Cynics who believe that players who partake in the National Leagues at this time of year are less than committed to the cause of their counties would have been sorely disappointed at O'Moore Park in Portlaoise yesterday. Laois and Kildare tore into each other with such fervour that the referee, Paddy Russell from Tipperary, was minded to show seven yellow cards and one red. By the end, Kildare had edged out Laois in what was a highly entertaining match. It was not pretty but it was competitive. Russell was a little over-vigilant but, as players clattered into each other from the start, he had an unenviable task.

The sides came back to the league scene with a determination which would have done justice to a championship match.

The pace of the match and the fitness of the players on a splendid pitch in good weather conditions was astonishing. Laois seemed determined to take the All-Ireland finalists down a peg or two. Kildare, realising that their reputation and their aspirations were at stake, responded in kind.

The result was some over-competitive play, but the huge crowd, which approached 10,000, enjoyed it thoroughly, and if Laois supporters might have felt that they deserved a draw they could scarcely have been blamed for their disappointment.

The records will show that Padraig Graven contributed six points for Kildare (five from frees), but his contribution was more significant. His midfield colleagues Niall Buckley and Willie McCreery and Karl O'Dwyer also contributed significantly. John Finn, Glen Ryan and Anthony Rainbow in the halfback line put in fine efforts, while Christy Byrne in the KIldare goal was heroic at times.

The Laois defence too played a major part in a most entertaining match. As they coped with the Kildare attack they refused to buckle, and if their efforts were frowned upon from time to time by referee Russell they never flagged nor flinched. It was significant that, when Kildare seemed to be under some threat, they were forced to withdraw Karl O'Dwyer to a roving role further out the field.

Even when he scored two points (one from play and one from a free) to give Kildare a four-point cushion with only five minutes to go, Laois did not falter and managed to narrow the gap to a single point by the time the final whistle sounded. Considering that Gordon Lawlor of Laois was sent off for an "off the ball" foul on Declan Kerrigan after 12 minutes of the second half, this was an even more impressive late performance by Laois. In the early part of the match the scales seemed evenly balanced, but Laois with late points by Lawlor and Greg Ramsbottom took a two-point lead at half time.

By that stage three Laois players had been shown the yellow card: Paddy Conway, John Kealy and David Sweeney. Later Noel Garvan, Tony Maher of Laois and Karl O'Dwyer and Niall Buckley of Kildare saw the yellow card.

For all that it was not a mean match, merely indisciplined.

The excellent Paul McCormack for Kildare cut the lead to a point after six minutes of the second half and Graven pointed another free after six minutes to level the scores. Then, after an interception when Laois tried to work their way out of defence, Graven put Kildare ahead again. Cathal Sheridan made the most of a massive clearance by McCreery and O'Dwyer, basking in wider fields, added two more, one from a free kick. It was then that Laois showed their mettle with a point by Colm Parkinson and a free by Ian Fitzgerald to cut the lead further.

A sweeping move by Tony Maher, Parkinson, John Kelly, McEvoy and Fitzgerald yielded another point for Laois, but time had run out.

Laois: F Byron; E Delaney, D Rooney, G Doyle; P Conway, M Lawlor, R McEvoy; T Maher, J Kelly; G Lawlor (0-1), I Fitzgerald (0-3, one free), D Sweeney (0-1); M Fennelly, D Delaney (0-1), G Ramsbottom ((0-2). Subs: N Garvan for McEvoy (half-time), C Parkinson (0-1) for Garvan (52 mins), S Kelly for Fennelly (28 mins).

Kildare: C Byrne; B Lacey, E Mulhall, K Doyle; K Finn, G Ryan, A Rainbow; N Buckley, W McCreery; P Graven (0-6, five frees), D Kerrigan, P McCormack (0-1); B Murphy, K O'Dwyer (0-2, one free), C Sheridan (0-1). Subs: P Brennan for Murphy (half-time).

Referee: P Russell (Tipperary).