‘After two performances that we weren't happy with the players deserve all the credit here’ McNulty
Laois's Ben Dempsey breaking from the back against Sligo Photo: Denis Byrne
THE Laois senior footballers put in a superb performance in Portlaoise on Saturday evening as they got the better of Sligo to register their first win in this year’s Division 3.
The conditions in Portlaoise weren’t ideal with a gale-force wind blowing straight down the field from the Abbeyleix end into The Town end.
Speaking after the game, Laois manager Justin McNulty said that his players deserve all the credit to bounce back from their defeat to Wexford and their opening round draw to Limerick.
“I think we said before the match that the weather is with us and it turned out so. The players deserve all the credit here. After two performances that we weren't happy with and things went wrong on so many fronts, for them to have dug deep in the manner they did. They demonstrated guts, demonstrated manliness, demonstrated a huge fight, and they should be very proud of themselves,” he said.
Laois got off to a slow start having played with the wind in the first 35 minutes as Sligo went three points to no score ahead. It was from here that Laois used that wind to their advantage to get 12 points unanswered.
“In the conditions, with the wind, to have done that was extraordinary and just controlled possession football, working their scores, backing themselves. It was phenomenal in terms of the belief the fellas demonstrated in themselves and each other and given how big a blow they took last week, it was a huge indicator of the character of the fellas, which was phenomenal,” McNulty said.
Park/Ratheniska’s Simon Fingleton returned to the Laois team for the first time since injuring his shoulder against Louth in the Leinster Championship in April 2025. McNulty described Fingleton as a warrior just like the other lads who played their part in the victory.
“Simon, credit to him, massive injury and took a huge effort to get back playing at all and to play like that on his first day back, it's phenomenal and we just know Simon's a warrior, there were 15 warriors, 20 warriors tonight.
“Great performance from the boys in the squad who were here already training before the match, they were giving it their all and brought a huge energy and a huge fight to the whole environment and that's what delivered that performance because it was a combined effort from the whole group and they should all be very proud of that,” he added.
Laois will be hoping to use Saturday’s seven-point victory as a catalyst for what’s to come, but McNulty knows that nothing is a given in sport and is aware of the challenge facing Laois in Ennis on Sunday next.
“There’s nothing automatic in football, you have to go out and fight and prove it every day. We know Clare are a tough, tough opposition and we know there's major elements of our performance we have to improve upon, if we're going to be even competitive next weekend. That’s where we’re going to focus towards now, being better, because we have to be better to take on Clare away from home and that's going to be one hell of a challenge for us,” McNulty said.
When asked if his players needed motivation in the first training session after the Wexford defeat, McNulty referenced that his players knew what they needed to do to write the wrongs.
“All credit to the lads, they took ownership of it, they knuckled down, kept their heads down and worked diligently and collectively and showed the fight inside them,” he concluded.
