Laois footballers edged out as late scores win it for Limerick

Laois slipped up on Saturday night as they let a good opportunity to pick up league points slip by. You couldn't argue with Limerick winning the game, the sides were evenly matched and both had their dominant periods. When Laois look back, they will see they had the chances to win it but in the end, it was Limerick who grabbed the final two scores to win the game.

LAOIS 0-14

LIMERICK 0-15

The one positive for Laois was the return and performance of Mark Timmons who came on in the opening half for his first taste of League action in 2022. He was immense at full back and put the brakes on Limerick full forward Josh Ryan who had been causing harm

Limerick were off the mark first with wing forward Adrian Enright clipping over a left footed effort in he fifth minute. Laois replied it n kind with the next two scores - a free from Gary Walsh while Walsh then turned provider for Sean O'Flynn to kick Laois into the lead after seven minutes.

Peter Nash instantly restored parity for the Treaty men but by the 12th minute, Laois had opened up a two point lead with Evan O'Carroll and Mark Barry both opening their accounts for the evening.

Nash edged Limerick back closer but it was the Laois men who held a slender 0-4 to 0-3 lead after 15 minutes of play.

Danny O'Reilly then put Laois into a two point lead yet again but Limerick were not going away. A fantastic curling effort from Josh Ryan brought it to 0-5 to 0-4 before Adrian Enright kicked the levelling score after 24 minutes.

It could have been a lot worse for Laois. Keeper Danny Bolger was called on to make two point blank saves from Brian Donovan and Cillian Fahy in as many minutes. Fahy did make up for his miss somewhat two minutes later when he kicked Limerick into a 0-6 to 0-5 lead after 27 minutes.

Limerick now had all the momentum and they began to make it count on the scoreboard. Josh Ryan nailed a free while Adrian Enright chipped in with his third of the half as the Munster men moved into a 0-8 to 0-5 lead deep in the half. 

Enright was proving a right handful and he added his fourth to make it a four point game while down the other end, Gary Walsh failed to convert a routine free for the Laois men.

Limerick must have been wishing that the half time whistle wouldn't come as they continued to press on for scores. Josh Ryan added his third of the evening in injury time before Eoin Lowry kicked a point for Laois four minutes into injury time, their first score in 21 minutes as they went in trailing 0-10 to 0-6 at the break.

Both sides were guilty of missing guilt edged scores early in the second half but Eoin Lowry did eventually kick the opening score of the half on 43 minutes to get Laois motoring. It took them exactly 15 minutes to wipe out the arrears and draw level with further scores from Gary Walsh (two) and Brian Byrne making it 0-10 to 0-10 after 50 minutes.

Laois kept the pressure on the Limerick men with first half substitute Mark Timmons raiding up from full back to kick Laois into the lead with 17 minutes remaining. 

Josh Ryan brought the sides level again but Laois once again snuck ahead nine minutes from time when Mark Barry curled over a close range. Their lead was short lived though as a minute later, Limerick substitute Robbie Burke made an instant impact while before the Munster men took the lead courtesy of midfielder Darragh Treacy.

The scores were flowing at this stage and Laois came straight back up the pitch and Mark Barry swung over a delightful point to level the teams at 0-13 to 0-13 with six minutes to play.

Kieran Lillis drove over a splendid point with the outside of his boot to put Laois back in front but after Robbie Burke equalised with a free, the same man found the range again from a tight angle to put Limerick ahead in the second minute of injury time and that proved to be the final score in the game.

LAOIS

Scorers: Mark Barry (0-1 free) and Gary Walsh (0-1free and 0-1 mark) 0-3 each, Eoin Lowry 0-2, Kieran Lillis, Sean O'Flynn, Brian Byrne, Evan O'Carroll, Mark Timmons and Danny O'Reilly 0-1 each.

Team: Danny Bolger; Diarmuid Bennett, Trevor Collins, Alex Mohan; Alan Farrell, John O'Loughlin, Dylan Kavanagh; Kieran Lillis, Sean O'Flynn; Brian Byrne, Eoin Lowry, Danny O'Reilly; Mark Barry, Evan O'Carroll, Gary Walsh. Subs: Gareth Dillon for Dylan Kavanagh inj (17), Mark Timmons for Diarmuid Bennett inj (32), James Finn for Alan Farrell (47), Ross Munnelly for Eoin Lowry (64)

LIMERICK

Scorers: Josh Ryan (0-1 free) 0-3, Adrian Enright 0-4 each, Robbie Burke 0-3 (0-1 free), Peter Nash 0-2, Darragh Treacy, Mike Donovan and Cillian Fahy 

Team: Donal O'Sullivan; Sean O'Dea, Luke Murphy, Mike Donovan; Cian Sheehan, Iain Corbett, Paul Maher; Darragh Treacy, Cillian Fahy; Adrian Enright, Brian Donovan, James Naughton; Peter Nash, Josh Ryan, Hugh Bourke. Subs: Killian Ryan for James Naughton (55), Robbie Burke for Josh Ryan (60), Brian Fanning for Sean O'Dea (64), Tony McCarthy for Adrian Enright (69), Colm Sweeney for Paul Maher (70)

REFEREE: Conor Dourneen (Cavan)