Laois remain winless after losing out to Down
Fiona Dooley (Laois) releasing this ball against Down Photo: Denis Byrne
LAOIS lady footballers fell to defeat to Down losing out by four points in Heywood on Sunday afternoon.
Down just about deserved the win but Laois will rue missed opportunities as they were guilty of being very wasteful in front of goal especially in the second period as they chased down Down.
They went in at half time six points down and they did fight back in the second half, ultimately the lead was too big to claw back in near perfect conditions.
The loss means that Laois have one point on the board after their draw against Fermanagh the first day and it means they travel to Limerick next week in a desperate need of two points to get their league campaign back on track.
The visitors opened the scoring through Laoise Duffy with a brilliant effort, but it was soon cancelled out as Aoife Gorman and Eva Galvin pointed for Laois to give them the early lead.
Eva Hicks and Katie Donoghue traded points as it was nip and tuck in the early stages. Eva Galvin would add two more points as Laois led 0-5 to 0-3.
That’s has good as it got for Laois in the rest of the half as Down took over the game and would hit the next six points in a row to take command in this encounter.
Eimear Fitzpatrick hit three of them while Niamh Rice got two and Hicks got another as Laois struggled to contain the Down attack at times.
Emily Lacey got a badly needed point before half time, but disaster struck for the home side as Laoise Duffy found the net from close range to stretch the lead out to six at the break 1-9 to 0-6.
Fitzpatrick added a point straight from the throw in and then Laois would finally get going and did the best to cause a comeback.
Lacey would add three points in a row while Shifra Havill found the net and all of a sudden it was a two-point game with Laois playing some good football to get back in the contest.
But to Down’ credit they kept Laois at arm’s length as they never let them draw level. Fitzpatrick would add another to settle Down again.
But Laois were starting to get joy out of the Down kickouts, and Katie Donoghue kicked two in a row to leave it a one-point game 1-12 to 1-11 to the visitors with 15 minutes remaining.
Again, Down responded with a fatal blow to stop the comeback as Eva Hicks hit 1-1 in a row to stop the momentum that was coming in waves from Laois.
Laois went in search of goals but failed to do so but the best they could manage was two points from Lacey and one off the boot of Fiona Dooley.
Down held out for victory as Fitzpatrick hit the last point to see off Laois.
Eimear Fitzpatrick 0-7 (0-6fs), Eva Hicks 1-3, Laoise Duffy 1-1 Niamh Rice 0-2, Niamh McGrath 0-1 Laois: Emily Lacey 0-5 (0-4fs), Katie Donoghue 0-3 (fs), Shifra Havill 1-0, Eva Galvin 0-2, Aoife Gorman, Fiona Dooley 0-1 each.
Cara Bradley; Neva Loudon, Orlagh Blaney, Erin Sands; Niamh Edgar, Ciara McCreanor, Niamh McGrath; Meghan Doherty, Kate Howlett; Niamh McClory, Eimear Fitzpatrick, Laoise Duffy; Enya Quinn, Niamh Rice, Eva Hicks.
Aimee Greene for Sands (43m), Cara Donnelly for Quinn (45m), Niamh McConville for McGrath (55m), Aine Smyth for Kicks (57m).
Eimear Barry (Shanahoe); Sinead Farrelly (St Joseph’s), Aishling Saunders (Portlaoise), Faye McEvoy (Ballyroan); Aoife Gorman (Timahoe), Mary Cotter (St Conleths), Andrea Moran (Ballyroan); Fiona Dooley (Portlaoise), Anna Healy (Park/Ratheniska); Shifra Havill (St Conleth’s), Lauren Kearney (Sarsfields), Eva Galvin (St Conleth’s); Emily Lacey (St Josephs), Katie Donoghue (Timahoe), Emma Lawlor (St Conleth’s).
Kathlyn Timmons (Graiguecullen) for Gorman (h/t), Mia Brangan (Graiguecullen) for Lawlor (h/t), Sarah Larkin (Timahoe) for Healy (35m), Jenny Murphy (Timahoe) for Farrelly (50m).
