Laois ran out four point winners in Pairc Esler breaking Down's unbeaten Division 3 record this season and while this final league fixture was essentially a dead rubber for both sides, it was a competitive and exciting game nonetheless.
Mathematically Laois had a slim chance of being relegated at the start of this match but by the time the first half was over, other results made sure they were safe.
Down were already sure of their Division 3 final spot after the last round, but manager Conor Laverty was aiming to keep their record intact and it looked like the game was heading that way in the second half until a goal from Laois sub Paul Kingston turned the match on its head.
Down opened the scoring with a point from Patrick Brooks after Daniel Guinness missed a two-pointer from play. The latter followed up with a score from distance but it wasn't long before Laois retaliated, with Eoin O'Carroll sending the ball between the sticks under pressure and the same player levelled the game at 0-02 apiece.
The visitors went in front when Pa Kirwin raised an orange flag and with that they hit four of the next five points to lead 0-08 to 0-03. During that spell John McGeough almost had the ball in the net for Down but it was defended well and while it rebounded back to him, the player who rarely misses a goal chance, fisted over the bar.
Laois kept their noses in front for the remainder of the half despite Pat Havern beginning to shine with the first three of his 0-11 tally. Callum Rogers came close to a maximum once again for Down before the break but it was well blocked and as they also hit a lot of wides, it was Laois who led 0-11 to 0-07 at the break.
After the restart it was a completely different Down who took to the pitch however, as they began scoring freely and with 12 points in as many minutes this game seemed more like a hurling match.
There were two-pointers from Havern and Odhran Mudock during that period and when the hosts led 0-21 to 0-14 they seemed to be on their way.
But there was a lot more to come from Laois, who were determined to finish their league campaign on a high ahead of the Leinster championship.
Kingston netted on 49 minutes and that was the impetus they needed. There were a few more traded points, but 10 minutes later a brilliant individual move saw Kingston escape his marker and cut inside riffling to the roof of the net.
That gave Laois a 2-17 to 0-22 lead and while Havern nailed another two-pointer as Down desperately tried to pull it back, he missed another from outside the arc that would have made it a two-point game. As it was. Laois held on and and won by four.
Down: R Burns; F Murdock, P Laverty, R McEvoy; P Brooks (0-02), P McCarthy, C Rogers; O Murdock (0-03. 1tp), D Guinness (0-01); M Rooney (0-01), P Fegan, E Brown (0-03); B O'Hagan, P Havern (0-11, 1tp, 1tpf), J McGeough (0-03)
Subs: R O'Hare for O'Hagan (19), R McCormack for McCarthy (56), O Savage for Brown (58)
Laois: K Roche (0-03, 1'45, 2f); A Mohan, T Collins, J Lacey; P O'Sullivan (0-02), A McEvoy, S Fingleton; K Swayne, C Heffernan; B Byrne (0-01), R Coffey (0-01,1f), C Burke; P Kirwin (0-03, 1tp), D Galvin (0-01), E O'Carroll (0-07,2f)
Subs: P Kingston (2-03, 1tp) for Galvin (h-t), R Murphy (0-01) for Kirwin (48), C Nolan for McEvoy (49), N Corbett for Coffey (58), M Dempsey for Fingleton (67)
Referee: Barry Judge (Sligo)
