St Conleth's crowned champions after extra-time thriller against Timahoe

LOETB Laois LGFA Division 1 Final 

St Conleth’s 6-14 

Timahoe 4-19 

WHAT a game.

St Conleth's were crowned the LOETB Ladies Division 1 champions after narrowly beating Timahoe by a point in a game for the ages in Ratheniska on Saturday evening.

It will live long in the memory for both clubs as it has to go down as one of the best finals in any code in recent times.

The game went back and forth and when you thought a team was nailed on to go onto win the final, the other team would come back from the dead and make an unbelievable comeback.

It was Aoibhe Byron who was the hero as she kicked the winner with the last kick of extra time with a free. But there was hero's all over the pitch on both sides which produced an absolutely fantastic final.

It was Timahoe that got the scoring underway through Mo Nerney who was superb as usual for Timahoe.

The victors response was an impressive one, Aoibhe Byron got her first point of the evening which was followed up by a point through Aoife Cummins.

The first goal of the ten came soon after through Laura Carroll who ran past three or four defenders and found the back of the net.

Mary Cotter would put St Conleth's in control as she hit the second goal of the game as St Conleth's looked like they meant business.

Timahoe settled into the contest and would find a route back into the game through Katie Donoghue who would get Timahoe's first goal of the game with a tidy finish.

She followed it up with a point to reduce the deficit to three points. St Conleth's kicked on again through the classy Laura Carroll. She hit a point and then grabbed her second goal of the game.

Her pace, power and direct running was brilliant which Timahoe just couldn't get to grips of it which was a feature right through the game.

Both teams would trade points on multiple times before the break with Mo Nerney grabbing a brace while Aoibhe Byron did likewise for her side.

Katie Donoghue and Nerney got the last points of the half as Conleth's were in control at the break 3-6 to 1-6 and were looking in a good position.

The drama soon started early in the second half. Within four minutes Timahoe turned a six-point deficit to lead by three in a crazy four minutes.

Sarah Quigley sparked the scoring spree with an inspirational point, Timahoe then hit two goals within a minute, first Nerney had a close in free which she drove straight into the top corner, and it was game on.

Niamh Dundon then fired in another goal for Timahoe, which was followed up by points from Katie Donoghue and Nerney, all of a sudden Timahoe led 3-9 to 3-6 in the 35th minute.

Byron got a much needed score for St Conleth's, but Timahoe had their tails up and added two more points through frees from Nerney and Donoghue.

Laura Carroll grabbed a point for St Conleth's, but it was all Timahoe at this stage, Nerney and Orla Hennessy added two more points as Timahoe led 3-13 to 3-8 and were looking like the winners.

St Conleth's had other ideas though and would then hit two more goals out of nowhere as the pendulum turned in their favour.

First Byron grabbed a goal to breathe renewed energy into her side. Laura Carroll would soon find her third goal as the lead swapped hands once more 5-8 to 3-13 with five minutes remaining.

Mo Nerney equalised with a brilliant point from play, but Aoibhe Byron replied to put them back into the lead.

There was still time for more drama, Nerney kicked two more points and it looked like she had won the game for Timahoe, but disaster struck as Timahoe were penalised for not having four defenders back which resulted in Byron hitting the resulting free over the bar to send the game into extra time 5-10 to 3-16.

St Conleth’s started the first half of extra time the stronger with Laura Carroll hitting her fourth goal of the game. They followed it up with points from Byron and Maire Byrne.

Timahoe grabbed the last score of the half through Sarah Larkin to leave it 6-12 to 3-17 after the first half of extra time.

It looked like St Conleth's did enough, but Timahoe would respond once more through a goal from Niamh Dundon to leave it 6-12 to 4-17 with five minutes left.

Aoibhe Byron nailed another free to give them a two point advantage as this incredible game was nearing an end.

Mo Nerney would add another free, before she went through on goal and it looked like she was going to score the winning goal, but Claire O'Connell produced a brilliant save. Nerney was fouled in the process and hit over the resulting free to draw the teams level.

There was still time for a winner though as St Conleth’s broke up the field and were awarded a free where Byron showed nerves of steel to kick the winner and claim the title for St Conleth's SCORERS:

St Conleth's: Laura Carroll 4-2, Aoibhe Byron 1-9 (0-6fs), Mary Cotter 1-0, Aoife Cummins, Shifra Havil and Maire Byrne 0-1 each, Timahoe: Mo Nerney 1-11 (1-6fs), Katie Donoghue 1-5 (0-4fs), Niamh Dundon 2-0, Sarah Quigley, Orla Hennessy and Sarah Larkin 0-1 each.

ST CONLETH'S: Claire O'Connell; Roisin McCourt, Ruanne Hunt, Mary Cotter; Aoife Cummins, Melissa Donnelly, Becky Fenlon; Maire Byrne, Aimee Kelly; Blathnaid Kehoe, Claire Fox, Laura Carroll; Niamh Cullen, Aoibhe Byron, Shifra Havill.

Subs: Eva Galvin for Kehoe (ht), Emma Lawlor for Hunt (41m), Sinead Coffey for Fox (52m), Kim Webster for Cullen (52m), Ola Haastrup for McCourt (54m).

TIMAHOE: Emma Brophy; Heather Bennett, Aisling Quigley, Lilly Hooney; Niamh Kehoe, Sarah Larkin, Jenny Murphy; Aoife Gorman, Sarah Quigley; Maureen Young, Orla Hennessy, Katie Donoghue; Mo Nerney, Niamh Dundon, Keelin Moore.

Subs: Sinead Goode for Young (53m), Kieran Gorman for Hennessy (74m).

Referee: Kevin Phelan