Laois Ladies still searching for first league win after defeat to Down

Laois' wait for a league win in this year's Lidl National Football League Division 3 will go until at least next weekend as Stephen Duff's side were beaten by four points by Down in Heywood on Sunday.

Laois had managed to get a point in last weekend's opener against Fermanagh, but once Down got ahead on Sunday, they never looked back. Laois had led five points to three after 13 minutes before Down fired over six points in a row as well as adding a goal at the break as they led by double scores at the break, 1-9 to 0-6.

It was Down's Laoise Duffy that opened the scoring as her quick thinking from a free saw her take a solo and go before splitting the posts. Laois replied with a point from wing-back Aoife Gorman. They went ahead shortly after as Eva Galvin fisted the ball between the uprights. Eva Hicks and Niamh McGrath got a point each for Down with a second point from Donoghue sandwiched in between.

Laois went two points ahead when Galvin and Emma Lawlor scored a point each, but it would be all downhill from here as Down scored six points without reply. A trio of frees from Eimear Fitzpatrick along with two points from Niamh Rice and a white flag from Hicks saw Down go nine points to five in front. Laois also had a goal chance in the middle of those Down scores, but Lauren Kearney couldn't sneak her effort into the bottom corner of Cara Bradley's net.

Emily Lacey pointed a free for Laois before the break to end a spell of 15 minutes with a Laois score. The half would end in the worst possible way as a long ball kicked into the Laois square looked to be dropping into the hands of goalkeeper Eimear Barry, but she dropped it and it landed into Duffy's hands, who kicked the ball into an empty net. Down led 1-9 to 0-6 at the break and it looked to be a massive mountain to climb for Duff's Ladies.

The second half didn't begin the way Laois would have hoped either as Fitzpatrick was given an easy task of pointing a free from the 20 metre line after some dissent by Duff and his backroom team from the sideline. The dissent was aimed at referee Paul McCaughey as Duff felt that he didn't bring the ball forward the full 50 metres after Laois were stopped from taking a solo and go. Duff ended up getting a yellow card for his actions by the Westmeath official.

Lacey got Laois up and running a minute later before Barry made a great smothering save from a Rice shot. Fitzpatrick kicked up the rebound to put Down seven points ahead. Laois responded and got back within two when they scored a goal and two points. Lacey scored both the points, one from a free, while Shifra Havill reacted fastest to catch the rebound from a Sarah Larkin effort that had hit the upright before smashing the ball past Bradley. Fitzpatrick added yet another free for Down, but Laois would soon be back within a single score as Donoghue scored a free and from play.

Laois' balloon was burst three minutes later when Hicks got her side's second goal before she raised a white flag. Laois now trailed by five points with 48 minutes on the clock. Lacey (free) and Fiona Dooley both scored points for Laois, but that would prove to be their final scores of the game with Down still leading by a goal. Down's Fitzpatrick added another free with five minutes to go, but Laois couldn't muster up any goal chances or any openings for a two-point effort. Down finished the game with 14 players as Erin Sands was shown a yellow card for three ticks in McCaughney's book. 

Laois will travel to Limerick on Sunday in the hope of finally getting their first victory of the year.

FINAL SCORE

DOWN 2-14

LAOIS 1-13

SCORERS- Laois: Emily Lacey 0-5 (0-3 frees), Shifra Havill 1-0, Katie Donoghue 0-3 (0-2 frees), Eva Galvin 0-2, Emma Lawlor, Fiona Dooley and Aoife Gorman 0-1 each. Down: Eimear Fitzpatrick 0-7 (0-6 frees), Eva Hicks 1-3, Laoise Duffy 1-1, Niamh Rice 0-2, Niamh McGrath 0-1.

LAOIS: Eimear Barry (Shanahoe); Sinead Farrelly (St Joseph's), Mary Cotter (St Conleth's), Faye McEvoy (Ballyroan); Aoife Gorman (Timahoe), Aishling Saunders (Portlaoise), Andrea Moran (Ballyroan); Fiona Dooley (Portlaoise), Anna Healy (Park-Ratheniska); Shifra Havill (St Conleth's), Eva Galvin (St Conleth's), Lauren Kearney (Sarsfields); Emily Lacey (St Joseph's), Emma Lawlor (St Conleth's), Katie Donoghue (Timahoe). Subs: Mia Branagan (Graiguecullen) for Lawlor and Kathlyn Timmons for Gorman (Both HT), Sarah Larkin (Timahoe) for Healy (35 mins), Jenny Murphy (Timahoe) for Farrelly (50 mins).

DOWN: Cara Bradley; Neva Loudon, Orlagh Blaney, Erin Sands; Niamh Edgar, Ciara McCreanor, Niamh McGrath; Meghan Doherty, Katie Howlett; Niamh McClory, Eimear Fitzpatrick, Laoise Duffy; Enya Quinn, Niamh Rice, Eva Hicks. Subs: Aimee Greene for Loudon (43 mins), Cara Donnelly for Quinn (46 mins), Niamh McConville for McGrath (55 mins), Aine Smyth for Hicks (58 mins).

REFEREE: Paul McCaughey (Westmeath)