'We can't be proud of that performance'-Justin McNulty reacts to Laois' defeat to Fermanagh

Laois suffered their third defeat of the Division 3 campaign on Saturday evening, going down by two points to Fermanagh in Enniskillen.

Despite that loss, results elsewhere over the weekend mean Laois are still very likely to retain their Division 3 status for 2027. For relegation to occur, several results would have to fall against them, including a heavy defeat to Down, a big Limerick win over Fermanagh and Sligo overcoming Clare. However, if Laois manage to take anything from their final game against Down, their place in Division 3 will be secured regardless of other outcomes.

After the game, Laois manager Justin McNulty acknowledged Fermanagh’s performance, noting that the hosts, who had entered the contest rooted to the bottom of the table and already destined for Division 4 next season, showed greater determination on the evening. McNulty also felt the decision for Laois to travel on the day of the match, ahead of a 6pm throw-in, contributed to his side’s slow start.

“Credit to Fermanagh, languishing at the bottom of the table with no points, and they came out and put it up to us and showed more fight over the 75, 80 minutes probably. We didn't manage the journey that well because we were very flat for the first 15-20 minutes, even though we got a good start. We didn't fire in the first half, got ourselves in a very difficult position, half-time a man down, looked like a really uphill battle, but credit to the fellas that they dug in. They did assemble a fight back in the second half, and we got ourselves in a position to win the game. A little bit more composure, and we could have come away with points, but on the whole, we might have just been undeserving on the evening because our performance was subpar,” McNulty said.

One moment that highlighted Laois’ struggles during the opening half arrived when Fermanagh struck for their second goal. A long delivery from Darragh McGurn caused problems in the Laois defence and full-back Luke Flanagan found himself completely unmarked in the small square. When the ball dropped to him, he made no mistake in finishing past Killian Roche.

READ NEXT: The report from Saturday evening's game

“We were waiting for things to happen as opposed to taking control, and they dominated the kick-out. That goal was poor and something that we wouldn't expect that would be the norm. It’s something we’ll look at, and we’ll try to figure out how we can improve it. Obviously, the players are unhappy, us as a coaching team and me as the manager, we're all unhappy with this, we don't think we gave a performance that we can be proud of. We expect to go out and deliver a battling performance from the first minute through the 75th, 80th minute and that didn't happen tonight, and when that doesn't happen, you can't expect to get results,” he said.

Another key issue for Laois was their struggles around midfield, particularly from restarts, with Fermanagh repeatedly claiming kick-outs cleanly. Under the current rules, that dominance can often dictate the flow of the game and allow teams to maintain attacking pressure.

“It's a huge element of the game. They dominated the kick-outs and we didn't disrupt theirs successfully enough. When you're a man down, that becomes an even harder task, but they bullied us around the middle of the park tonight. We recognise that and we’re embarrassed by that fact, and I know the boys don't accept that as being what they expect or what they think is okay. They're going to be very, very determined to rectify that,” McNulty admitted.

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Laois now turn their attention to their final fixture of the league campaign, which will see them travel to Newry to face table-toppers Down. The Mournemen have been the standout team in the division so far, winning all six of their games and sitting comfortably at the summit.

McNulty accepts the scale of the task awaiting his side but believes the trip north also presents an opportunity for Laois to respond after their disappointing display against Fermanagh.

“Down are demolishing all before them in this division. We are under no illusions as to how tough and how massive a challenge that will be. Down are just cleaning the boards with all before them. They're a good side, and they’re probably not a Division 3 team; they know that, and I know that, but we could be going there looking for points. That's a tall order, and it's a tough, tough task, a really challenging journey for us next Sunday, but one we're looking forward to and one we hope we can restore some pride because we can't be proud of that performance tonight,” he concluded.

Laois' final game against Down takes place on Sunday, March 22, in Páirc Esler in Newry.