Boyhan at her brilliant best as Laois U-16 Camogie team crowned All-Ireland champions

The Laois U-16 Camogie team claimed the All-Ireland ‘B’ title with a dominant second-half performance that secured victory over Kildare at Coralstown Kinnegad GAA on Saturday afternoon.

Laois had trailed by four points at the break having played into the wind, but with the breeze at their backs in the second-half, they made sure it would be them that would be lifting the trophy at full-time.

Laois 5-11

Kildare 3-6

The sun may have been shining in Coralstown Kinnegad GAA, but there was a very strong breeze blowing, which Laois had to play into for the first-half.

Kildare’s Aibigeal Corcoran scored the game’s first point with just under two minutes on the clock. Lauren Fitzpatrick was fouled for a free, and Chloe Boyhan stepped up to slot the free between the posts. Boyhan took her and Laois’ points tally to two as she hit a superb 45’ over the bar against the wind. Isabelle Kelly made it two points apiece after six minutes in this All-Ireland final.

Laois knew that a goal pucking into such a strong breeze would be a great platform to build on. They raised a green flag in the 10th minute as Holly Brennan played a great ball into Boyhan, and she turned her marker before drilling the ball past Éabha Reid.

Kildare began to dominate possession with Laois struggling to get the ball up the field. Sinead Shine and Aoife Treacy pointed for Kildare before they went ahead thanks to a goal from Maria Kavanagh. The Kildare number 14 pulled on the ball along the ground after a ruck, and it somehow manage to creep into the Laois net. Laois goalkeeper Alison Kenna also pulled off a great save to deny Shine a certain goal.

Laois replied with two points on the trot courtesy of a second Boyhan 45’ and a great score from Lucy Ryan. Kildare ended the half with a goal and a point without reply to go into the dressing rooms ahead 2-5 to 1-4. Kavanagh raised the white flag before Corcoran added a goal to her earlier point with a great finish from close-range.

Laois couldn’t have imagined that they’d make such a great start to the second-half as they came out and scored 3-4 unanswered to put the game to bed by the 43rd minute. Boyhan pointed a free with Ryan firing the ball back over the bar from the resulting puck-out. Kildare almost got a goal against the run of play, but Shine’s strike hit the crossbar.

Lauren Fitzpatrick and Boyhan fired in a goal each in the same minute as Laois started to press Kildare and they struggled to win their own puck-outs. Boyhan tapped over another free and one from play while Fitzpatrick raised her second green flag with a great finish from a tight angle. Holly Brennan was doing superb work in the Laois inside-forward line and she was finally rewarded with her first score of the game in the 43rd minute.

Kildare’s first score of the second period didn’t come until the 45th minute, but it reduced Laois’ lead to seven points as Corcoran got her second goal of the contest. Kenna had to be on their toes to make a great save from Isabelle Kelly after she struck a shot with plenty of players standing in front of her. Boyhan put another free between the posts for Laois with Corcoran doing likewise for Kildare.

A fifth Laois goal would be scored late on as Lucy Ryan took her tally 1-2. Boyhan ended the game with a point from play as she was named Player of the Match with 2-8 to her name.