Laois 1-13 Mayo 1-13BOTH LAOIS and Mayo have stopped losing but have yet to start winning after deadlock prevailed in O'Moore Park, Portlaoise on Saturday night where battling qualities and stamina predominated rather than quality football.
However, relegation remains a very serious prospect for two teams who can argue with some justification they're the unluckiest, rather than the weakest, teams in Division One at the moment.
"We needed to get something out of this and I thought our lads gave it their all. It was in my view an honest performance", said the Mayo manager John O'Mahony afterwards. "Whether we end up at the bottom or the top is not relevant. This team is being rebuilt and we are looking at the bigger picture."
O'Mahony's side trailed by 1-7 to 0-7 at half-time and Laois doggedly guarded their three-point lead for the first 10 minutes of the second half until Mayo were awarded a dubious penalty.
Andy Moran had made the cut along the end-line and the ball was fisted invitingly across the goalmouth, but with no apparent danger imminent.
Referee Rory Hickey seemed to be the only one in the ground to spot an infringement, spreading his arms wide when he saw Trevor Mortimer on the ground in the square. Moran's finish was low and clinical to the corner and suddenly it was a tied game at 1-9 apiece.
Brendan Quigley, the scorer of Laois' first half-goal, had his side back into the lead inside a minute of the penalty, but David Heaney responded to level the match again.
Michael Tierney, who brought his haul to seven points, nudged Laois in front again, but Peadar Gardiner responded to level.
Tierney again replied with a free, but Trevor Mortimer put the teams level again with 10 minutes remaining.
Five minutes from time Austin O'Malley scored what looked like the winner, but, with two minutes remaining, Laois' battling qualities earned them a reprieve with a free and Tierney just wasn't missing anything on an evening when Mayo's free-taking was less than assured.
LAOIS: M Nolan; C Healy, D Rooney, A Fennelly; P O'Leary, J O'Loughlin, P McMahon; P Clancy, K Meaney; R Munnelly (0-2), C Kelly (0-1), B Sheehan; M Tierney 0-8 (six frees), B Quigley (1-1), C Parkinson (0-1). Subs: D Murphy for Fennelly (12 mins), B McCormack for Kelly (40 mins), B McDonald for Munnelly (58 mins).
MAYO: D Clarke; T Cunniffe, BJ Padden, L O'Malley; C Moran, T Howley, K Higgins; D Heaney (0-1), J Gill (0-1); P Gardiner (0-2), A Dillon (0-1), M Mullins, C Mortimer 0-4 (two frees), A O'Malley (0-3), A Moran (1-0, pen). Subs: T Mortimer for Dillon (21 mins), R McGarrity for C Moran (33 mins), A Kilcoyne (0-1) for Mullins (half-time), M Conroy for Padden (55 mins).
Referee: R Hickey (Clare).
