Laois…2-13 Kildare 1-13
It was a tale of red cards, goals and penalties in a thrilling Leinster final at Croke Park, which saw a jubilant Laois defeat Kildare by 2-13 to 1-13 to take the Leinster Cup for the first time since 1946.
Mick O'Dwyer's charges did just enough to claim victory after a second half in which advantage see-sawed back and forth - and in which a 13-man Lillywhite team appeared to have done enough to have thwarted the Laoismen.
Ultimately, fine performances from Brian 'Beano' McDonald, Ross Munnelly and the ever-dangerous Ian Fitzgerald provided the basis on which Laois built their victory; it was fitting that the crucial score of the game - a pointed kick from 30 metres on 72 minutes - should have gone to the captain Fitzgerald, whose own career has come to mirror the resurgence of football in the O'Moore County under Mick O'Dwyer.
Despite the many affirmations of faith since the Laois minor victories of the late 90s, it is unlikely that they would have found themselves in possession of the Leinster Cup this evening without the powerhouse influence of the Kerryman manager. For O'Dwyer, the final whistle must have brought a bittersweet tinge, as he looked upon the defeated faces of men, of whom a short year ago, he managed.
The match itself began amid great controversy, with the reduction of both sides to 14 men within the first 15 minutes. Referee Peter O'Reilly from Longford sent Kildare midfielder Alan Barry to the sideline after just two minutes for what appeared to be an innocuous challenge on Laois' Stephen Kelly - a move which rattled the Lilywhites.
Points from Gary Kavanagh, Ian Fitzgerald, Ross Munnelly and Beano McDonald were then all taken without reply after the incident, with only Stuart McKenzie-Smith replying for Kildare. After 18 minutes, the sides were numerically leveled, when O'Reilly deigned to send Laois' Kevin Fitzpatrick to the sideline for a late challenge.
Kildare rallied somewhat, and more points from Johnny Doyle and Paddy Murray, along with replies from Fitzgerald again, and Tom Kelly, saw a halftime score of 0-8 to 0-6.
The second-half exploded into action when Beano McDonald brilliantly converted a long-pass to score the first goal of the game - with just ten seconds played. Doyle and Murray pointed back for Kildare, keeping them in touch, until Ross Munnelly came in on the end of another swift Laois forward move, sidefooting into the net, and giving O'Dwyer's men a score advantage that looked to be enough - if they could hold their game together.
As it turned out, it was now Kildare's turn to shine. Asserting themselves in midfield and at half-back for the first time, better ball started to make its way through to the Kildare forward line. Doyle, Murray, Padraig Brennan and Glenn Ryan all pointed without Laois reply.
Such progress was recorded despite the Lilywhites' second sending-off of the day, as Mick Wright was given a red card for a raised arm on Mick Lawlor. Despite this, Kildare's resurgence showed little sign of stopping.
And, just then, the dearth of experience in the Laois rearguard began to show. Tadgh Fennin was taken down by a clumsy tackle inside the box, and Ronan Sweeney put the ball past Fergal Byron in the Laois goal. Suddenly, Kildare were in the ascendancy, and Laois had not scored in 15 minutes.
Enter the Kerryman. As O'Dwyer screamed from the sideline, Padraig Clancy, and captain fantastic Fitzgerald, responded, pointing crucial scores. Kildare could only manage one more point - from Johnny Doyle - and it was left to Laois sub Barry Brennan to seal affairs with a point deep into injury time - which was enough to give them the three point advantage, providing a final score of 2-13 to 1-13.
And so the Leinster title makes it way back to Portlaoise for the first time in 57 years. The temptation would be to celebrate and dwell on the experience, but O'Dwyer - for whom today's game was the 40th provincial final of his career - will surely reign in his young side in preparation for their next tie.
Until then, Laois supporters can rightly sit back and applaud their team - hard fought, yet deserved Leinster champions. Let's hope they can sustain the momentum.
Meanwhile, in the fourth stage of the qualifiers at Hyde Park in Roscommon this afternoon, Armagh emerged easy winners over a despondent Limerick side on a 4-10 to 0-11 scoreline.
Three goals from man of the match Steven McDonnell and a fourth from Oisin McConville were enough to see the Northerners through to the quarter finals, despite a fine personal performance which saw Limerick's Muiris Gavin garner nine points.