Laois 2-18 Antrim 1-13
A brace of goals in the final five minutes secured Division 1B status for Laois in 2016 as the O’Moore County recorded a 2-18 to 1-13 relegation play-off win over Antrim in Portlaoise.
Zane Keenan (1-06) and Ross King (1-02) raised green flags after Antrim had bridged a six-point deficit to level the tie in the 65th minute.
Earlier, Keenan fired five pointed frees as Laois led by 0-13 to 1-06 at half-time, with Ciaran Clarke netting Antrim’s goal.
The sides were well balanced in the second half, and despite a straight red card for Ryan McCambridge, Antrim fired five unanswered points, including scores from Clarke and Paul Shiels (0-03) to level at 1-13 to 0-16.
However, Laois kicked on, firing 2-02 without reply as Antrim were left to face a promotion/relegation battle with Westmeath or Kerry in a fortnight.
Laois manager Seamus Plunkett made two changes in personnel from the side named midweek, with Enda Rowland replacing Eoin Reilly between the posts, while Joe Campion came into the team instead of Matthew Whelan.
A number of positional switches were made, with Matthew’s brother Patrick dropping back to the half-back line and Cha Dwyer installed in the forwards.
Antrim kept the same 15, but saw Paul Shiels drop into defence and Neil McManus switch to half-forward.
Campion began this game strongly for Laois, firing the opening score after 30 seconds before both sides registered their first wide of the evening.
Antrim captain Neil McManus equalised after three minutes, but once Dwyer fired the first of his three points from play 30 seconds later, Laois would lead until deep into the second half.
Dwyer pushed Laois 0-03 to 0-01 ahead after four minutes, and although Antrim outscored Laois by 0-02 to 0-01 by the eighth minute, with Conor Carson and Shiels on target, the Saffrons were unable to break in front.
Keenan converted frees either side of Dwyer’s third point as Laois took a 0-07 to 0-03 lead after 15 minutes.
The hosts were looking good, but after a mix-up between Rowland and Conor Dunne in the Laois defence, Clarke snuck the ball to the net to cut the gap to the minimum at the end of the first quarter.
Laois were strongest before the break, with Keenan continuing to impress with his dead-ball accuracy, while PJ Scully, Patrick Whelan and Ross King added scores from play as Laois led 0-13 to 1-06 at half-time.
Laois pushed six points clear by the 40th minute with scores from Scully and Campion from play, but could have been further ahead.
In between these scores, Tommy Fitzgerald set up King for a shot on goal, but the Rathdowney/Errill clubman had his effort blocked by keeper Chrissy O’Connell.
Both sides were goal-hungry, but Clarke failed to land his second goal in the 40th minute after taking on the Laois defence as his shot went inches to the right of Rowland for Antrim’s seventh wide.
The sides were well balanced on the scoreboard in the 10-minute period after the restart, with the Saffrons responding with pointed frees from Clarke and Shiels.
Antrim could have dropped their heads when referee David Hughes dismissed McCambridge following consultation with linesman Paud O’Dwyer, but Kevin Ryan’s charges responded well as Odhran McFadden, Clarke and Shiels helped cut the gap to the minimum as the final quarter approached.
Laois needed a score badly and they ended a 13-minute drought when Keenan landed his sixth pointed free, but Antrim continued to cause problems for the Laois defence.
Clarke brought his tally to 1-05 with a well-struck free before a nine-minute spell which failed to produce a score.
Both sides misfired during this period with Antrim inspired after O’Connell made a fine save from a Scully shot on goal, while at the opposite end substitute Daniel McKernan struck a fine score from play to level the tie.
But Laois weren’t to let Antrim go away from Portlaoise with 1B in sight for 2016, as the O’Moore’s dug deep with two cracking goals from Keenan and King inside a minute to put Laois on the road to victory.
Campion was among those who defended well late on for the hosts, who finished this game with fine points from play from Scully and Willie Hyland on the way to an eight-point win.
Scorers for Laois: Z Keenan (6f) 1-06; R King 1-02; C Dwyer, PJ Scully 0-03 each; J Campion 0-02; W Hyland, P Whelan 0-01 each.
Scorers for Antrim: C Clarke (4f) 1-05; P Shiels (3f 0-03; C Carson, E Campbell, D McKernan, N McManus, O McFadden 0-01 each.
Laois: E Rowland; JA Delaney, C Healy, C Dunne; P Whelan, J Walsh, J Fitzpatrick; Z Keenan, P Purcell; C Dwyer, J Campion, W Hyland; T Fitzgerald, R King, PJ Scully.
Subs: D Palmer for P Purcell (55); J Purcell for Fitzgerald (61); B Conroy for Walsh (67).
Antrim: C O’Connell; R McCambridge, N McAuley, A Graffin; S McCrory, P Shiels, O McFadden; Ciaran Johnson, M Bradley; C Carson, E Campbell, N McManus; C Clarke, PJ O’Connell, C Clarke.
Subs: T McCann for McCrory (25); Matthew Donnelly for Bradley (48); D McKernan for McCann (48).
Referee: David Hughes (Carlow)
