Sport

Powerful Laois make no mistake in Longford

Laois 4-11 Longford 1-8 National League champions Laois booked their place in the Ladies Leinster SFC Final yesterday when they…

Mon Jul 14 2003 - 01:00

Laois 4-11 Longford 1-8National League champions Laois booked their place in the Ladies Leinster SFC Final yesterday when they proved too strong for Longford at Pearse Park. They will now renew rivalry with Dublin - who beat Meath by 2-10 to 0-14 - in a repeat of last year's provincial decider.

Laois laid the foundations for their comfortable victory at centrefield where Kathleen O'Reilly was particularly outstanding but for all the possession they enjoyed in the first half, they were just four points in front at the break, 2-3 to 0-5.

Corner forward Mary Keogh fired home the opening goal from point blank range with 11 minutes gone in the game while determined Longford fought back to keep in touch and squandered a couple of clearcut chances.

They were dealt a real killer blow just before the break when the impressive Laois wing forward Tracey Lawlor planted a piledriver in the corner of the home team's net.

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The visitors stretched their advantage with a brace of points from full forward Mary Kirwan in the early stages of the second half and while Longford were thrown a lifeline with a good goal from Mary Burke in the 45th minute, Laois replied immediately when a cracking shot from midfielder Kathleen O'Reilly found the roof of the net. There was now no way back for Longford, whose tale of woe was complete wen Lawlor scored a fourth goal for Laois in the closing minutes of the game.

LAOIS: B Deegan, P Fogarty, A Connolly, L Buggy, G Dunne, M Casey, G Weston (0-1), A Casey, K O'Reilly (1-1), T Lawlor (2-3), S Ramsbottom, A O'Loughlin (0-2), M Kehoe (1-0), M Kirwan (0-3, one free), E McEvoy. Subs: C Casey for McEvoy (50 mins); M McEvoy for Buggy (52 mins); M Kirwan for Kehoe (55 mins); G McEvoy (0-1) for Ramsbottom (57 mins); L Dunne for O'Loughlin (62 mins).

LONGFORD: K Mulvihill, M Brady, M McElvaney, L McGahern, S Farrell, B McElvaney, M Carrigy, S Treacy, A Smyth, E Quinn, M Hannify (0-2), Y Barden, M Ross, F Blessington (0-3, one free), M Burke (1-2, one free). Subs: L McKeon (0-1) for Brady (17 mins); M Kiernan for Quinn (35 mins); A Gilchrist for Carrigy (44 mins); M Farrell for Gilchrist (59 mins).

Referee: S Finnucane (Dublin).