Satisfaction and relief Laois hold off Wicklow to retain intermediate status

TG4 All-Ireland Intermediate Relegation Final 

 Laois 1-15 

 Wicklow 2-9 

 LAOIS retained their Intermediate status after a hard-fought victory over Wicklow in the TG4 Intermediate relegation final at the National Games Development Centre in Abbotstown on Saturday afternoon.

Peter O’Leary’s side both started and finished the stronger of the sides and much to their delight, emerged with a three-point victory, ensuring they would compete in the Intermediate Championship again next year.

Laois got off to the better start when Fiona Dooley pointed after just 20 seconds. Ella Parke replied for Wicklow, but Emily Lacey added a free in response. Laura Marie Maher found a pocket of space and raced through on goal. Her shot was drifting wide, but Katie Donoghue reacted quickest to get her boot to the ball and steer it to the back of the net. Lacey then added her second point to leave Laois five in front.

Niamh Caffrey pointed for Wicklow and Shifra Havill replied for Laois but Wicklow immediately reduced Laois’ lead to two when a shot from Parke bounced in the square and over Eimear Barry’s head. Dooley added a second to her name while Lucy Dunne replied from a free. Barry was called into action when Elizabeth Bourke burst through the defence and found herself one-on-one with the Laois goalkeeper, but Barry produced a strong left fisted save to divert the ball out for a 45.

Caffrey and Lacey exchanged frees before Caffrey converted another moments later. Lacey then landed an excellent point from play before Donoghue was denied a second goal by a superb save from Bea Clancy. Donoghue had the final say of the half with a pointed free to leave Laois 1-8 to 1-5 ahead at the interval.

Holly Sheehy opened the scoring after the restart before Wicklow were reduced to 14 players for ten minutes when Sarah O’Toole received a yellow card for a high tackle on Ciara Crowley. Lacey converted the resulting free before Caffrey replied from another placed ball.

Laois pointed three in a row to go five points clear entering the final quarter. Donoghue kicked the first with Havill adding a second to her name after Mary Cotter pulled off a fine turnover to start the attack. Lacey then added her sixth point of the game before Wicklow replied through Bourke.

Laura Butler kicked an important score for Wicklow which narrowed their deficit to three for the final ten minutes. Lacey kicked her final score of the game to take her tally to seven before Wicklow raised a green flag. Butler’s free flew into the top corner of Barry’s net, cutting the deficit to just a single point and setting up a nervy finish.

Laois immediately worked the ball up field and Mia Branagan found herself through on goal, but Clancy stood tall to make another excellent save. Donoghue settled Laois nerves by splitting the posts before Barry produced a superb save to deny Sarah Evans. Wicklow had one final opportunity, but Laura Marie Maher clipped over the insurance point to seal a deserved three-point victory.

After a challenging campaign, Laois can take great satisfaction from retaining their Intermediate status and will look to build on that foundation in 2027.

SCORERS:

Laois: Katie Donoghue 1-3 (0-1f), Emily Lacey 0-7 (0-4fs), Shifra Havill and Fiona Dooley 0-2 each, and Laura Marie Maher 0-1.

Wicklow: Laura Butler (1-0f) and Ella Parke 1-1 each, Niamh Caffrey 0-4 (0-3fs), Lucy Dunne (f), Holly Sheehy and Elizabeth Bourke 0-1 each.

LAOIS: Eimear Barry (Ballinakill); Mary Cotter (St Conleth’s), Deirdre Phelan (Portlaoise), Sinead Farrelly (St Joseph’s); Jenny Murphy (Timahoe), Faye McEvoy (Ballyroan), Andrea Moran (Ballyroan); Anna Healy (Park/Ratheniska), Fiona Dooley (Portlaoise); Ciara Crowley (Portlaoise), Laura Marie Maher (Sarsfields), Sarah Larkin (Timahoe); Katie Donoghue (Timahoe), Shifra Havill (St Conleth’s), Emily Lacey (St Joseph’s).

Subs: Ellen O’Byrne (Park/Ratheniska) for Larkin (34m), Lara Culleton (Portlaoise) for Murphy (56m), Mia Branagan (Graiguecullen) for Lacey (58m).

WICKLOW: Bea Clancy; Anna Doyle, Orla O’Keeffe, Emma Doyle; Erin Doyle, Sarah Evans, Sarah O’Toole; Elizabeth Bourke, Michelle Renaghan; Rose Donohue, Ella Parke, Catriona Renaghan; Holly Sheey, Lucy Dunne, Niamh Caffrey.

Subs: Laura Butler for C Renaghan (ht), Amy Lalor for E Doyle (43m), Catriona Renaghan for Sheehy (54m).

Referee: Eddie Cuthbert (Down)