Hennessy hails 'exceptional' Laois U/16 group after semi-final triumph
Hanna Luttrell goes on the attack for Laois in their All-Ireland U/16 semi-final win over Tipperary Photo: Paul Dargan
The Laois Ladies U/16 team will contest an All-Ireland ‘B’ final after defeating Tipperary 4-10 to 2-7 in Dunmore on Thursday evening.
Played in sweltering conditions, it was a hugely demanding contest for both sides, making the standard of football and work rate all the more impressive over the course of the contest.
Speaking afterwards, Laois joint-manager Shane Hennessy praised his players' commitment and effort, particularly given the challenging weather conditions.
“It was a tough night. Tipperary are an excellent side and really, with the conditions that we had, the girls really put in a huge amount of work across the 70 minutes and yeah, did enough,” he said.
Laois produced an outstanding first-half display to take a commanding 3-6 to 0-4 lead at the break, with their goals arriving at crucial stages. After the first-half water break, they outscored Tipperary by 1-4 to no score to seize control of the contest.
“We tried to set ourselves up so that we wouldn't concede much and thankfully, we were able to soak up a lot of Tipperary pressure and then hit them on the break. And like that, we got the few overlaps and managed to get a goal or two. So yeah, it worked out well,” Hennessy said.
One of the defining features of this Laois side has been their clinical finishing. Five of their six starting forwards got on the scoresheet, with Mia Delaney bagging two goals, while Kate Dowling and Laura Malone also found the net.
“Absolutely, and that's completely on them. The girls are full of skill, like we've always said that. They're an exceptional group. All they need is a sniff of goal and they're in on it. Throughout the year, they've beaten most teams by triple and quadruple scores. So yeah, very impressive,” he added.
Looking ahead to the final, Hennessy praised the dedication his players have shown throughout the campaign. Thursday's semi-final marked the 68th time the group had come together this year, and he believes there is plenty more to come from them as they prepare for the All-Ireland decider in Roscommon.
“A great occasion it’ll be. I mean, it's a testament to them and their hard work really. Tonight is our 68th coming together and I think there are only good things for this group ahead,” he concluded.
