portarlington), Evan O'Carroll (Crettyard). Subs: Paul Kingston (Arles-Killeen) for O'Carroll (Blood, 6-11 mins), Pa Kirwan (Emo) for Brennan and Brian Byrne (Graiguecullen) for Darcy (Both 47 mins), Paul Kingston (Arles-Killeen) for Galvin (48 mins), Ciaran Burke (Crettyard) for Murphy (54 mins), Niall Corbet (Clonaslee St Manman's) for Coffey (66 mins)

FERMANAGH: Sean McNally; Jonathan Cassidy, Oisin Smyth, Luke Flanagan; Shane McGullion, Ronan McCaffrey, Josh Largo Elis; Conor McGee, Brandon Horan; Declan McCusker, Darragh McGurn, Ciaran Corrigan; Conor Love, Garvan Jones, Stephen McGullion. Subs: Aogan Kelm for Horan (54 mins), James McMahon for McGee and Garry McKenna for Jones (Both 57 mins), Oisin Kelm for Corrigan (60 mins)

Referee: Kevin Faloon (Armagh)