Leinster final beckons as Laois Ladies ease past Wicklow in Aughrim

The Laois Ladies team are through to a Leinster Intermediate final after they had 15 points to spare over Wicklow in Sunday’s semi-final.

Mo Nerney top-scored for Laois with six points. The three goals coming from Jane Moore, Emma Lawlor and Shifra Havill.

Laois 3-11

Wicklow 0-9

Wicklow kicked the opening score in this TG4 Leinster Intermediate Championship semi-final as Sinead McGettigan pointed a free wind-assisted. Laois’ first chance was almost a goal but Shifra Havill’s effort hit the post and went wide. The returning Jane Moore was fouled which allowed Mo Nerney slot the ball between the posts off her left foot.

This game was back and forth with Wicklow almost getting in for goal, but Eimear Barry made a great point-blank save from Shannagh Goetelen. Laois hit the front from here and got 1-2 without reply. Nerney kicked a great score before Emma Lawlor opened her account for Stephen Duff’s side. It was the latter who got Laois’ first goal after Shifra Havill had won the ball on the half-way line, and played the ball to Eva Galvin. She then found her St Conleth’s club mate Lawlor, and she rounded Ellen Griffen to raise the game’s first green flag.

McGettigan scored her and Wicklow’s second point from another free. Nerney kept Laois in front with two more points, one of those coming from a placed ball. Wicklow’s only scores in the first-half came from the boot of McGettigan as she pointed a third free. Laois ended the half in the best way possible as they got their second goal. Emma Lawlor’s fisted effort came off Griffen  and onto the crossbar with Shifra Havill on hand to palm the ball into an empty net. Laois had a comfortable lead at the break, 2–5 to 0-3.

Mo Nerney pointed a free in the 34th minute  to get the second-half’s scoring underway. Shifra Havill added a point to her earlier goal from the resulting kick-out. Ciara Burke almost got a third goal for Laois, but was denied by a superb one-on-one save from Griffin. That third goal came a minute later however as Eva Galvin assisted her second goal of the contest when she played Jane Moore through on goals, and the St Joseph’s star made no mistake with her finish. Ciara Burke added a point to Laois’ tally in the 39th minute as Wicklow had still failed to add anything to the scoreboard since the 23rd minute.

Laois goalkeeper Eimear Barry was a spectator for much of the game, but when called upon, she made a great save from Shauna Byrne after McGettigan had played a quick free to the Wicklow half-back. Lauren Kearney and Lauren Walsh both raised a white flag each having come off the bench. The game ended with two McGettigan frees for Wicklow and a point from Nerney sandwiched in between. Laois’ Leinster final takes place in two weeks time against Westmeath.