Portlaoise move a step closer to making it three-in-a-row

Laois LGFA Football League Division 1 s/f 

Portlaoise 3-10 

 St Conleth's 1-5 

A STRONG performance in Rathleague on Sunday afternoon saw Portlaoise overcome St Conleth's to book their place in the 2025 LGFA Football League Division 1 final. Portlaoise won the 2023 and 2024 Division 1 titles and are on course to add another as goals from Ella McNulty, Grainne Moran and Leah Loughman saw the Town dominate this semi-final.

Portlaoise started the game well and led by three points midway through the first half thanks to a free from Loughman and one each from play from Moran and Ellen Healy. St Conleth's finally began to take their chances after that when Aoife Cummins and Naomi Luttrell landed great scores, but the hosts went up the field and raised the game's first green flag in the 19th minute thanks to a savage finish into the corner from McNulty.

St Conleth's were awarded a penalty in the 26th minute but missed the chance to cut the deficit to a single point when Claire Fox's shot went just wide of the upright. That proved to be a major turning point as Portlaoise were awarded a penalty of their own just before the break.

Moran's initial effort hit the crossbar but she reacted fastest to turn in the rebound and push Portlaoise seven points ahead at half time, up 2-3 to 0-2.

St Conleth's did well in the third quarter and got a goal back thanks to a great strike from Fox, with Grainne Cotter and Aoife Kirrane - who had a fantastic game in midfield - kicking a point apiece as well. But Portlaoise were persistent and added another four points through McNulty, Loughman, Moran and Aisling Kehoe to lead by six heading into the last 15 minutes.

Kehoe, Brennan and Moran all pointed again before Loughman rattled the St Conleth's' net for a third time late on to bring the game to an emphatic conclusion. Portlaoise will head to the league final where they will play the winners of Graiguecullen and Sarsfields who clashed on Monday evening.

SCORERS:

Portlaoise: Grainne Moran 1-3, Leah Loughman 1-2 (0-1f), Ella McNulty 1-1, Aisling Kehoe 0-2, Ellen Healy and Doireann Brennan 0-1 each.

St Conleth's: Claire Fox 1-0, Aoife Kirrane 0-2 (0-1), Aoife Cummins, Naomi Luttrell and Grainne Cotter 0-1 each.

PORTLAOISE: Aoife Hyland Conlon; Aoibhe O'Brien, Sarah Fleming, Amy Byrne; Emma Dunne, Aisling Saunders, Rebecca Reddin; Ellen Healy, Grainne O’Reilly; Rebecca Keane, Leah Loughman, Doireann Brennan; Aisling Kehoe, Grainne Moran, Ella McNulty.

Subs: Tori Byrne for Healy (49m, inj), Laurna Skehan for O'Brien (54m), Chloe Norton for Kehoe (47m), Sophie Deegan for Loughman (57m).

ST CONLETH'S: Sile Burbage; Grainne Cotter, Ruanne Hunt, Jane Ridgeway, Shannon Boland; Alice Kearns, Aine Haberlan; Sinead Coffey, Aoife Kirrane; Ola Haastrup, Naomi Luttrell, Michelle Byrne; Aoife Cummins, Shauna Connolly, Claire Fox.

Subs: Hannah O’Mahony for Luttrell (24, inj), Aoibheann McCann for Byrne (45m), Evana Cassidy for Ridgeway (52m), Rachel Donoher for Haastrup (52m), Niamh McCann for Connolly (52m).

Referee: Michael Tarpey (Kilcavan)