Clinical Laois too strong for Westmeath and seal quarter-final berth

All-Ireland Camogie Intermediate Championship Round 3 

Laois 3-12 

Westmeath 1-9 

LAOIS camogie team delivered their best performance of the season when dismantling Westmeath in Kinnegad on Saturday afternoon. The win books the O’Moores a place in the All-Ireland Intermediate Championship quarter-finals and also means they top their group with a 100% record, which is a fabulous achievement in its own right.

This team just keeps giving and delivered another brilliant performance when it really mattered. From start to finish they were brilliant and the result never looked in doubt.

It was just an all-round team performance today with everyone excelling and winning their individual battles.

Susie Delaney got the scoring underway as Laois played the first half against the wind. Aimee Collier followed up the point with a point of her own to double the advantage.

Westmeath responded through Erin Core and Megan Dowdall who was a handful all day. Laois then got the upper hand around the middle and hit three points in a row.

Collier, Jade Bergin and Susie Delaney all hitting brilliant points into the wind. Dowdall and Shelia McGrath responded as Westmeath were hanging in there.

Laois finished the half with a flourish through a Collier free and she then was fouled for a penalty after Aine Newman pulled her to the ground.

Collier stepped up and finished the ball into the back of the net to give Laois a 1-6 to 0-4 lead at half time.

Meadbh McLoughlin got the scoring underway as Westmeath needed to fightback to remain in the championship.

But Laois struck for their second goal of the game after Clodagh Tynan delivered a long free into the area where Collier was on hand to finish the ball into the net for her second goal and it was looking like the game was over.

Westmeath struck back with a goal of their own through Ashley Ruane to keep Westmeath's faint hopes alive.

Grainne Delaney and Dowdall swapped points, before Laois stepped on the gas once more to put the game beyond doubt.

Clodagh Tynan fired over a long-range point which was the pick of the bunch, before Jade Bergin hit their third goal as she evaded two defenders and finished to the back of the net.

Grainne Delaney followed it one with a fine score for her second point of the game. Laois were playing with a lot of confidence at this stage, and it was a matter of how much they'd win by.

Dowdall replied for Westmeath with a point, but they needed goals to get back into the contest but they weren't coming as the Laois defence were superb all the way through.

Collier added a further brace while Grainne Delaney added her third point to finish of the scoring for Laois.

Megan Dowdall finished the game off with two more points to her tally as Laois ran out deserving winners.

SCORERS:

Laois: Aimee Collier 2-5 (1-0 pen, 0-3 fs), Jade Bergin 1-1, Grainne Delaney 0-3, Susie Delaney 0-2, Clodagh Tynan 0-1.

Westmeath: Megan Dowdall 0-6 (0-4fs), 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 (38m), Eimear Hassett (St Brigid’s) for Keenan (54m), Amy Lacey (The Harps) for Conroy (57m), Aisling O'Dea (St Brigid’s) for O'Keefe (57m).

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 (55m).