First defeat of Division 2 campaign for Laois Camogie as Meath show their class

The Laois Camogie team suffered their first defeat of this year’s Centra Division 2 Camogie League after Meath powered past them on Saturday afternoon.

Laois played against a strong breeze that was blowing down the field in Donaghmore Ashbourne GAA on Saturday afternoon and struggled somewhat with their puck-outs in the first half as they got held up in the wind time and time again.

Meath got the first score of this Round Three contest as Emma Regan raised a white flag after three minutes. Laois went straight down the other end and got their first score when captain Aimee Collier pointed a free. Isabel O’Connor put Meath two points to one ahead before Laois got a crucial goal against the wind.

It was a goal made in Camross as Collier’s free dropped short, and Kirsten Keenan caught it and smashed it past Maggie Randle. Aoife Carey replied with a point for Meath as Laois led by a point with eight minutes played. Laois increased their advantage when the same Camross duo combined with Keenan, splitting the posts for Pat Collier and Rob Jones’ side.

An eight-minute period without a score followed before Roisin Heaney cut Laois’ lead to one, but Collier pointed a free to maintain Laois’ two-point lead. Meath hit the front from here and scored 1-2 inside four minutes as Ciara Foley and Heaney (free) got the points, while Meave Clince played a free to Emma Regan and she struck it past Aedín Lowry.

Collier got Laois’ final score, but Meath would go into the dressing rooms ahead by four as they ended with a point each from Foley and Carey, Meath 1-8. Laois 1-4.

Laois came out and after the break and got the first score through Collier, but every time Laois scored, Meath would reply down the other end so it was always going to be hard to claw back the deficit. Leah Devine and Kaylee O’Keeffe traded points before Meath struck for 1-2 again, and that probably sealed the game as a contest with a quarter of an hour still to play.

Olivia O’Halloran got a point before Ella O’Brien opened her account with a goal and a point for The Royals. Time was quickly running out for Laois as they knew they needed goals to have any way back into the contest, but they never came. Eimear Hassett and Aoife Finlay got a point each for Laois just before Amy Daly had a shot on goal saved.

Meath ended the game with a flurry of scores as Grace Connolly, Emma Regan, Leah Devine and two points from Grace Coleman all scored as Meath won by 11 points in the end.

Laois’ next game comes in a week when they travel to Carlow for Round 6.

FINAL SCORE 

Meath 2-16

Laois 1-8

SCORERS — Meath: Emma Regan 1-2, Ella O’Brien 1-1, Grace Coleman (0-1 free), Roisin Heaney (0-1 free), Ciara Foley, Aoife Carey, and Leah Devine 0-2 each, Olivia O’Halloran, Isabel O’Connor, and Grace Connolly 0-1 each. Laois: Aimee Collier 0-4 (0-3 frees, 0-1 45’), Kirsten Keenan 1-1, Eimear Hassett, Kaylee O’Keeffe, and Aoife Finlay 0-1 each.

LAOIS: Aedin Lowry (Camross); Laura Finlay (St Brigid's), Ellen Conroy (O’Moore's), Fiona Scully (Camross); Rachel Deegan (The Harps), Clodagh Tynan (St Brigid's), Sarah Creagh (St Brigid's); Lucy Conroy (O’Moore's), Amy Lacey (The Harps); Kaylee O’Keeffe (Abbeyleix), Kirsten Keenan (Camross), Aoife Finlay (St Brigid's); Susie Delaney (Portlaoise), Aimee Collier (Camross), Catherine Kirby (The Harps). Subs: Tiegan Reilly Bowe (St Brigid’s) for Lacey (HT), Karla Whelan (Naomh Eamann) for Deegan (34 mins, inj), Aisling O’Dea (St Brigid’s) for O’Keeffe (40 mins), Eimear Hassett (St Brigid’s) for Delaney and Sarah Fleming (Portlaoise) for Creagh (Both 50 mins), Rachel Bergin (The Harps) for E. Conroy, Julie Ann Bennett (O’Moores) for Scully, and Amy Daly (St Brigid’s) for Collier (All 53 mins).

MEATH: Maggie Randle; Sophia Payne, Maeve Clince, Rachel O’Neill; Leah Devine, Abbye Donnelly, Erin Leddy; Isabel O’Connor, Ellen Burke; Olivia O’Halloran, Aoife Carey, Roisin Heaney; Ella O’Brien, Ciara Foley, Emma Regan. Subs: Aoibhin Lally for Heaney (42 mins), Grace Coleman for Foley (50 mins), Grace Connolly for Burke (52 mins), and Brodie Kelly for Carey (59 mins).

Referee: Simon Redmond (Dublin)