Collective refusal to panic saw Laois over the line

LAOIS may have left it late, but there was a stubbornness and steel to their performance against Offaly that bodes well heading into the knockout stages of the Tailteann Cup.

Mark Barry’s nerveless injury-time penalty may have secured the result, but it was a collective refusal to panic in the face of adversity that saw Laois over the line in Cedral St Conleth’s Park, Newbridge.

The return of Barry was in itself a significant pre-match boost, as he passed a late fitness test to start. His presence, calm under pressure and clinical from the spot, proved decisive when the game hung in the balance. But Laois had already shown plenty of character before that defining moment.

Time and again, Offaly landed what could easily have been knockout blows. Their first goal just before the break sent them in a point ahead after Laois had bossed much of the first half. When Jordan Hayes rattled the net off the underside of the crossbar midway through the second period to level the contest, it could have broken Laois' momentum. And when Ruairi McNamee put Offaly two ahead with two minutes of normal time to go, it looked like Laois had finally run out of road.

But each time, Laois found a way back.

Much of that resilience stemmed from clever in-game decisions on the sideline. One of the biggest was the switch of Damon Larkin from midfield into full-forward, a tactical tweak that reaped immediate and crucial rewards. Larkin finished with 2-1 to his name, his movement and finishing touch giving Laois a much-needed edge close to goal. His first goal was the culmination of a slick team move; the second was simpler in its making as Larkin got the ball from Conor Heffernan, who had caught a kick-out from Killian Roche.

Laois were also sharp in seizing momentum when it was offered. Offaly were punished for their errors, and Laois took full advantage. The two-point scores from Michael Doran and Niall Corbet typified their willingness to shoot on sight and take risks.

Defensively, there are questions to answer, conceding three goals is never part of the plan, but credit must also go to players like Ben Dempsey and Paddy O’Sullivan, who made two goal-saving interventions at either end of the contest.

Laois may only have finished third in their group, but they have scored heavily and battled through setbacks. There is plenty to tidy up before next weekend’s preliminary quarter-final, but crucially, they’re still in the hunt, and showing signs of a team that won’t go away quietly.