Laois Camogie team defeat Tyrone to continue unbeaten league start

Laois made it three wins from three in Division 3A of the National Camogie League on Saturday afternoon with a four-point win over Tyrone. 

Joint managers Pat Collier and Robert Jones had seen their side coast through the first two rounds but faced a far sterner challenge on Saturday which will no doubt stand to them in the long run.

Very Division 3A National League Round 3

Laois 3-9 

Tyrone 2-8

Laois made a phenomenal start to their campaign with a dominant win at home to Kildare followed by a 47-point thrashing away to Louth last time out. Tyrone narrowly lost both their opening games, by just a single point to Roscommon and by three points to Wicklow.

There was a long delay at the very beginning of the game with Grainne Delaney receiving treatment before leaving the field. Laois brought in Kayla Dwyer who went to corner-back, with Sinead Slevin moving to midfield and Lynda Keyes slotting in at wing forward.

The hosts were much the better side in the first half, but two fortuitous goals from Tyrone kept them very much in the tie. Laois were on the board through Susie Delaney, Kaylee O’Keefe and Aimee Collier when the visitors raised a green flag with an Aine Cunningham free from the 65 hitting the upright before dropping over the line.

Laois replied with a goal of their own thanks to O’Keefe and added two Collier frees plus a good score from play from Kirsten Keenan. But Tyrone cancelled that out when another long-range free from Cunningham landed at the feet of Roisin O'Neill-McKee who prodded the sliotar beyond Aedin Lowry.

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After ten minutes of stoppage time, a half plagued by injuries on both sides finished all square, 1-6 to 2-3.

The sides picked up the pace after the break and swapped scores throughout a hectic third quarter. Laois got their noses in front when Collier converted a penalty after Kirsten Keenan had been dragged down.

The visitors hit three unanswered scores to draw level, but Collier came up with the goods again, charging through the Tyrone defence and burying her shot in the far corner of the net.

The vice-captain added one final free to her tally to put more than a score between the sides as Laois left Pairc Acragar, Mountmellick, with the win.

SCORERS - Laois: Aimee Collier 2-5 (1-0 pen, 0-5 frees), Kaylee O’Keefe 1-1, Susie Delaney 0-2, Kirsten Keenan 0-1. Tyrone: Aine Cunningham 1-5 (all frees), Roisin O'Neill-McKee 1-0, Beth Jones, Rachel O'Neill and Emer Cunningham 0-1 each.

LAOIS: Aedin Lowry (Camross); Meadhbh Bolger (The Harps), Ellen Conroy (O’Moore’s), Fiona Scully (Camross); Sinead Slevin (Banrion Gaels), Clodagh Tynan (St Brigid’s), Alice Walsh (The Harps); Liadan C-Fennell (O’Moore’s), Lynda Keyes (Camross); Kaylee O’Keefe (Abbeyleix), Kirsten Keenan (Camross), Grainne Delaney (Camross); Aoife Gee (The Harps), Aimee Collier (Camross), Susie Delaney (Portlaoise). Subs: Kayla Dwyer (The Harps) for G. Delaney (inj, 5), Shona Jones (St Brigid’s) for Bolger (53), Aoife Delaney (CRG) for C-Fennell (inj, 56).

TYRONE: Eimear Colton; Grainne Cassidy, Nicola McKiver, Mairead Donnelly; Aoife McDonald, Meaghan Clarke, Grainne McDonald; Bronagh Moohan, Aisling Hagan; Rachel O'Neill, Grainne Rafferty, Aine Cunningham; Lauren Fitzgerald, Roisin O'Neill-McKee, Beth Jones. Subs: Emer Cunningham and Una McCann for Fitzgerald and Donnelly (both 37), Siobhan Donnelly for Hagan (45), Roise Kerr for O'Neill-McKee (50).

REFEREE: Fintan McNamara (Clare)