Third-quarter surge sees Ballyroan defeat Sarsfields for Minor ‘A’ title

Ballyroan 2-6 

Sarsfields 1-5 

BALLYROAN are the 2025 LOETB Laois LGFA Minor ‘A’ champions after they got the better of Sarsfields by four points in Kellyville on Friday evening.

The St Joseph’s GAA pitch had taken its fair share of rain on Friday, and it showed as both sides found the underfoot conditions difficult, as well as not being able to bounce the ball.

There was also a delay to proceedings as referee Eoghan O’Neill deemed that the jerseys worn were too similar resulting in Sarsfields having to play the game with their jerseys turned inside out.

It was the losing side who got the game’s first score as Aoibhe Foyle played Lily Conroy in on goal, and she smashed the ball into the roof of the net after three minutes. Sarsfields, having gotten off to such a great start, could only manage one more score for the remainder of the half.

Aideen Gee look destined to get a goal back for Ballyroan with 10 minutes on the clock, but she blasted the ball wide of Sadhbh Whelan’s goal. Both sides were creating chances, but they couldn’t get the ball between the posts.

It took 16 minutes for Ballyroan to get off the mark as Sarah McGrath opened her account from a placed ball. Two more scores followed for the victors as Laoise Dunne pointed from play and from a free with her second effort needing the help of the upright to go between the posts. Then came Sarsfields’ only point of the half as Emma Delaney split the posts. McGrath ended the half with her second point, another free, as the sides went in level, 1-1 to 0-4.

Ballyroan came out after half-time and scored 1-1 within two minutes of the restart. McGrath had a shot for a point from a free that dropped short and Gee was on hand to fire home from close-range. McGrath added a third point to her name as Ballyroan went four points ahead.

Aoibhe Foyle got a point back for Sarsfields, but Ballyroan would get a second goal in the 39th minute courtesy of a penalty from McGrath. The foul came when Aideen Gee was hauled down in the square, which left Eoghan O’Neill with no choice but to stand with his arms outstretched on the penalty spot.

Lilymae Conroy came off the bench to get a point back for Sarsfields with Foyle pointing a free to cut Ballyroan’s lead to four points with 20 minutes to play. McGrath took her tally to 1-4 with a fourth free before her goalkeeper Grace Foxe made two superb saves to deny Sarsfields a route back into the contest. Foxe first denied Delaney before doing so again from substitute Rachel Heffernan.

Lilymae Conroy added a second point to her name since her introduction to reduce the deficit to four again, but Sarsfields couldn’t get a goal to give themselves a lifeline. Foxe ended the game with a third splendid save as she denied Heffernan once again, this time with her left boot. Ballyroan held onto the ball in the latter stages before Eoghan O’Neill blew the full-time whistle.

Many of the Ballyroan players will be hoping that Friday night’s victory is the start of a good weekend, with some of them lining out for St Lazarian’s in Sunday’s Leinster Club Junior Camogie final in Carlow.

SCORERS:

Ballyroan: Sarah McGrath 1-4 (1-0 pen, 0-4fs), Aideen Gee 1-0, Laoise Dunne 0-2 (0-1f).

Sarsfields: Lily Conroy 1-0, Aoibhe Foyle (0-1f) and Lilymae Conroy (0-1f) 0-2 each, Emma Delaney 0-1.

BALLYROAN: Grace Foxe; Grainne Scully, Ella Kelly, Sasha O’Keeffe; Aine Carter, Sive O’Reilly, Sienna Shore; Kaylah O’Mara, Maeve Dowling; Laoise Dunne, Lauren Mulhall, Siofra Fitzpatrick; Grainne Dowling, Aideen Gee, Sarah McGrath.

Subs: Aoibheann Carter for Dowling (ht), Niamh Scully for G Scully(52m), Kate Kenna for Kelly (62m).

SARSFIELDS: Sadhbh Whelan; Sioda Davis, Annie Dunne, Emily Hyland; Caoimhe Fitzpatrick, Julie-Ann Bennett, Sarah Hibbits; Nicole Matthews, Jayne Hyland; Niamh Peake, Evanna Ryle, Lily Conroy; Aoibhe Foyle, Emma Delaney, Emer Conroy.

Subs: Lilymae Conroy for Peake (36m), Lucy-Jane Burke for Davis (36m), Rachel Heffernan for Ryle (48m).

Referee: Eoghan O’Neill (Ballykelly, Kildare)