Laois 0-14 Tyrone 1-14
Tyrone maintained their unbeaten run in Allianz FL Division 2 with a three-point victory over Laois in Portlaoise.
A strong second half display from the visitors saw them take a hard earned three-point win, with substitute Padraig McNulty netting the only goal of the contest in the closing 13 minutes.
Laois hadn’t beaten Tyrone in the league in over a decade, and early indications pointed to this game being a tight affair, but ultimately the Red Hands kicked on for victory.
Tyrone started brightly with points from Mark Bradley and Darren McCurry, but Laois drew level but he 10th minute, following scores from Paul Cahillane and Gary Walsh.
Tyrone edged in front again by the 14th minute with Barry Tierney placing them 0-03 to 0-02 in front.
However, Laois hit a purple patch, registering four of the next five points with John O’Loughlin taking two fine scores from play during this spell.
Ahead by two points with 11 minutes to go before the interval, Laois looked good, but rued six first-half wides, with Tyrone defending well through the likes of Tierney, HP McGeary and Justin McMahon.
Tyrone ended the half with four unanswered points, with Ronan O’Neill and Tiernan McCann on target to level the tie in the 27th minute.
Despite Tyrone also being wasteful with seven first half wides, they took the lead at the break.
The visitors shaded a 0-08 to 0-06 interval lead, with late points from Niall Sludden and O’Neill in injury-time.
Tyrone added a further four unanswered points on the restart, as they totally controlled proceedings.
O’Neill and Tiernan McCann added to their tally, while Mattie Donnelly registered two fine back-to-back scores from play, as Mickey Harte’s side powered to a double-scores 0-12 to 0-06 lead.
Laois’s first score in 20 minutes arrived from the boot of John O’Loughlin, but Tyrone were sharper.
An injury to Ronan O’Neill halted Tyrone’s momentum, with a score from Laois substitute Ruairi O’Connor cut the gap to five points entering the final quarter.
Donnelly and Donal Kingston traded points, before less than a minute after his introduction McNulty had the ball in the Laois net to ensure a 1-14 to 0-09 lead.
Indeed Laois kicked five unanswered points in response to the Dungannon clubman’s goal, with brothers Donal and Paul Kingston on target.
However, Tyrone held out to claim a deserved win, with keeper Michael O’Neill denying an equalising goal from Niall Donoher, after a well-placed save, and an O’Connor late scoring chance blocked.
TYRONE: M O’Neill; C McCarron, J McMahon, HP McGarry; T McCann (0-02), A McCrory, B Tierney (0-01); C Cavanagh, M Donnelly (0-03); N Sludden (0-02), M Bradley (0-01), C Meyler; D McCurry (0-02, 1f), S Cavanagh, R O’Neill (0-03, 2f).
Subs: J Monroe for Tierney (48); R Donnelly for Bradley (50); P Harte for O'Neill (50); P McNulty (1-00) for C Cavanagh (56); L Brennan for McCurry (58); P Hampsey for McMahon (59).
LAOIS: G Brody; R Kehoe, P Cotter, D Seale; D Strong, C Begley, G Dillon; J O’Loughlin (0-03), B Quigley; N Donoher, G Walsh (0-02, 1 45), C Meredith; P Cahillane (0-01, 1f), D Kingston (0-05, 3f), K Lillis (0-01).
Subs: D O’Connor for Cotter (39); R O’Connor (0-01) for Walsh (47); E Costello for Meredith (53); D O’Reilly for Dillon (56); P Kingston (0-01) for Cahillane (59); A Farrell for Strong (63).
