Collier stars as Laois Camogie book All-Ireland quarter-final place

The Laois Camogie team delivered their best performance of the season as they dismantled Westmeath in Kinnegad on Saturday afternoon.

The victory books them a place in the quarter-finals and also ensures they top their group with a 100% record, a fabulous achievement in its own right.

This Laois team continues to impress and produced another outstanding display when it mattered most. From start to finish they were in control and the result never looked in doubt. It was a superb all-round team performance, with players excelling across the field and winning their individual battles.

Susie Delaney opened the scoring as Laois played the first half against the wind, before Aimee Collier doubled the advantage with a point of her own. Westmeath responded through Erin Core and Megan Dowdall, with the latter proving a handful throughout. However, Laois gained the upper hand around the middle and reeled off three points in succession.

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Collier, Jade Bergin and Susie Delaney all landed excellent scores into the wind, while Dowdall and Shelia McGrath replied to keep Westmeath in touch. Laois finished the half with a flourish through a Collier free before she was fouled for a penalty after Aine Newman pulled her to the ground. Collier stepped up and fired to the back of the net to give Laois a 1-6 to 0-4 lead at the interval.

Meadbh McLoughlin opened the second-half scoring as Westmeath looked to keep their championship hopes alive. However, Laois struck for their second goal when Clodagh Tynan delivered a long free into the danger area and Collier was on hand to find the net for her second goal. At that stage, it looked as though the game was over.

Westmeath did respond with a goal from Ashley Ruane to keep their faint hopes alive. Grainne Delaney and Dowdall then exchanged points before Laois stepped on the gas once more to put the game beyond doubt. Clodagh Tynan fired over a superb long-range point, arguably the score of the game, before Jade Bergin grabbed Laois' third goal after evading two defenders and finishing to the net.

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Grainne Delaney followed up with her second point of the game as Laois played with growing confidence and the only question was the eventual margin of victory. Dowdall replied with a point for Westmeath, but they needed goals to get back into the contest and those opportunities never came as the Laois defence stood firm throughout.

Collier added a further brace of points while Grainne Delaney registered her third to complete the Laois scoring. Megan Dowdall added two late points for Westmeath, but Laois were deserving winners and march into the quarter-finals with three wins from three.

FINAL SCORE

Laois 3-12

Westmeath 1-9

SCORERS - Laois: Aimee Collier 2-5 (1-0 penalty, 0-3 frees), Jade Bergin 1-1, Grainne Delaney 0-3, Susie Delaney 0-2, Clodagh Tynan 0-1. Westmeath: Megan Dowdall 0-6 (0-4 frees), Ashley Ruane 1-0, Erin Core, Shelia McGrath and Meadbh McLoughlin 0-1 each

LAOIS: Aedin Lowry (Camross); Laura Finlay (St Brigid’s), Aoife Finlay (St Brigid’s), Karla Whelan (Naomh Eamonn); Rachel Deegan (The Harps), Clodagh Tynan (St Brigid’s), Sarah Creagh (St Brigid’s); Sarah Fleming (Portlaoise), Jade Bergin (The Harps); Kaylee O'Keeffe (St Lazarian’s), Grainne Delaney (Camross), Lucy Conroy (O’Moore’s); Kirsten Keenan (Camross), Aimee Collier (Camross), Susie Delaney (Boherlahan Dualla). Subs: Catherine Kirby (The Harps) for Fleming (38), Eimear Hassett (St Brigid’s) for Keenan (54), Amy Lacey (The Harps) for Conroy and Aisling O'Dea (St Brigid’s) for O'Keefe (both 57 mins)

WESTMEATH: Fiona Keating; Aine Newman, Dearbhail McLoughlin, Emily McCabe; Maria Kelly, Julie McLoughlin, Laura Doherty; Aoife O'Malley, Erin Core; Karen Keegan, Caoimhe McCrossan, Shelia McGrath; Amelia Shaw, Meadbh McLoughlin, Megan Dowdall. Subs: Ashley Ruane for Keegan (ht), Ella Reilly for M McLoughlin (55 mins)