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Laois 5-15 Limerick 0-7
Ladies National Football League Division 3 Round 3
Laois Ladies secured their first victory of this year’s Ladies National Football League Division 3 campaign with a comfortable win over Limerick at Mick Neville Park in Rathkeale.
The O’Moore County controlled proceedings throughout and eventually finished 23 points clear of their hosts.
Laois made the trip to Rathkeale on Sunday afternoon, determined to get off the mark in the league after drawing with Fermanagh in their opener and then falling to Down in Heywood the previous week.
Limerick, meanwhile, also entered the contest still searching for their first points after two outings.
Stephen Duff’s team struck first, Emily Lacey opening the scoring in the fourth minute with a fine effort curled over off her left foot.
Caomihe McGrath responded for the home side, but Laois quickly pushed ahead again with two scores in as many minutes from Katie Donoghue and Ciara Crowley.
Limerick answered in kind, with Meadbh MacNamara and Caoimhe McGrath both on target to leave the sides level on three points each after 13 minutes.
From that point, Laois began to take a firm grip on the match, producing 2-3 without reply in a six-minute spell.
Lacey contributed two of the points, while Emma Lawlor added another from a free. Lawlor then netted the first goal of the afternoon after being put through by her clubmate Shifra Havill, calmly finishing to the bottom corner.
Straight from the kick-out, Laura Marie Maher claimed possession and combined with Eva Galvin in a one-two before firing emphatically into the top corner of the Limerick goal.
The half concluded with three more points: two frees from McGrath for Limerick and a Galvin score in between, leaving Laois in front by 2-7 to 0-5 at halftime.
Laois continued to dominate after the interval, registering the opening four points of the second half through four different players.
Lacey added a simple free from 20 metres when Limerick were penalised for not having three players in the Laois half, and further points followed from Donoghue, Galvin and Crowley.
Limerick’s only score of the half arrived when McGrath notched her fifth point of the game.
Another sustained scoring run from Laois then saw them add 3-4 without reply. Substitute Mia Brannigan maintained her run of form by scoring her third goal in as many games shortly after coming on.
Havill chipped in with a point, and Lacey added another free. Caoimhe Fitzpatrick, also introduced from the bench, raised a white flag before Lacey struck for a goal to go with her five points. Laois quickly followed up with their fifth major when Lauren Kearney found the net.
There was a lengthy stoppage in added time after Laois forward Aoibhe Byron suffered a back injury and initially looked set to be stretchered off, but fortunately the St Conleth’s player was able to leave the pitch slowly on her own.
Late points were exchanged by Lorna Butler and Molly Creedon as Laois sealed their first win of the league campaign.
Laois now have a two-week break before travelling to Ennis, where they are scheduled to play Clare on Sunday, February 22.
SCORERS— Laois: Emily Lacey 1-5 (0-2 frees), Emma Lawlor 1-1, Laura Marie Maher, Lauren Kearney, Mia Brannigan 1-0 each, Ciara Crowley, Katie Donoghue and Eva Galvin 0-2 each, Lorna Butler, Caomihe Fitzpatrick and Shifra Havill 0-1 each. Limerick: Caoimhe McGrath 0-5 (0-2 frees), Meadhbh MacNamara and Molly Creedon 0-1 each.
LAOIS: Eimear Barry (Shanahoe); Ciara Byrne (Portlaoise), Aishling Saunders (Portlaoise), Mary Cotter (St Conleth’s); Faye McEvoy (Ballyroan), Andrea Moran (Ballyroan), Anna Healy (Park-Ratheniska); Fiona Dooley (Portlaoise), Shifra Havill (St Conleth’s); Ciara Crowley (Portlaoise), Emma Lawlor (St Conleth’s), Katie Donoghue (Timahoe); Emily Lacey (St Joseph’s), Eva Galvin (St Conleth’s), Laura Marie Maher (Sarsfields). Subs: Mia Brannigan (Graiguecullen) for Maher (42), Lauren Kearney (Sarsfields) for Galvin (45), Sinead Farrelly (St Joseph’s) for Cotter (47), Lorna Butler (St Joseph’s) for Dooley (50), Sarah Larkin (Timahoe) for Crowley, Jenny Murphy (Timahoe) for Lawlor and Aoibhe Byron (St Conleth’s) for Donoghue (All 52), Caoimhe Fitzpatrick (Graiguecullen) for Byrne (55), Kathlyn Timmons (Graiguecullen) for Byron (60, inj)
LIMERICK: Carol Bateman; Martha Stanley, Ciara Ryan, Aoife Dalton; Meadhbh MacNamara, Lucy O’Brien, Eadaoin Crowe; Orla Ryan, Shona Hickey; Caoimhe MacNamara, Lauren Ryan, Katie Heelan; Caoimhe McGrath, Rebecca Fitzgibbon, Laoise Browne. Subs: Emma Hickey for Dalton (HT), Aisling Enright for S Hickey (37), Leah Coughlan for Stanley (41), Gemma Leahy for Heelan and Summer Behan for L Ryan (45), Aine Ryan for O Ryan and Tara Geoghegan for C MacNamara (50), Alex Russell for C Ryan (52), Anna O’Dea for Browne (53), Clodagh Reale for Fitzgibbon (55), Molly Creedon for McGrath (56), Jillian Buckley for O’Brien (62)
REFEREE: Patrick Smith (Waterford)
