Laois Ladies' brave All-Ireland bid ends in heartbreak as Tyrone crowned champions in GAA HQ

The Laois Ladies have been defeated in this year's TG4 All-Ireland Intermediate final by Tyrone after they had six points to spare over Stephen Duff's side in Croke Park.

Laois were in a great position with seven minutes to play, but Tyrone made the most of having an extra player to pull away from the O'Moore County.

Tyrone 2-16

Laois 1-13

Tyrone came flying out of the traps and scored the game's first two points. Sorcha Gormley and Cara McCrossan raised a white flag each for the girls from Ulster before Jane Moore got Laois' first point after a patient attack from Stephen Duff's side. Emma Lawlor tied the sides after four minutes as Laois won the resulting kick-out. Laois then had Faye McEvoy to thank as she made a great goal-saving block from Aoibhinn McHugh. Laois went ahead for the first time with seven minutes played as Emma Lawlor made it three points to two.

Niamh O'Neill (free) and Emily Lacey traded scores before Tyrone hit three scores on the trot to push themselves two points ahead. Aoife Horisk scored a free before Sláine McCarroll and Gormley pointed from play. Lawlor got a point back from Laois as she slotted a free between the posts. O'Neill took her tally to two points for Tyrone soon after. 

Eimear Barry made a great save one-on-one from O'Neill to deny Tyrone a goal. Laois made up for Tyrone's misses down the other end as Lawlor played in Shifra Havill, who smashed the ball into the top of the Tyrone net. Laois then came under siege for the next few minutes as O'Neill went through on goal, but she pulled her shot wide of the goal.

Tyrone were having great joy under the Laois kick-out, as from the next restart, Tyrone won themselves a penalty for a foul on Horisk. Gormley stepped up, but Eimear Barry got down superbly to save her penalty. Tyrone eventually got the goal they were looking for as a stray handpass in the Laois defence saw Horisk bear down on goal, and she made no mistake with her finish.

Laois had a chance late in the half to cut Tyrone's half-time lead to just a single point, but Emma Lawlor's long-range free went to Hawkeye and a Níl appeared on the screen. Tyrone led 1-7 to 1-5 at the break.

Laois weren't messing around at the start of the second period as Mo Nerney raised a white flag inside 20 seconds to cut Tyrone's lead to a single point. O'Neill and Nerney (free) swapped points before Fiona Dooley levelled the game for the first time since the eighth minute in the 33rd minute. Gormley just couldn't get past Barry in the goals as the Shanahoe goalkeeper denied her yet again.

Tyrone pushed on from there and kicked the next three points courtesy of an O'Neill free and two from Horisk. Mo Nerney replied with two points, one from a free. The next four points were traded as O'Neill pointed twice while Lawlor scored two frees. Laois were dealt what would prove to be a deadly blow as Ciara Crowley was shown a yellow card for a deliberate drag-down after Tyrone had won a Barry kick-out.

Three minutes later, Tyrone scored a second goal courtesy of substitute Katie Rose Muldoon to end Laois' hopes of bringing the Mary Quinn Cup back down the M7. Nerney got another free for Laois to put a goal between the sides, but Tyrone added three more points through O'Neill, Gormley and McHugh to win by six in the end.