Laois Ladies battle the weather and Offaly for third consecutive victory in Division 3

Stephen Duff’s Laois Ladies side have recorded their third win from four games in Division 3 after they had 16 points to spare over Offaly in Bracknagh on Sunday afternoon.

Laois 5-8

Offaly 1-4

Laois kicked into a stiff breeze for the opening 30 minutes knowing that they would have to make the most of the scoring opportunities that would create. Three minutes went by before the game’s first score as Lauren Walsh split the posts after Mo Nerney had played a hand-pass over the top of the Offaly defence. Laois’ second point was a well-worked move which saw Katie Donoghue kick the ball over the black spot.

Then came Laois’ first goal a minute later as they won the kick-out and great play from Donoghue and Fiona Dooley left Eva Galvin baring down on goal. The St Conleth’s forward tucked the ball past the onrushing Offaly goalkeeper Lauren Dunne. Laois almost had a second goal but Dunne pulled off a great save from Lauren Kearney.

Laois were playing superbly kicking into the wind and they made it 1-3 to no score after Nerney kicked the ball over the bar soccer style off the ground. With 16 minutes on the clock, Laois raised their second green flag as Kearney played in Ciara Burke to finish to the back of the net.

Offaly’s first point came after 22 minutes courtesy of a wind-assisted effort from Michele Mann. Abbi Stafford’s goal-bound effort was blocked down superbly by Laois full-back Maeve Phelan with Stephen Duff’s side doing well to snuff out any Offaly threat.

Stafford kicked Offaly’s second point before Laois got their third goal of the first period. Dooley and Galvin played a one-two before teeing up Walsh to blast the ball past Dunne to add to her earlier point. Laois went into the dressing rooms ahead, 3-3 to 0-2.

Laois came out and got the first two scores of the second-half as Eva Galvin and Mo Nerney (free) pushed Laois 12 points ahead. Offaly’s reply to those points was to score 1-1 unanswered. Stafford pointed her second of the game before Isabelle Liu Lyons put the ball over Eimear Barry’s head and into the top-corner.

Shifra Havill came forward from half-back to point, in what could have been a goal, with Jane Maher replying for the home side. Laois finished the game out strongly and scored 2-2 in the final 10 minutes. Nerney and Andrea Moran got the points while Anna Moore and Donoghue got a goal each in injury-time.

Laois are due to play Limerick next weekend with the venue not yet known.