Carroll and Byron lead St Conleth’s into Division 1 final
Sinead Coffey (St Conleth's) turning in possession as Grainne Scully (Ballyroan Abbey) looks to dispossess her Photo: Denis Byrne
St Conleth’s 4-13
Ballyroan 1-8
ST Conleth’s will contest this year’s Laois LGFA Division 1 final after proving far too strong for Ballyroan in Courtwood on Monday evening.
A hat-trick from Laura Carroll, along with 1-9 from Aoibhe Byron, saw St Conleth’s ease their way into the decider, where they will face Timahoe after they came through a hard-fought semi-final against St Joseph’s.
St Conleth’s got off to the perfect start as Laura Carroll’s effort for a point dropped over the head of Lara Gilnagh and into the Ballyroan net after just 15 seconds. Gilnagh then made a superb save to deny St Conleth’s a second goal when she got down low to keep out Claire Fox’s effort. St Conleth’s second goal arrived in similar fashion as Aoibhe Byron’s free also found the back of the net.
Carroll added a point to her goal before Kate Whelan got Ballyroan up and running in the 12th minute. Sarah Delaney was unlucky not to pull a goal back as her effort flashed across the face of goal and wide. Whelan added another point, but Byron replied at the other end with three scores, two of them from frees.
Whelan was also the creator of Ballyroan’s third point as she played a short free to Alannah Brennan, who split the posts. Gilnagh produced another outstanding save to prevent St Conleth’s extending their lead, this time denying Aimee Kelly from point-blank range.
The half ended with three further points. Carroll and Byron (free) both added to St Conleth’s tally, while Katie Dunican replied for Ballyroan as St Conleth’s took a 2-6 to 0-4 lead into the break.
Byron and Whelan traded frees to begin the second half, but St Conleth’s continued to dominate as they reeled off 2-5 in a 14-minute spell to put the game well beyond Ballyroan. Byron got the first two points, with the second coming from a free that was brought forward after a Ballyroan player tackled a St Conleth’s player who had caught a mark. Niamh Cullen then got her only score of the game before Byron added another point.
Carroll, who scored a fortunate goal in the opening half, made sure there was no luck involved in her second as she blasted the ball into the net off the underside of the crossbar. Byron raised another white flag before Carroll completed her hat-trick in style with another composed finish.
It was a long way back for Ballyroan at that stage but, to their credit, they finished with 1-3 unanswered. Kate Whelan landed a two-point free, while Roisin Fitzgerald added a point before finding the net.
Carroll rounded off the scoring with another point as the St Conleth’s number 12 finished with 3-3 to seal her side’s place in the final, where they will face Timahoe.
SCORERS:
St Conleth’s: Laura Carroll 3-3. Aoibhe Byron 1-9 (1-5fs), Niamh Cullen 0-1.
Ballyroan: Kate Whelan 0-5 (0-2fs, 1tpf), Roisin Fitzgerald 1-1, Katie Dunican and Alannah Brennan 0-1 each.
ST CONLETH’S: Claire O’Connell; Roisin McCourt, Ruanne Hunt, Michelle Byrne; Aoife Cummins, Melissa Donnelly, Becky Fenlon; Aimee Kelly, Marie Byrne; Blaithnaid Kehoe, Claire Fox, Laura Carroll; Sinead Coffey, Aoibhe Byron, Niamh Cullen.
Subs: Kim Webster for Cullen (49m), Shauna Connolly for Michelle Byrne (51m), Sarah Leah Harkin for Marie Byrne (51m), Jane Ridgeway for Coffey (57m), Louise Ward for McCourt (57).
BALLYROAN: Lara Gilnagh; Caoimhe Delaney, Clodagh Dunne, Grainne Scully; Sarah Delaney, Emily Mulhall, Kate Kenna; Alannah Brennan, Ellen McDonald; Aideen Gee, Roisin Fitzgerald, Laoise Dunne; Katie Dunican, Kate Whelan, Lauren Mulhall.
Subs: Claire Daly for C Delaney (ht), Jill Gaughan for L Mulhall (ht), Grainne Dowling for Dunican (41m), Grace Headen for Kenna (49m).
Referee: Kevin Phelan (St Brigid’s)
