Laois through to All-Ireland camogie final with point to prove after big win over Wicklow

The Laois junior hurling team made a long journey to Cavan on Saturday but the trip home is sure to have felt much shorter having comprehensively booked their place in the All-Ireland Final in Croke Park after a big win over Wicklow in the semi-final in Breffni Park.

Laois were favourites going into the game on Saturday, July 19, having won all their group stage games and claimed Division 3 league glory.

This meant that Wicklow needed to make a big start to make a battle out of it. But exactly the opposite happened within a minute. 

Star corner forward Susie Delaney won posession from a Laois sideline cut not far from the Wicklow goals. Her intial shot was saved by the Wicklow keeper, but after a moment's confusion, Delaney pulled the ball to the back of the net with just 43 seconds gone.

Wicklow registered their first score four minutes in with Ciara Connolly from Aughrim scoring a point after Laois failed to clear. The point energised Wicklow, who could have had a goal soon after. 

However, Camross sharpshooter Aimee Collier registered the first point for Laois from a free after nearly seven minutes. This was followed quickly by a point from play by Susie Delaney.

Laois conceded a free on nine minutes which resulted in a well-taken point from distance by Sophie Bermingham. But Laois countered again with Collier responding in kind with almost 10 minutes on the clock.

Grainne Delaney put her name on the score sheet on 12 minutes with a point - arguably, she had space to make a run through on goal.

But Wicklow weren't lying down, and Saidbh Byrne's fantastic point from near half way brought Wicklow to three points. But this would be as good as it got for the Garden County outfit on the scoreboard.

Soon after Laois stamped their class on proceededings with the point of the game to that that stage from Laois corner forward Eimear Hasset. She scored from distance along the sideline on the sixteenth minute.

A big turning point came on 20 minutes when referee Francie Calwell from Down awarded Laois a penalty after Susie Delaney was bustled to the ground as she was clean through on goal and about to shoot.

Aimee Collier won't have been happy with her penalty hit after it trickled over the line following a save at the feet at the Wicklow keeper. But, as they say, they all count and the goal put the Laois women in a commanding lead of 2-05 to 0-03.

While Laois were in control, Wicklow were somewhat wasteful in the first half as evidenced by a strong run from Elizabeth Burke that had goal potential but resulted in a wide on 23 minutes.

Soon after Laois punished these types of misses with a nice Katie O'Keefe score on 25 minutes. 

Not long after, Alana Tynan showed good vision from midfield when she floated a long ball into corner forward Hasset. Her lobbing shot for a point fell short but the Wicklow keeper was forced to bat it down. It fell fortuitously at the feet of Collier who flashed it to the net. MORE BELOW PICTURE.

Laois managment team after the game. Pic: Laois camogie

Collier was on the mark again soon after on the standside after winning a clearing pass from defender Sarah Creagh. The full-forward calmly evaded two Wicklow defenders before a sweetly pointed shot on her left-hand side from an awkward angle.

Laois corner forward Hassett was on the mark again soon after with a first-half injury-time score that also had goal potential. It left a 14-point gap between the teams.

With the clock ticking down to half-time, there was no let up from Laois with Susie Delaney on the mark again with a point from outside the D.

That would be the final score of the half, leaving it 3-09 to 0-03 - an apparently unassailable scoreline for the O'Moore women.

Laois began the second 30 minutes perfectly with Grainne Delaney hitting a point from in front of the post within 10 seconds of the throw-in.

Soon after, Aimee Collier notched up her first score of the second half with a long-distance point from a free after a Wicklow player was adjudged to have overtravelled in possession.

The impressive Eimear Hassett showed all her battling qualities on 35 minutes to win dirty ball and slot over a point from outside the D. 

The next score for the midlanders came from a free on 37 minutes from the ever-efficient Collier but Hasset got a well-deserved goal soon afterwards.

A high ball into the Wicklow square was partially cleared, but Kirsten Keenan worked to win possession and give an unselfish handpass to Hasset, who banged the ball home for the fourth Laois goal.

Hasset almost returned the favour soon after. She won a long ball into the corner and passed to the onrushing Keenan, who shot at the goal only to be denied by the busy Wicklow keeper.

Keenan would register the next score after some more lovely skill from Hasset as the clock approached 50 minutes. Hasset deftly won possession tight along the sideline before passing to Player of the Match Collier. She kicked on to Keenan, who made sure Hasset's skill didn't go unrewarded. 

Aedin Lowry had little to do in the Laois goal but showed her alertness on 52 minutes when saving and clearing decisively from Wicklow midfielder Bermingham.

Hasset was once again involved in the next Laois score soon afterwards. After winning possession, she gave a crossfield cross to Amy Daly, who caught superbly before turning and shooting over the bar to make it 4-15-03 points.

Despite having a big lead delivered by score-hungry forwards, the Laois management will be very pleased that the backs were alert to all Wicklow attacks. This was exemplified again on 58 minutes when Aedin Lowry backed up her defenders with a second good save to stop a Wicklow goal.

That view of defensive efficiency would have been copperfastened by the fact that Wicklow failed to score in the second half.

The referee blew the final whistle after four minutes of injury time to send Laois into the All-Ireland final, which takes place on Sunday, August 10 in Croke Park where their opponents will be Armagh. 

Final score:

LAOIS 4-15

WICKLOW 0-03

TEAMS & SCORERS below photo.

Player of the match trophy presented to Aimee Collier. Pic: Laois Camogie

SCORERS

Laois: Aimee Collier 2-5 (1-0 penalty, 0-4 frees), Eimear Hassett 1-3, Susie Delaney 1-2, Grainne Delaney 0-2, Amy Daly, Kirsten Keenan and Kaylee O'Keefe 0-1 each.

Wicklow: Ciara Connolly, Sive Byrne and Sophie Bermingham (free) 0-1 each.

TEAMS:

LAOIS: Aedin Lowry (Camross); Laura Finlay (St Brigid’s), Ellen Conroy (O’Moore’s), Fiona Scully (Camross); Sarah Creagh (St Brigid’s), Clodagh Tynan (St Brigid’s), Alice Walsh (The Harps); Alanna Tynan (St Brigid’s), Lynda Keyes (Camross); Kaylee O’Keeffe (Abbeyleix), Kirsten Keenan (Camross), Grainne Delaney (Camross); Susie Delaney (Portlaoise), Aimee Collier (Camross), Eimear Hassett (St Brigid’s). Subs: Amy Daly (St Brigid's) and Liadhan C-Fennell (O'Moore's) for G Delaney and Walsh (both 42), Shona Jones (St Brigid's) and Lucy Conroy (O'Moore's) for Creagh and Keyes (both 47).

WICKLOW: Leane Lifely; Jane Butler, Casey Kelly, Faye Corrigan; Hannah Doyle, Eimear O’Toole, Sarah Doyle; Shannagh Goetelen, Sophie Bermingham; Roisin Byrne, Sive Byrne, Aoife Nic Dhonnacca; Aishling O'Toole, Elizabeth Bourke, Ciara Connolly. Subs: Tara Doran for R Byrne (HT).

REFEREE: Francis Caldwell (Down)