Debut delight for Branagan as Laois and Fermanagh ends all square

LIDL LGFA National League Division 3 Rd 1 

Laois 3-13 

Fermanagh 3-13 

Stephen Duff’s Laois ladies welcomed Fermanagh to Heywood CS after Emo GAA was deemed unplayable upon inspection on Saturday.

Fermanagh came into the game as the 2025 Division 4 champions and bowed out of the All-Ireland intermediate championship after extra-time in the quarter-final to eventual champions Tyrone, who overcame Laois in the final.

Emily Lacey registered the opening score of the game as she pointed inside 15 seconds. Eimear McMahon raised the visitors first white flag from a placed ball minutes later. Katie Donoghue then pointed a free, while Lacey added a second point to her name.

Sinead Barrett and McMahon added a point each to Fermanagh’s scoresheet before Donoghue and Kelly O’Neill played a clever one-two, where Donoghue palmed the ball to the back of the net. Fermanagh struck with two points in a row once more courtesy of Brenda Bannon and Aisling O’Brien which narrowed Laois’ lead to a single point.

O’Neill pointed a fine score from play, but The Ernesiders then took the lead for the first time in the contest as they fired over three scores in a row, two coming from Bannon while Joanne Doonan also added her name to the scoresheet. Donoghue converted a free, while Lacey added another super score to her name to push the home side back ahead by one before the half-time whistle (1-6 to 0-8).

In a similar manner to the first half, Laois won the throw-in, and Lacey pointed within 30 seconds of the restart. The away side hit their purple patch for the following eight minutes as they put 2-2 past the Laois defence. Aine McCarthy raised a white flag, Doonan added 1-1 to her tally and Niamh McManus raised the second green flag for Fermanagh.

Laois responded in an admirable manner as they replicated the scoring of their opponents and also put 2-2 onto the scoreboard in a rapid time frame. Andrea Moran and Lacey split the posts before debutant Mia Branagan converted two goals in the space of a minute. Lauren Kearney set up Branagan for the first goal before Kearney was then fouled in the square to allow Branagan step up and put the penalty away which pushed Laois two points ahead entering the final 10 minutes.

Sarah Britton pointed for Fermanagh while Lacey replied with two well taken points keeping a goal between them. Fermanagh substitute Caoimhe Gallagher came off the bench and rattled the back of Ava Shanahan’s net within two minutes of her introduction. Ciara McGarrigle then pointed from play to push the visitors ahead by one.

Branagan found herself facing Aisling Quinn for a third time but was unfortunate when her shot went straight at Quinn. Fiona Dooley made a fantastic run from the middle of the field and hand passed the ball over the bar to level the game. It was the first game under the new rules and unfortunately for Laois, they broke the three players up and Fermanagh were awarded a free which Doonan pointed at ease. Laois broke up the field in search of a score and that score came from Lacey who took her tally to a remarkable eight points from play. Lacey had an opportunity to win the game, but her effort went wide and Laois had to settle for a share of the points.

The Laois Ladies now face another home game next weekend when they welcome Down to Emo GAA on Sunday, February 1.

SCORERS:

Laois: Emily Lacey 0-8, Mia Branagan 2-0 (1-0 pen), Katie Donoghue 1-2 (0-2fs), Fiona Dooley and Andrea Moran 0-1 each.

Fermanagh: Joanne Doonan 1-3 (0-1f), Niamh McManus and Caoimhe Gallagher 1-0 each, Brenda Bannon 0-3, Eimear McMahon 0-2 (0-1f), Sinead Barrett, Aine McCarney, Ciara McGarrigle, Aisling O’Brien, and Sarah Britton 0-1 each.

LAOIS: Ava Shanahan (St Joseph's); Sinead Farrelly (St Joseph's), Aishling Saunders (Portlaoise), Faye McEvoy (Ballyroan); Aoife Gorman (Timahoe), Mary Cotter (St Conleth's), Andrea Moran (Ballyroan); Fiona Dooley (Portlaoise), Shifra Havill (St Conleth's); Ciara Crowley (Portlaoise), Sarah Larkin (Timahoe), Lauren Kearney (Sarsfields); Emily Lacey (St Joseph's), Katie Donoghue (Timahoe), Kelly O’Neill (Graiguecullen).

Subs: Aishling Fitzpatrick (The Heath) for Crowley (24m, inj), Mia Branagan (Graiguecullen) for Larkin (37m), Ciara Byrne (Portlaoise) for Gorman (49m).

FERMANAGH: Aisling Quinn; Erica Douglas, Shannon McQuade, Aisling Keenan; Aisling O’Brien, Sarah McCarville, Brenda Bannon; Joanne Doonan, Catriona Breen; Aine McCarthy, Eimear McMahon, Sinead Barrett; Niamh McManus, Joanne Doonan, Ciara McGarrigle.

Subs: Sarah Britton for McCarney (37m), Caoimhe Gallagher for McMahon (50m), Hannah Murphy for Breen (50m), Ellie Carrigan for Bannon (60m).

Referee: Patrick Smith (Waterford).