Laois earned their first win in Allianz Football League Division One by beating Donegal by 2-9 to 2-6 in Letterkenny on Sunday.
Ross Munnelly had been in good form as Justin McNulty’s men led comfortably for much of the battle of the promoted sides, yet two late Donegal goals almost gave the home side an undeserved reward as their under-strength contingent lost out to the men from the midlands.
Gifted teenager Patrick McBrearty was the only man to find his range for Donegal in the whole of the first half, scoring all four of their points as they trailed by 1-6 to 0-4 at the interval. Scores from Munnelly (0-3), David Conway, Colm Begley and Padraig Clancy had Laois three points clear coming up to half-time.
Karl Lacey was then adjudged to have fouled Clancy to concede a penalty, which Paul Cahillane tucked away, another score from McBrearty only seeing his side five adrift at the break.
And it would get much, much worse before it got better. Clancy set up Darren Strong for a seventh Laois point and the same players soon combined as Jim McGuinness saw his side concede a second goal.
Conway had pointed in the meantime, before Strong found Clancy in the danger zone and he turned and shot powerfully past home goalkeeper Paul Durcan.
Donegal, who had laboured throughout, finally woke up after finding themselves 11 points down. Rory Kavanagh found his feet to score a point before Anthony Thompson was awarded a goal that Laois argued had not crossed the line.
Neil Gallagher then pounced on an error in the O’Moore defence to raise a second green flag for Donegal, but their revival was too little too late and last year’s Division Two champions have now lost both their opening games in the top tier. The team they beat in that Division Two final, meanwhile, are up and running.