Laois Ladies footballers continue winning ways and maintain 100 percent start to league

Laois 3-14

Longford 1-9

Laois continued their impressive start to the league campaign with a comprehensive 11-point victory over Longford at Pearse Park on Sunday afternoon. It was a dominant performance from start to finish. They lead by ten points at half time and never let up with second half goals from Sarah Ann Fitzgerald and Aoife Kirrane helping Donie Brennan’s side record an impressive victory. They now sit pretty at the top of the table, having accounted for Kildare in their opening game as they look to earn themselves promotion to Division Two. 

It was ideal conditions for football, with the sun splitting the rocks, allowing for a quality and entertaining game of football, and it was Laois who opened the scoring through Mo Nerney inside the first minute. Both sides had a high wide count, especially in the opening exchanges, but Longford levelled with nine minutes of play, courtesy of Emer Heaney. 

However, soon after, the onslaught began. Sarah Ann Fitzgerald started with a brilliantly taken point from what seemed an almost impossible angle. Laois turned over three consecutive Longford kick outs and scored from each of them, two from Eva Galvin and one from Andrea Moran who was a late addition to the side. Nerney added another to make it four points in the space of just two minutes. Michelle Farrell and Sarah Shannon did respond for Longford to cut the deficit to four at the first water break. 

Laois came racing out of the blocks just after the water break, and they got the day’s first goal. Mo Nerney rattled the back of the net at the end of a patient build up from Laois. Longford almost immediately grabbed a goal of their own at the other end through Michelle Farrell, but Laois keeper Eimear Barry made an excellent save.

Laois took control of the rest of the half with Nerney, Sarah Ann Fitzgerald, Jane Moore and Anna Healy all contributing to the scoreboard to leave it 1-10 to 0-3 at half time. 

Longford started the brighter of the sides in the second half and two points from Sarah Shannon and captain Michelle Farrell cut the deficit to eight inside the first five minutes of the second half. Substitute Orla Hennessy settled the Laois ship when she drilled the ball over the bar after being picked out excellently by the impressive Eva Galvin. 

The slim chance of a Longford comeback was put to bed 46 minutes in. Sarah Ann Fitzgerald picked a ball up and her attempt at a point dropped short and dropped into the net past an unfortunate Riane McGrath. Fitzgerald then followed up with another point to all but end the game as a contest.

Despite a massive lead on the scoreboard, Longford never gave in and they enjoyed a purple patch towards the end of the game. Michelle Farrell, Aoife Darcy both pointed before they got their only goal of the game. Aoife Darcy played a wonderful cross field pass into the rectangle and Farrell fisted to the net, but with the margin so big, it was a consolation goal for the Longford ladies.

Laois were not finished yet, and they put the icing on the cake in stoppage time. An excellent team move involving Laura Nerney and Eva Galvin eventually found its way to substitute Aoife Kirrane who slotted neatly to the net to round off a good win, a decent performance and most importantly two points for Donie Brennan’s charges. 

Laois

Scorers: Mo Nerney 1-4 (0-1f), Sarah Ann Fitzgerald 1-2, Eva Galvin 0-3, Aoife Kirrane 1-0, Andrea Moran, Orla Hennessy, Leah Tarpey, Jane Moore, Anna Healy all 0-1 each. 

Team: Eimear Barry (Shanahoe); Jenny McEvoy (Sarsfields), Amy Potts (St Brigid’s) Aimee Kelly (St Conleths); Rachel Williams (Sarsfields), Ellen Healy (Portlaoise), Laura Nerney (Foxrock-Cabinteely); Fiona Dooley (Portlaoise), Jane Moore (Sarsfields); Anna Healy (Park Ratheniska), Eva Galvin (St Conleth’s), Andrea Moran (Ballyroan); Mo Nerney (Timahoe), Sarah Ann Fitzgerald (Portlaoise), Alannah Havill. (St Conleth’s). Subs: Orla Hennessy (Timahoe) for Anna Healy (H/T). Leah Tarpey (Sarsfields) for Havill (40). Aoife Kirrane (St Conleth’s) for Hennessy (inj) (46), Emily Mulhall (Ballyroan) for Willaims (48), Roisin Larkin (Timahoe) for McEvoy, Rebecca Balfe (St Paul’s) for Moran, Erone Fitzpatrick (Park Ratheniska) for Fitzgerald.

Longford

Scorers: Michelle Farrell 1-4, Sarah Shannon 0-2, Aoife Darcy 0-2 (0-2f), Emer Heaney 0-1. 

Team: Riane McGrath; Katie Crawford, Leeane Keegan, Aisling Cosgrove; Michelle Noonan, Eimear O’Brien, Clare Farrell; Niamh Darcy, Grace Shannon; Emer Heaney, Aoife Darcy, Anna McDonnell; Louise Monaghan, Michelle Farrell, Sarah Shannon. Subs: Caoimhe Lohan for Grace Shannon (H/T), Ciara Mulligan for Michelle Noonan (42), Ciara Healy for Anna McDonnell (42), Kara Shannon for Niamh Darcy (42), Lauren McGuire for Sarah Shannon (50), Sorcha Dawson for Eimear O’Brien (inj).