Laois relegated as Carlow finish with a flourish

Laois have been relegated to Division 2 for the 2026 season following a three-point defeat to Carlow in Laois Hire O'Moore Park.

Tommy Fitzgerald's side looked to have the game within their grasp when they went three points up as the game entered the final ten minutes.

However, a Ted Joyce goal drew Carlow level and they outscored Laois by four points to one in the time that remained to secure the win.

The result means that Laois are relegated irrespective of how their final game against Dublin goes while Carlow are safe and still have an outside chance of promotion if they defeat Westmeath in their final game and results elsewhere go their way.

This was a very entertaining affair from the outset with Carlow just edging a ding-dong battle on the scoreboard by the break.

Paddy Boland scored a crucial goal for Carlow in the first half and only for some wonderful saves from Cathal Dunne between the sticks for Laois, they would have had more.

Laois went into the game without the services of Cha Dwyer, Paddy Purcell and Eanna Lyons and they would also lose the influential Podge Delaney to injury in the first half.

That said, the accuracy of Aaron Dunphy on frees kept them in it in the first half as the sides headed for the dressing rooms with Carlow ahead by 1-13 to 0-14.

Aaron Dunphy hit 0-16 for Laois

A free from Kavanagh opened the scoring in the second half, but Laois rallied well early with three in a row from Dunphy, Corby and Cormac Byrne.

Carlow would come back with three of their own again however as Marty Kavanagh and Ciaran Whelan were on the mark for points.

The game continued to sway back and forth with the next four scores coming for the hosts as Dunphy slotted a pair of frees with Jordan Walshe and Corby each striking from play.

James Doyle's introduction for Carlow paid dividends immediately with a point from his first touch after a high ball in and the teams continued to trade scores before another rally from the hosts saw them lead for the first time since the 12th minute.

PJ Scully, Dunphy and Corby were on the mark to send Laois two points ahead in the 55th minute and they appeared to have all the momentum.

The teams traded another brace of scores each before Laois went one better with Dunphy on the mark to increase their lead to three.

Disaster struck for Laois moments later when Joyce found himself in possession in front of Dunne and there was little the Laois keeper could do to stop his drive to the net.

Dunphy responded immediately with a score to give Laois the lead once again, but it was the visitors who finished the game the better.

Scores from Donagh Murphy, Kavanagh and Jon Nolan saw them pull away to win by three and sentence Laois to the drop.

Laois: Cathal Dunne; Diarmaid Conway, Lee Cleere, Cody Comerford; Tom Cuddy, Podge Delaney, Jordan Walshe (0-02); Fiachra C Fennell (0-01), David Dooley; Aidan Corby (0-03), Tomas Keyes (0-03), Aaron Dunphy (0-16, 0-12fs); PJ Scully (0-03), Mark Dowling, Cormac Byrne (0-01).

Subs: Donnchadh Hartnett for Delaney (30, inj), James Keyes for Corby (55), James Duggan for Byrne (60), Padraic Dunne for Cleere (68), Willie Dunphy for Dowling (70).

Carlow: Brian Tracey; Paidi O’Shea, Dion Wall, Paul Doyle; Fiachra Fitzpatrick, Kevin McDonald, Jack McCullagh; Evan Kealy (0-01), Ciaran Whelan (0-02); Jon Nolan (0-02), Chris Nolan (0-02), John Doyle (0-01); Ted Joyce (1-02), Paddy Boland (1-01), Martin Kavanagh (0-14, 0-10fs, 0-01 65).

Subs: Conor Kehoe for Fitzpatrick (45), James Doyle (0-01) for Boland (48), Donagh Murphy (0-01) for John Doyle (60).

Referee: Brian Keon (Galway).

Elsewhere, Meath's Division 2 promotion hopes remain very much alive following a high-scoring 2-30 to 4-21 win over a Down side that had already secured a final spot.

The Ulster side understandably made a number of changes but still lined out a strong first 15 – but they were hit with a strong first-half performance from the Royals.

The in-form Jack Regan got the home side off the mark in Trim and Mikey Cole’s eighth-minute goal put them in the ascendancy.

Regan, Cole and Nicky Potterton continued to rack up the scores – Tom McGrattan offering scoring resistance for Down – and a second goal, this time from midfielder Damien Healy, gave Meath a 2-22 to 0-11 interval advantage.

The second half was a different story though with Down hitting four goals with McGrattan and Chris Egan on target as the hosts finished with 13 players following red cards for Cole and Darragh Kelly.

Meath’s half-time buffer was enough though and they held on to set up a winner-takes-all clash with Kildare at the same venue next weekend.

Armagh took a significant step towards Division 3 safety following their 2-21 to 2-15 win over Cavan at Kingspan Breffni.

Karl McKeegan’s side burst out of the traps and had 1-03 on the board before Cavan had opened their account – Shea Harvey with their goal – and despite a goal from Seán Keating, the visitors led 1-12 to 1-07 at the break.

The Orchard County always held a comfortable lead until Keating brought Cavan to within three with his second goal in the 57th minute, but Danny Magee quickly responded with Armagh’s second major to ensure a crucial two points for the away side.

Watch Kerry v Armagh in the Allianz Football League on Saturday from 5pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player. Follow a live blog on rte.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app Listen to Saturday Sport on RTÉ Radio 1

Watch Allianz League Sunday from 9.30pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player. Follow a live blog on all matches on rte.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app. Listen to updates around the country on Sunday Sport on RTÉ Radio 1

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