History beckons as St Conleth’s book fifth successive county final place

LOETB Laois LGFA Senior Football Championship s/f 

St Conleth’s 2-11 

Ballyroan 0-8 

THIS year’s Laois LGFA SFC county final will be a repeat of last year’s after St Conleth’s defeated Ballyroan on Saturday evening to get revenge, having lost by six points against the same in the third round.

The victors came out after half-time and scored 1-3 without reply, which swung the momentum and set them up to win by nine in the end.

Ballyroan and St Conleth’s took to the field for the second game of the evening in Laois Hire O’Moore Park, where both sides looked to seal the remaining spot in the county final after Portlaoise booked their place in the previous game.

Kate Whelan opened the game's scoring with a point from play in the first 30 seconds, followed by a free a minute later. Aoibhe Byron pointed St Conleth’s first score from a free while Emma Lawlor followed up with a white flag. Whelan pointed a free while Byron pointed down the other end after a super dispossession in which she turned and split the posts. Eva Galvin then added a point after winning the kick-out.

Whelan raised two white flags in a row when she slot the ball over from a placed ball and then from play soon after. St Conleth’s marched down the field at pace and rattled the underside of the crossbar, but the ball bounced back out to play, where they earned a free, allowing Byron to split the posts for her second free.

Ballyroan found a pocket of space in the St Conleth’s defence, and Aideen Gee set up Aine Carter, but Claire O’Connell pulled off a super save with her right boot to deny her. The reigning champions pointed the final score of the half when a cross-field ball from Galvin found Lawlor, who pointed her second of the contest. St Conleth’s led 0-6 to 0-5 at half-time.

The second-half was only two minutes old when Naomi Luttrell slotted the ball soccer-style past Ballyroan keeper Cliodhna Kenny. Galvin added two points with her second, half a goal chance as it flew over the bar. Byron tapped over a free in between Galvin’s double, with Byron also having a goal chance that flashed wide of the Ballyroan goal.

St Conleth’s were then dealt a huge blow as Ola Haastrup was shown a yellow card. Ballyroan took control for the next few minutes with the extra player as Faye McEvoy pointed a superb point while Whelan added two more frees to her name. Lawlor replied with a point back as St Conleth’s led by five points with Haastrup now back on the field.

The next score was the one that sealed the game as a contest as Galvin raised a green flag at the second attempt. She raced through on goals and rattled her first effort off the crossbar. Fortunately, the ball came straight back to her and she rifled it into an empty net. Substitute Courtney Finlay pointed the game’s final score as St Conleth’s sealed their place in a fifth consecutive County Final. They’ll face Portlaoise for the fourth year in a row.

SCORERS:

St Conleth’s: Eva Galvin 1-3, Aoibhe Byron (0-3fs) 0-4, Emma Lawlor 0-3, Naoimi Luttrell 1-0, Courtney Finlay 0-1.

Ballyroan: Kate Whelan 0-7 (fs), Faye McEvoy 0-1.

ST CONLETH'S: Claire O’Connell; Ola Haastrup, Ruanne Hunt, Grainne Cotter; Aoife Cummins, Aine Haberline, Mary Cotter; Shifra Havill, Aoife Kirrane; Marie Byrne, Eva Galvin, Naomi Luttrell; Emma Lawlor, Claire Fox, Aoibhe Byron.

Subs: Courtney Finlay for Luttrell (50m) and Fiona Dempsey for Byron (58m).

BALLYROAN: Cliodhna Kenny; Emily Mulhall, Leah Kelly, Alannah Brennan; Aine Carter, Clodagh Dunne, Isabelle McWey; Andrea Moran, Faye McEvoy; Aisling Bruen, Aideen Gee, Sarah Delaney; Roisin Fitzgerald, Kate Whelan, Rachel Fitzpatrick.

Subs: Laoise Dunne for Roisin Fitzgerald (ht), Aoife Mullins for Kenny (36m), Kaylah O’Mara for Fitzpatrick (50m), and Clodagh Gee for McWey (59m).

Referee: Marian Hayden (Carlow)