Laois Ladies beaten by Meath as they exit the Leinster Championship

The Laois Ladies have been knocked out of the Leinster Senior Football Championship as Meath left Portlaoise with a comfortable 10-point win in the end.

Laois will look at a 25-minute period without a score as their biggest downfall as Meath pulled away in that period to seal their place in the Leinster final.

Meath 0-15

Laois 0-5

The reigning All-Ireland Senior champions got the game's opening score as Emma Duggan dissected the posts from play after three minutes while Laois' first score came off the unfamiliar left-boot of Erone Fitzpatrick. Meath fired over the next two scores as full-forward Stacey Grimes pointed two frees. 

Orla Hennessy cut Meath's lead back to one point as Laois had a massive goal chance with Monica McGuirk pulling off an outstanding save to deny Mo Nerney with the Timahoe woman firing the rebound into the side netting from a tight angle. Meath put another two points on the scoreboard as Duggan pointed a free while Grimes pointed from play after a poor Laois kickout.

Nerney opened her account for the game with a free for Donie Brennan's side as Laois were once again denied a goal by Meath goalkeeper McGuirk as she saved with her feet from Laura Marie Maher. Duggan (free) and Nerney traded scores as Meath led by two as we approached half-time. McGuirk was proving to tough to beat as she made it a hatrick of stunning saves to deny Maher for the second time. Meath leading 0-6 to 0-4 at the break with it all to play for in the second-half.

The second-half began at a canter as Meath pinned Laois in and managed to fire over the first five scores of the second period. Duggan pointed twice to take her tally to four points while Grimes pointed another free with Vikki Wall and Megan Thynne both scoring a point each. Meath had a massive goal chance to put the game to bed as Stacey Grimes was denied by a super save from Eimear Barry. 

Meath added another two points to their tally as they now led by nine points as Laois still hadn't scored in the second-half. Emma Duggan and Aoife Minogue getting the scores for Meath. Laois finally got off the mark in the 54th minute as Nerney split the posts. Olivia Callan and Grimes both getting a point each for The Royals. Meath now go forward to play Dublin in the Leinster final in two weeks' time.