Garden fall to strong Laois
Visitors won confortably
WICKLOW LAOIS 3-17 0-5
A much stronger and well drilled Laois ladies Minor football side ran out comfortable winners over Wicklow in this Ladies Minor Football Championship game played at Kilcoole on Sunday last.
The game was played on a firm dry sod with little or no breeze to interfere with the efforts of both sides.
Laois possessed two great point-scoring forwards in centre-forward Emma Lawlor and corner-forward Alice Walsh who between them notched 15 of the 17 points total amassed by the visiting midland side.
The general strength of Laois in many key areas plus their overall comfort in control of the ball proved the essential difference between the teams. Wicklow too had their skilful performers but not to the same level as the visitors.
The seeds for this victory were sown in the first half when Laois accumulated 3-7 to lead by 11 points at the break.
Nicola Ryan and Isobella O’Toole were very strong at midfield and ensured a steady supply of ball to a hungry forward division.
None were hungrier than the aforementioned Alice Walsh who scored five of her sides seven points in this first half.
Her sister Sarah, playing alongside her at full forward, accounted for two of the Laois goals in this period.
Wicklow’s Sinead McGettican and Saoirse O’Reilly tried hard to stem the tide against them but Laois had too many big guns spread throughout the field.
The half-time score saw Laois lead by 3-7 to 0-4. Wicklow’s points in this half came from Aimee Maher, Keelin Stafford, Emma Katus and Sinead McGettican.
Wicklow began the second half well with the half backs Sarah Byrne, Aimee Maher and Aishling Winterbotham becoming more prominent.
Sinead McGettican scored the first point of the half from a free. The defence in general tightened up and Amy Kavanagh had a number of fine saves to her credit. Laois did not get through for any more goals in this half.
However, the overall strength of the midlanders gradually took its toll and they went on to add ten points to their first half total.
Emma Lawlor came into her own in this second period and ensured that her side ran out comfortable winners on a scoreline of 3-17 to 0-5.
Scorers - Laois: Alice Walsh 0-9, Sarah Walsh 2-0, Emma Lawlor 0-6, Caoimhe Fitzpatrick 1-1, Nicola Ryan 0-1.
Wicklow: Sinead McGettican 0-2, Aimee Maher 0-1, Keelin Staf- ford 0-1, Emma Katus 0-1.
Sinead O’Rourke; Isobel Fennelly, Jade Nolan, Elaine Daly; Ciara Hughes, Aoife Daly, Lisa Walsh; Nicola Ryan, Isabella O’Toole; Rebecca Balfe, Emma Lawlor, Caoimhe Fitzpatrick; Alice Walsh, Sarah Walsh, Megan Walsh. Subs: Zoe Keegan, Carey O’Brien, Emer Brennan, Aine Lacey, Anna Healy, Niamh Phelan.
Amy Kavanagh; Sarah Evans, Emily Hadden, Molly Hodgkinson; Sarah Byrne, Aimee Maher, Aishling Winterbotham; Sinead McGettican, Saoirse O’Reilly; Nicole Walsh, Laura Butler, Emma Katus; Caoilfhinn Kavanagh, Lauren Byrne, Keelin Stafford. Subs: Sofie Cronin, Aoife McTeigue, Jane Butler, Liadh Cronin, Megan Healy, Eva Roche. Finbar Shanahan (St.Margarets, Dublin.) AT one stage it looked like Avondale Parnells would win this by double digits; they led by seven points early in the second half.
Fifteen minutes later they were behind by two points, Davy Maloney, with a little help from Rory Lambe, dragging Bray back into the match. In the end a couple of late goals from PJ O’Connor, one a great finish, one fortuitous, was the difference between the teams.
The lack of a referee meant the game started half an hour late but once it did those in attendance were treated to a good game of hurling.
On the Bray team reigning U17 hurler of the year and youngest of the Maloney brothers, Davy Maloney, set about dominating the match though his marker Zach Cullen didn’t let him have it his way. In attack Avondale Parnells were the better team with PJ O’Connor punishing any indiscipline while midfielder Torna Mulcroney hit two points in the first half.
O’Connor started the match with three points, two of them frees, before Maloney converted a couple of frees to get Bray on the scoreboard. Mulcroney picked up a loose ball and knocked it over the bar to re-establish a two point lead though Maloney responded with a couple of points to level the match at four points each by the twelfth minute.
Avondale Parnells began to exert their influence on the match for the rest of the half and take