So near for Sligo and Laois

The football season was at last kick started into life yesterday. A game relegated in recent years to the status of hurling's ugly sister badly needed something grotesque, unusual, bizarre or unprecedented to help it seize back public imagination. Well Sligo almost beat All-Ireland champions Galway and Laois gave a similar fright to Dublin.

Sligo and Galway played out an extraordinary 1-13 to 3-7 draw at Markevicz Park. Having an All-Ireland under their belt was supposed to make yesterday's assignment that bit easier for Galway. As it was, it took a Padraig Joyce free kick in injury time to earn them a replay at Tuam next Sunday.

The Galway defence was tormented by high balls all afternoon. Leading 1-6 to 0-3 at halftime with the help of a Derek Savage goal not long before the break, Galway were punished in the 39th minute when Martin McNamara dropped a high ball and Brian Walsh forced it home. Not long afterwards, Paul Durkan added another goal.

Galway had to fall back on a couple of points from Michael Donnellan to keep them in touch. With the game almost finished, they were leading by two points when another high ball gave their defence trouble. Brian Walsh leaped highest for Nigel Clancy's spiralling pass and deflected past Martin McNamara.

Galway protests were unrewarded. They were left to settle it on the field: a final attack breaking down and Padraig Joyce saving the day.

Dublin and Laois have a longer hiatus before they rejoin the battle. Their replay has been set for Croke Park on July 18th. Dublin, having swanned into a six point lead early on yesterday, decided after about 20 minutes to go to sleep. The next 40 minutes or so were about Laois finding their roar. They parlayed a six point deficit into what was at one stage a four point advantage.

The final 10 minutes had all the drama. Laois were ahead by three points when Ian Robertson, Dublin's recently installed full forward, was pulled down and a penalty awarded. Dublin continued their rich tradition of recklessness in this department, summoning Paddy Christie from the full-back line to squander this one. Christie managed a point, however, leaving Dublin two adrift.

Laois, bolstered by the sequence, ripped into Dublin again. Delaney and Emerson both had scores to leave Laois four points up with two minutes remaining. Robertson, however, cooly drove home a low ball for a goal with 60 seconds left and then contrived to get on the end of a long Dublin move and fist the equaliser.