Kerry 3-14 Laois 0-19
Two goals within a minute of each other ten minutes from the end helped complete a remarkable comeback by Kerry in their Division 1B contest with Laois at Austin Stack Park.
Widely regarded as the two teams that will contest the relegation play-off at the end of the campaign, this win will give Kerry huge motivation to possibly pip Offaly in the final round and avoid that scenario.
Kerry trailed for 63 minutes of this game at a bitingly cold Tralee until Mikey Boyle's point edged them 3-10 to 0-18 ahead.
That score came just three minutes after two green flags for the Kingdom; Padraig Boyle pulling first on a loose ball to make it 2-09 to 0-18 and Colum Harty finishing Shane Nolan's pass beyond Eoin Fleming 50 seconds later as Kerry's remarkable recovery took hold.
Kerry had trailed by nine points at half time, and even though Padraig Boyle goaled from a penalty two minutes after the restart it never looked good for Kerry until that double goal strike.
The first half was a free-ridden affair and a shoot out between free takers Stephen Maher and Shane Nolan, with the former winning that contest by six points to three, as Laois dominated much of the half.
Kerry's Nolan had kept the home side in touch with a few frees but he was also guilty of a few bad misses, which hurt Kerry.
Willie Dunphy scored four points for Laois in the first half, albeit with the visitors playing with a stiff breeze, and Kerry had a mountain to climb as they trailed 0-4 to 0-13 at the break.
In the 37th minute Padraig Boyle was fouled on the Laois goal line and smoothly converted the penalty to start an inexorable Kerry comeback.
Kerry certainly hurled with much more intent in the second half but were still six points behind before those two 60th minute goals levelled it at 3-9 to 0-18.
As Laois panicked and lost their composure late scores from the Boyle brothers, Nolan (free), Harty and Paudie O'Connor completed a remarkable comeback to hand Kerry manager Fintan O'Connor a vital win over former Kerry boss Eamonn Kelly.
Kerry: A McCabe, S Weir, R Horgan, B Murphy, P Costello, P Kelly, D Dineen, P O’Connor (0-1), C Harty (1-2), J Goulding, M Boyle (0-2), D Collins (0-2), J Conway, P Boyle (2-1, 1-0 pen), S Nolan (0-6, 5f). Subs:
Subs: K Carmody for J Conway (53), J O’Connor for J Goulding (72)
Laois: E Fleming, D Palmer, R Mullaney, P Lawlor, L Bergin, M Whelan, P Whelan (0-1), P Purcell, B Conroy (0-1), C Taylor, N Foyle (0-1), R King, W Dunphy (0-4), C Dwyer, S Maher (0-11f).
Subs: PJ Scully (0-1 sl) for C Taylor (57), E Lyons for P Whelan (60), S Downey for R Mullaney (63), C Healy for N Foyle (66),
Referee: Johnny Murphy (Limerick)
