Draw enough to see Kildare progress

National Football League Divisions One A and One B/Kildare 0-15 Laois 1-12:Kildare booked a place in the last four of the National League for the first time since 1997 by chiselling out a deserved draw in a pulsating encounter at St Conleth's Park in Newbridge yesterday.

The sides were level no fewer than nine times, and only twice was there more than a point in it in a riveting affair.

For Laois, Brian McDonald provided the full bag of tricks in helping himself to five points and was the provider for Colm Parkinson's 17th-minute goal with a pass of wondrous vision when seemingly bottled up in the right corner.

Paul Lawlor looked to take the initiative with three points in the opening 15 minutes of the second half, but Kildare would not be denied.

As usual, John Doyle was a leading force for Kildare, but the interesting statistic from this game is that three of his points came from play and his only score from a free came from his first opportunity, two minutes from time.

This is a testament to the discipline of the Laois defenders, who did their fouling farther afield; all four yellow cards came for crude challenges on Doyle.

The Lilywhite attack profited from Laois's reluctance to give away frees in sight of goal, however, with five of the sextet getting on the scoresheet and rookie full forward Jason Phillip having a hand in many of the scores.

Tadhg Fennin was clinical, slotting three points from little possession, and with defenders Mark Hogarty and Emmet Bolton and midfielder Kevin O'Neill also weighing in with points, it was a tremendous all-round effort.

Kildare began well and led by 0-3 to 0-1 courtesy of points from Pádraig O'Neill, a brilliant score from Ken Donnelly at the end of a move begun by goalkeeper Enda Murphy, and O'Neill.

McDonald's genius brought Laois back into it with a fantastic reverse pass when somehow spotting the run of Parkinson, who toe-poked to the net.

Doyle sent over two massive left-footed points, and though McDonald and the highly influential Clancy also hit the target, it was Kildare who led by one at the break, 0-9 to 1-5 thanks to Bolton and Fennin.

Lawlor threatened to win the game on his own for Laois with his trio of scores after the interval, but Kildare refused to wilt.

But then neither side was wilting in the Newbridge cauldron.

Hogarty stormed forward to put the Lilywhites ahead after Fennin had combined well with Doyle to equalise, but McDonald fired a quick brace and the lead had changed hands again.

Substitute Tomás O'Connor levelled for Kildare with six minutes remaining, and when Doyle finally got his free, awarded for a foul on O'Neill after a fine run from Hogarty, Kildare were ahead again.

And though McDonald tied the scores entering injury time, a draw was not enough for the O'Moore men.

KILDARE: E Murphy; E Callaghan, D Lyons, A Mac Lochlainn; A Rainbow, M Hogarty (0-1), E Bolton (0-1); K Brennan, K O'Neill (0-1); J Kavanagh (0-1), J Doyle (0-4, 1f), K Donnelly (0-2); T Fennin (0-3, 1f), J Phillips, P O'Neill (0-1). Subs: T O'Connor (0-1) for Donnelly (51 mins); B Flanagan for Fennin (70 mins).

LAOIS: F Byron; P O'Leary, C Ryan, J Higgins; D Rooney, P McMahon, B McCormack; P Clancy (0-1), N Garvan; C Bergin (0-1), C Conway (0-1), D Murphy; C Parkinson (1-0), P Lawlor (0-3), B McDonald (0-5, 2fs). Subs: B Brennan (0-1) for Bergin (49 mins); K Meaney for Murphy (55 mins).

Referee: M Meade (Limerick).