National Football League: Division One B: Padraic McMahon's sizzling second-half goal knocked the stuffing out of struggling Sligo at ice-cold Markievicz Park yesterday. Laois were never headed in a game dominated by Mick O'Dwyer's well-drilled side.
The visitors were assisted by a strong wind in the first half, but erratic shooting cost them at least half a dozen scores during the opening 35 minutes.
Chris Conway got the Leinster men off the mark inside a minute before Brendan Egan opened Sligo's account.
Laois took complete control of the game in the last five minutes of the first half, notching three unanswered points to lead by 0-8 to 0-3 at half-time.
John McPartland opened the second-half scoring with a Sligo point on 42 minutes, but Dom Corrigan's side then hit a sticky patch. They failed to raise the flag for 12 minutes during which Laois tagged on four points, two from free-taker Conway.
Points by Dessie Sloyne and Noel McGuire reduced the deficit to manageable proportions, but the Yeats County side were unable to come to grips with the intensity and polish of their opponents' play.
LAOIS: F Byron; P McDonald, C Begley, T McDonald; K Kelly (0-1), D Rooney, P McMahon (1-0); P Clancy (0-2), N Garvan; R Munnelly (0-3), C Conway (0-3), B Sheehan (0-2); P Lawlor, S Kelly, (0-3), D Kavanagh (0-1). Subs: D Brennan for Kavanagh (68 mins), M Dunne for Sheehan (70 mins).
SLIGO: P Greene; K O'Neill, P Naughton, B Phillips; D Durkin, N McGuire (0-1), J Davey; S Davey (0-1), E O'Hara; B Egan (0-1), T Taylor, B Curran; D Sloyne (0-3), J McPartland (0-1), G McGowan (0-2). Subs: D Colleary for Taylor (39 mins), A Marren for Colleary (45 mins), S Flannery (0-1) for McPartland (60 mins), C Neary for O'Neill (62 mins), D McGarty (0-1) for Durcan (64 mins).
Referee: M Hughes (Tyrone)
