All-Ireland Hurling Championship Qualifiers, Preliminary Round
Laois 2-27 Antrim 2-21
IT is a return to the Joe McDonagh Cup for Antrim as their hopes of retaining MacCarthy Cup status were dashed by Laois at Parnell Park on Saturday afternoon.
The Saffrons just gave themselves far too much to do in the second period as they trailed by 11 five minutes after the interval and while they did rally superbly to get to within two at the water-break, they just couldn't push on in the final quarter.
In the end, there were too many ifs, buts and maybes for Darren Gleeson's charges who were well off the pace in the opening period.
In contrast, Laois - who were without a win all year going in - looked like a team possessed as they hit the ground running, but did look on the rack midway through the second period as they found themselves with 13 men for a spell when Sean Downey was sin-binned and Ross King then shown a second yellow, but the Midlanders found the response in the final quarter to ensure their own survival.
"We had enough chances to win a couple of games," reflected Gleeson.
"I don't know how many goalscoring opportunities we had. We showed a bit of inexperience. The first half we were relaxed about it with lack of tracking and application what we are trying to do.
"Second half, we got into it a bit and were on the front foot, but then the water-break came and seemed to kill the momentum. Laois were cute enough with how they went about it, so it's hard to summarise it."
Ross King is shown a red card by referee Sean Cleere
Laois came flying out of the traps with late replacement, Podge Delaney, lashing over just 10 seconds in and Ross King doubled their advantage before Antrim got on the board through Conor Johnston.
The Saffrons were distinctly second best in the opening quarter as Laois piled on the points with PJ Scully the tormentor in chief - his best coming from a sideline - while Antrim were reliant on Ciaran Clarke points from placed balls as they trailed 0-11 to 0-4 at the water-break.
Darren Gleeson was forced into a change as Damon McMullan, booked early along with Ross King for an off-the-ball tangle, was on his final warning and Aaron Crawford was introduced.
A bit of reorganising during this brief halt in play seemed to do the trick as the Saffrons hit the first three points of the second quarter through Clarke, James McNaughton and Conal Cunning, but the Midlanders responded in kind as they maintained the seven-point gap approaching the break when Paddy Purcell availed of an advantage to crack home a stunning goal from outside the penalty area to help Laois into a 1-17 to 0-10 lead at the half.
There was no indication as to what was to come early in the second period with Laois hitting three of the first five scores including another sublime sideline from Scully, but suddenly Antrim raised a gallop with a pair of Keelan Molloy points followed by the goal they needed as Cunning offloaded to half-time substitute Eoin O'Neill who fired to the net on 44 minutes.
Enda Rowland saves a Neil McManus penalty
Just 60 seconds later came a huge moment as Downey trailed down Conor Johnston outside the area, but was adjudged to have prevented a goalscoring opportunity with a penalty awarded and the Laois man sent to the sin-bin. However, the inspired Enda Rowland was equal to Neil McManus' effort.
Still, Antrim pushed and the earlier yellow card picked up by King came back to bite as a late swipe on Crawford resulted in his dismissal and Antrim took advantage with Clarke pointing a free and then his deft flick put O'Neill in for his second goal to leave just two in it at the water break.
The O'Moore men reorganised in the break in play and rattled off three scores in-a-row and when Purcell pounced on a fumble by Burke - who protested furiously that he had been fouled - to lash to the net, Antrim again had a mountain to climb.
Try as they might, the Saffrons just couldn't find a way past Rowland for a third time as the Laois goalkeeper produced saves from James McNaughton and Seaan Elliott with Antrim restricted to points in the closing stages with Cha Dwyer firing over the insurance score late to ensure Laois' survival and Antrim's relegation.
Laois manager Seamus 'Cheddar' Plunkett commiserates with Antrim's Gerard Walsh 
"Laois were very competitive All-Ireland quarter-finalists two years ago and that day they were unlucky as they had a man put off early," said Gleeson, who was a coach for the Tipperary side who won that game.
"They are a good team and have a lot of serious club teams in the county. They are a proud hurling county and really applied themselves in the first half, playing some really dynamic hurling. We couldn't live with it through Laois's good work and some of our own poor application.
"A couple of people (substitutes) came in and really applied themselves, but at this level, we can't make the basic errors we made.
"There's no point in sugarcoating it, there were three or four horrendous basic errors made and that's how games are won and lost."
LAOIS: E Rowland; L Cleere, S Downey, D Hartnett; P Delaney (0-3), C McEvoy (0-1), R Mullaney; F Fennell (0-1), J Kelly (0-3); P Purcell (2-2), C Dwyer (0-1), C Collier; PJ Scully (0-11, 7 frees, 2 sidelines), W Dunphy (0-3), R King (0-2).
Subs: J Ryan for R Mullaney (53), E Lyons for C Collier (57), J Keyes for P Purcell (65), A Dunphy for W Dunphy (70+2), C Comerford for C Dwyer (70+4).
ANTRIM: R Elliott; D McMullan, G Walsh, S Rooney; E Campbell, P Burke, A O'Brien; K Molloy (0-3), Ciaran Johnston; N McManus (0-4), J McNaughton (0-2, 1 free), M Bradley; Conor Johnston (0-1), C Cunning (0-2), C Clarke (0-8, 7 frees, 1 65).
Subs: A Crawford for D McMullan (18), J Maskey for Ciaran Johnston (HT), E O'Neill (2-0) for M Bradley (HT), S Elliott (0-1) for Conor Johnston (59), M Donnelly for A O'Brien (70)
REFEREE: Sean Cleere (Kilkenny)
