Jones hails Laois display as quarter-final place nears

LAOIS joint manager Rob Jones praised his side's determination and composure after they secured a crucial victory over Meath, a result that has all but guaranteed their place in the All-Ireland Camogie quarter-finals.

Speaking after the game, Jones expressed his delight with the performance and the continued progress being shown by the squad.

"I am very happy actually with the performance from start to finish, We knew coming into today’s game that a win would nearly guarantee us a spot in the All-Ireland quarter-final and we did that," he said.

Jones admitted his side expected a fierce challenge from a Meath team fighting to keep their championship hopes alive. The victory continues an impressive run of form for Laois and Jones believes confidence and momentum are building within the panel.

"We expected a huge battle from Meath who were fighting for their lives, and we definitely got that battle. I’m so proud of the girls after showing their battling qualities right the way through.

"We have serious momentum in this team now. We continue to go from strength to strength, and it is absolutely great,” Jones said.

However, the management team was keen to ensure complacency did not creep in ahead of such an important fixture.

"Myself and Pat said it before the game to the girls that we are in a great position, it's exactly where you want to be, but when you are in good positions sometimes you can take your eye off the ball and it can work against you.

"That’s one thing we instilled in the girls before the game – to stay focused and take one game at a time. We are making steps forward with every game we play, so yes, it is great," he said.

Jones highlighted the growing belief within the squad, pointing to recent victories as evidence of the confidence running through the group.

Laois made a blistering start to the contest and Jones felt that opening spell proved decisive.

"Winning brings confidence and we have shown it the last day against Carlow and today we played with confidence. We have great belief within the squad. We know if we play our best, we can beat each team in this group on any day, so that is what it is all about.

"We played brilliantly in the first twenty minutes of the first half. We were in control and far more experienced and they drove it on while we were on top. We got some great scores, and it proved vital," said Jones.

While Meath responded strongly and threatened to turn the tide, Jones was pleased with how his players weathered the storm.

"Meath then battled back and put in a huge fight, to be fair to them, but our girls stuck in there and responded big time when Meath got on top for a period.".

Attention now quickly turns to the final group game against Westmeath, with little time available for preparation.

"We haven’t much time to prepare for Westmeath. We will be back in training next Tuesday, recover and get ready to go again.

"It’s the same as normal really. We prepare for every game, whether it is a final or a knockout match, we prepare for every game the same. We hope to bring another performance against Westmeath, and we will see where that will take us."