Delaney goal lifts the gloom

Strange how a game that came loaded with talk of points should provide so few. With the half-time0-4 to 0-3 in favour of Laois, a few fans in O'Moore Park must have wondered if either team would extend their total any further. Worse for Laois was that they had turned into the stiff headwind for the second half.

While the scores remained far from free flowing, the enthusiasm of both teams certainly compensated. Laois kept their heads and kept running in all directions and in the end were well deserving of the six-point victory. And the decisive score - Damien Delaney's goal - was worth the proverbial admission price alone.

It also leaves Mick O'Dwyer and his team riding high of Division 1B. Though he was quick to point out afterwards that they still need one more victory from their remaining two games to be sure of a play-off spot, the path is certainly a lot clearer.

For Sligo the focus remains on survival. Peter Ford found nothing but disappointment in yesterday's performance, and also talked of his teams "embarrassment" at being awarded the points from the loss against Kildare.

So not for the first time this season Ford kept his men in the dressing room for a long while afterwards. Shortly into the second half they'd actually levelled the scores again at 0-4 apiece and with the wind in their backs too they appeared to hold the winning cards. Incredibly, they wouldn't score again until late into injury time with a mere compensation point for Dessie Sloyan. Before that both Gerry McGowan and Sloyan were guilty of hitting several poor frees.

Laois, it has to be said, weren't much better. Colm Parkinson was introduced to good effect and helped their running game and two frees from Delaney helped too but still they failed to shake-off Sligo. Joe Higgins also popped up from corner back too for his contribution, but going into the last 10 minutes the game was still finely balanced - 0-7 to 0-4 in favour of Laois. Then came the move of the match. Pauric Clancy started the charge from well inside his own half and eventually laid off to Brian McDonald. His flick found Parkinson in a great position, but even better placed was Delaney - who almost calmly palmed the final pass into the net.

LAOIS: F Byron; T Kelly, C Byrne, J Higgins (0-1); D Rooney, K Fitzpatrick, D Conroy; P Clancy, N Garvan; C Conway, I Fitzgerald (0-3, one free), M Lawlor (0-1); B McDonald, H Emerson, D Delaney (1-3, three frees). Subs: D Miller for Emerson; A Fennelly for Conway (both half time); C Parkinson for Conroy (53); R Munnelly for Lawlor (62); D Sweeney for Delaney (72).

SLIGO: P Greene; M Cosgrove, N Carew, P Gallagher; N McGuire, M Langan, B Philips; P Durcan, P Doohan; J McPartland, E O'Hara, S Davey; M Brehony (0-2), G Maye, G McGowan (0-2, both frees). Subs: D Sloyan (0-1) for Maye (45 mins), P Taylor for McPartland (55 mins).

Referee: G Kinneavy (Roscommon)