Croke Park awaits as Laois Camogie team defeat Cavan to reach All-Ireland final

Pat Collier and Robert Jones’ Laois Camogie team are through to the Premier Junior All-Ireland final after they defeated Cavan in Donaghmore-Ashbourne GAA this afternoon.

Laois had been cruising in the game and led by seven points but Cavan fired in two quick-fire goals to leave one point in it. Laois to their credit saw the game out perfectly to win by six in the end.

Laois 2-16

Cavan 3-7

The sides came into today’s game having already met in the championship with Laois having had 18 points to spare over Cavan. It would be the latter that got opened the scoring as a shot from Roisin O’Keeffe looked to be dropping into Aedin Lowry’s grasp but the ball took a wicked bounce off the astro turf and ended up in the Laois net.

Aimee Collier got Laois’ first score of the contest from a placed ball. The Camross full-forward was on the end of the next Laois score as Susie Delaney’s hand-pass found Collier in space and she made no mistake with her finish to the back of the net.

Grainne Delaney, who unfortunately had to leave the pitch after 27 minutes with what looked like a bad arm injury, got Laois’ first point from play. Collier took her tally to 1-2 with a second free after six minutes. O’Keeffe added a point to her goal before Laois fired over two scores on the trot. Points from Collier (free) and Aisling O’Dea gave Laois a four-point advantage with 10 minutes played.

O’Keeffe got another score for Cavan but Laois kept firing over scores as Collier pointed two more frees with one being from the 65’. Cavan came up the other end and replied with two scores of their own as O’Keeffe and Aideen Coyle raised white flags.

Laois ended the half with 1-1 without reply as Clodagh Tynan’s free from long-range ended up in the Cavan net. Collier took her first-half tally to 1-6 with the final score of the first 30 minutes, Laois led 2-8 to 1-4 at the break.

It was Cavan who got the opening two scores of the second period as Shanise Fitzsimons (free) and Niamh Keenaghan split the posts. Laois replied with two scores of their own courtesy of Laura Marie Maher and a free from Collier. Laois held a seven-point lead at this stage but that would soon be cut to a single point as Cavan fired in two goals in two minutes. Fitzsimons took her tally to 1-1 before Emma Plunkett also raised a green flag with 15 minutes to go.

This was when Laois took over as they fired over five points in succession with Cavan not offering much up front having given Laois a huge scare. Collier pointed two frees and a 45’ while Clodagh Tynan and Eimear Hassett put the game the bed for Laois. Fitzsimons pointed a late score for Cavan but Laois won by six points in the end to seal their place in Croke Park on Sunday, August 11.