Laois Camogie team one step closer to Croke Park after five-goal show against Armagh

The Laois Camogie team have made it five wins from five in this year’s Glen Dimplex All-Ireland Premier Junior Camogie Championship after they fired five goals past Armagh on Saturday afternoon.

The victory sees Laois finish top of the league phase, and they will now face Wicklow in an All-Ireland semi-final on Saturday, July 19.

Laois 5-10
Armagh 0-20

The opening four points of the game were shared evenly, as Susie Delaney and Lucy Conroy raised white flags for Laois, while Rachel Merry and Sinead Quinn opened their accounts for the home side. Merry then pointed a free to give Armagh a slender lead, but it did not last long. Susie Delaney levelled the game at three points apiece. Laois captain Clodagh Tynan followed up with a long-range free from the 65 that ended up in the back of the net, giving Rob Jones and Pat Collier’s side a crucial early goal.

Further frees from Merry and Delaney kept the scoreboard ticking before Armagh were reduced to 14 players. Megan O’Callaghan was shown a straight red card for an off-the-ball strike. Laois made the most of the numerical advantage, scoring 1-2 without reply. The points came from Grainne and Susie Delaney, while Aimee Collier rattled the net for Laois' second goal.

Armagh responded with three points through Eimear Hayes, Quinn, and Merry. Collier added a free just before Kirsten Keenan struck for Laois’ third goal. Kaylee O’Keeffe added another point for Laois, but Armagh finished the half strong with three more scores to cut the gap. Laois led 3-8 to 0-10 at the break.

Armagh kept chipping away after the restart with three unanswered points from Corrina Doyle and two from Quinn, reducing the margin to four. They had once trailed by ten.

However, Laois responded just when they needed to. Susie Delaney struck her side’s fourth goal, and Amy Daly soon followed with a point to steady the ship.

Armagh refused to give in and hit four more points through Doyle, Aimee Forker, Katie Convie, and Quinn. But just as they had done throughout the game, Laois delivered a goal when it mattered most. This time it was Amy Daly, who made it five different goal scorers for Laois on the day.

Quinn and Collier added a point apiece before another Quinn free and a final point from Doyle brought the scoring to a close, as Laois ran out five-point winners.

Laois are one step closer to getting back to Croke Park on All-Ireland final day on Sunday, August 10, while Armagh will also be hoping to get to Croke Park and return to the Intermediate grade following their semi-final defeat to the 2024 All-Ireland Premier Junior champions Tipperary.

SCORERS — Laois: Susie Delaney 1-4, Aimee Collier 1-2 (0-1 free), Amy Daly 1-1, Kirsten Keenan 1-0 and Clodagh Tynan (free) 1-0 each, Lucy Conroy, Kaylee O’Keeffe, and Grainne Delaney 0-1 each. Armagh: Sinead Quinn 0-8 (0-1 free), Rachel Merry 0-4 (0-2 frees), Corrina Doyle 0-3, Katie Convie and Niamh Forker 0-2 each, and Eimear Hayes 0-1. 

LAOIS: Aedin Lowry (Camross); Laura Finlay (St Brigid’s), Ellen Conroy (O’Moore’s), Fiona Scully (Camross); Shona Jones (St Brigid’s), Clodagh Tynan (St Brigid’s), Alice Walsh (The Harps); Alanna Tynan (St Brigid’s), Lucy Conroy (O’Moore’s); Kaylee O’Keeffe (Abbeyleix), Kirsten Keenan (Camross), Grainne Delaney (Camross); Susie Delaney (Portlaoise), Aimee Collier (Camross), Amy Daly (St Brigid’s). Subs: Eimear Hassett (St Brigid’s) for Jones (48m), Meadhbh Bolger (The Harps) for Scully (62m), and Aoibheann Stynes (Branrion Gaels) for Daly (63m). 

ARMAGH: Ciarrai Devlin; Meabh O’Hare, Gemma McCann, Lucie Loughran; Michelle McCone, Alana McEntee, Eimear Hayes; Grace Gaffney, Riona Cunningham; Megan O’Callaghan, Katie Convie, Niamh Forker; Corrina Doyle, Sinead Quinn, Rachel Merry. Subs: Tierna Maxwell for Merry and Laoise McConnell for Forker (Both 50m) Caitlin Byrne for Convie (54m) 

Referee: Paul O’Neill (Antrim)