Laois Ladies denied as Limerick level late

The Laois Ladies played host to Limerick in Ballylinan on Sunday for their fifth-round league clash, aiming to secure their fourth win in five games and strengthen their position ahead of the final stretch against Cavan and Wexford.

However, Laois found themselves on the back foot early, trailing by five points at the break after a sluggish opening half. A spirited second-half fightback saw them draw level by the 43rd minute, despite being down to 14 players. A tense final 10 minutes followed, with neither side able to edge in front before the game finished in a deadlock.

Laois 2-12

Limerick 2-12

Limerick made an explosive start, hitting 1-1 inside four minutes. Ellie Woulfe’s effort dropped short, allowing Caoimhe McNamara to flick the ball into the net. Deborah Murphy and Ashling Fitzpatrick then swapped scores before Rebecca Delee stretched the visitors’ advantage.

Laois soon found their rhythm, responding with three unanswered points, one from a Mo Nerney free and two excellent efforts by Emma Lawlor. Limerick’s Karen O’Leary split the posts, while Emily Lacey also got on the board for the hosts. A lapse in discipline from Laois allowed Murphy to slot over two frees, with Katie Donoghue replying at the other end.

Murphy added two more points from placed balls, while Nerney landed a superb long-range effort. The half concluded with Delee smashing home a Limerick goal after Laois failed to clear their lines, leaving the home side with a mountain to climb.

The second half began with a trade of frees between Murphy and Nerney before Laois got a huge lift, Nerney burying a shot into the top corner of the Limerick net. Murphy hit her sixth free of the day before Laois suffered a setback, going down to 14 players when Nerney was shown a yellow card.

Read next: Laois footballers dig deep to bounce back against Antrim in Portlaoise

Despite the numerical disadvantage, Laois showed incredible resolve, keeping Limerick scoreless for the next 10 minutes while hitting 1-2 themselves. Lawlor was the standout performer during this period, converting two frees before stepping up to dispatch a penalty after Fiona Dooley’s shot was blocked illegally. That put Laois ahead for the first time in the game.

Limerick hit back through a Murphy free, and Roisin Ambrose soon added her name to the scoresheet to nudge them back in front. However, Anna Moore’s quick thinking from a free found Lawlor, who turned and fired over before adding another point from a placed ball.

With Laois protecting a slender one-point lead, the final minutes were frantic. Limerick pressed hard, but a crucial interception from Lauren Kearney stopped a potential score for Limerick. Laois surged forward in response, only to lose possession themselves. In the dying moments, Limerick won a free just outside the D, and Murphy made no mistake in slotting over her eighth point to ensure the spoils were shared.

Laois now have a three-week break before a crucial clash against league leaders Cavan, a must-win game if they are to keep their final hopes alive.