Laois ladies footballers power on to All Ireland semi final

Laois advanced to the All-Ireland Semi-Final on Sunday with a fantastic win over Louth in Kinnegad. Despite what the score line may suggest, this was by no means a comfortable win for Laois, and they had to work extremely hard to get over the line. Louth never lay down and they took the lead after 37 minutes of play, but Laois rallied and by the time the second water break was signaled, Laois had a seven-point lead, a lead from which they never looked back from as they powered to victory. 

LAOIS 3-09

Louth 2-06

Laois, playing against a strong breeze almost had a perfect start to the game and when Sarah Anne Fitzgerald found herself on the edge of the square, she had only one thing on her mind but her shot blazed just wide of Una Pearson’s goal. 

Immediately after and in the next passage of play, Louth responded excellently, and Lauren Boyle opened proceedings with a well taken point. 

Five minutes in, disaster struck for Laois when Boyle picked it up just inside the ‘21’. She rounded Aimee Kelly with a beautiful sidestep and raced through on goal before burying past Eimear Barry in the Laois goal.

Laois recovered well and they got off the mark soon after courtesy of a Fitzgerald free and another score from Anna Healy settled the ship after a shaky start. 

Laois took control of the remaining quarter and they were rewarded 16 minutes in when Jane Moore rounded the keeper to kick into an empty net after Anna Healy and Fitzgerald had combined to set her up. That goal proved to be the last action of the first quarter, giving Laois the lead by the minimum at the water break. 

The second quarter was cagey, with Louth packing the defence and Laois happy to retain possession, but despite the packed defence, Laois still managed to grab a few vital scores.

Mo Nerney continued the Laois charge with a free straight after the water break, but Louth did not lie down easily, and a fine Eimear Byrne point kept them in contention.

With Louth packing the defence, scores were hard come by, but Fitzgerald split the posts and soon after midfielder Fiona Dooley pointed from close range. 

Just before half time, Fitzgerald had a goal chance, but her rocket flew over the crossbar, over a relieved Pearson who could only stand and watch as it flew past her. Louth were dealt a blow when sharpshooter Lauren Boyle was sent to the sin bin for a high challenge. However, Louth’s Kate Flood got the last score of the half from a free in front of goal, which left Louth behind by three points at the half time break. 

Louth flew out of the blocks in the second half and two minutes in, they were right back into contention. Denise McKenna’s long, inviting ball fell into the hands of Kate Flood and she turned and headed straight for goal before unleashing an absolute screamer which flew into the top corner to level the game two minutes into the second half. 

With all the momentum, Lauren Boyle returned to the field following her sin bin and she announced her return with a curling left footed effort to put them a point up.

Laois were in all sorts of trouble, but Anna Healy got an important point to weather the Louth storm. Two minutes later, Laois got a decisive goal. Substitute Eva Galvin found Joyce Dunne, and Dunne squared it to Erone Fitzpatrick who found the net to restore the three-point lead they had at the break. 

Fitzgerald added with her fourth of the day and when Jane Dooley set Mo Nerney free on the 45th minute, her low shot found the net, leaving seven points between the sides at the second water break, a remarkable turnaround. 

Fitzgerald and Flood traded points upon the resumption of play as Louth looked to claw their way back into the game.

Louth had the ball into the net five minutes from time courtesy of Flood, but it was ruled out when referee Kevin Corcoran adjudged Flood to be in the square before the ball, leaving the gap at six points with five to play.  

Louth threw everything at the game as they pushed bodies up field in an attempt to find a way back into the game, but the Laois defence stood tall and held out to secure a place in the All Ireland semi-final against either Down or Wexford. 

SCORERS: 

LAOIS: Sarah Anne Fitzgerald 0-5 (0-1F), Mo Nerney 1-1 (0-1F), Erone Fitzpatrick, Jane Moore 1-0 each, Anna Healy 0-2, Fiona Dooley 0-1.  

LOUTH: Kate Flood 1-3 (0-2f), Lauren Boyle 1-2, Eimear Byrne 0-1. 

TEAMS

Laois: Eimear Barry; Clodagh Dunne, Amy Potts, Aimee Kelly; Rachel Williams, Ellen Healy, Laura Nerney; Jane Moore, Fiona Dooley; Joyce Dunne, Erone Fitzpatrick, Anna Healy; Mo Nerney, Sarah Anne Fitzgerald, Orla Hennessy. Subs: Eva Galvin for Orla Hennessy (37), Leah Tarpey for Erone Fitzpatrick (55) Allanah Havill for Fiona Dooley (60) 

Louth: Una Pearson; Éillis Hand, Sarah Quinn, Eimear Murray; Michelle McMahon, Shannen McLoughlin, Céire Nolan; Aine Breen, Denise McKenna; Aoife Russell, Kate Flood, Rebecca Carr; Laura Collins, Lauren Boyle, Eimear Byrne. Roisin Kavanagh for Laura Collins (42) Seoda Matthews for Éillis Hand (44) Aoife Halligan for Denise McKenna (53), Louise Byrne for Aoife Russell (58), Holly Lambe Sally for Eimear Murray (60)

Referee: Kevin Corcoran (Mayo). 

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