Laois Clinch Last Gasp Win Over Kildare

 

Kildare dusted off the cobwebs from their intermediate all Ireland win last September to kick off their 2017 Div 2 league campaign with an away trip to Laois.

The game threw in at Annanaough Gaa club in wet slippy underfoot conditions.

Kildare got off to the brighter start and were on the scoreboard early with points from Ellen Dowling & Aisling Holton. Kildare could have increased their lead with the team  dominating possession early but failed to convert chances that came their way. 

Laois’ first score came from a free popped over by Clare Conlon. Ellen Dowling replied with a pointed free after she was fouled by a high challenge in front of the posts. The tempo of the game was fast and quiet a few players from both sides went to ground due to the slippery conditions underfoot. 

Laois responded with points from Conlon, a free, and Simms who had to make do with the point after a brilliant fingertip save from Molyneaux, pushing the ball onto the crossbar and over  to draw the game level at 3 points apiece midway through the half.

Dowling put Kildare ahead with another pointed free and Roisin Byrne followed up with the games opening goal. Debutant, Maynooth’s, Orlaith Kirwin pushed Kildare further ahead with a fine point after Dowling had done the spade work winning dirty ball to lay off the pass. Both sides traded points again,Nerney for Laois and Dowling with her 4th point of the game for Kildare to leave the half time score 

Laois 0.04 Kildare 1.06. 

 

All Kildares hard work in the first half was undone early at the start of the second half. Eadaoin Connolly and Kildare’s netminder Aoife Molyneaux were both shown yellow cards. Connolly for tripping her opponent and Molyneaux for a foot block. With Kildare down to 13 Laois duly converted the resulting  free from Noirin Kirwin. Kildare’s replacement keeper, Aoife Wosser, another debutant on the Kildare team just brought into the panel on Friday night, her first action was to pick the ball out of the net after Megan Dunne struck low to Aoife’s right for the games second goal. Dunne followed this up shortly afterwards with another point to draw the game level for the 2nd time 1.06 apiece. 

Kildare regained their composure and both Roisin Byrne and Molly Price pointed for Kildare. Connolly & Molyneaux returned to the game after their sin bin time elapsed. Emma Lawlor pointed for Laois not before her teammates McEvoy & Saunders saw yellow for persistent fouling. The game was in the melting pot, Lawlor pointed again for Laois and the games 3rd goal came for Laois; Tara Hallinan & Erica Burke were caught on the overlap leaving Megan Dunne free to receive the pass striking low past Molyneaux in the Kildare goal. Laois now lead by 3 points with 10 mins remaining. The 5th yellow card of the game was issued to Laois’ Laura Nerney and Dowling pointed the resulting free. Kirwin pushed Laois back into a 3 point lead with 3 mins left in normal time. 

Kildare worked the ball up the middle of the park and a shot on goal was pushed into the path of 3 onrushing Kildare players leaving Dowling to tap into an empty net to draw the game level 2.09 apiece in injury time. Kildare had a chance to take the lead with a shot from Holton only to see it drift to the right and wide. A free won by Kildare was taken quickly but possession was won by Laois as they broke down field at pace Emma Lawlor was left with an easy tap over to give the home side the lead with time just up and it was Lawlor again that finished the game with the final score a point to leave Laois run out winners on a full time score 

Laois 2.11 Kildare 2.09

 

Kildare Team.

Aoife Molyneaux, Tara Hallinan, Erica Burke (Cpt), Rachel Cribbin, Shauna Kendrick, Rachel Corrigan, Aisling Cutlery,Rachel Reidy, Aisling Holton, Orlaith Kirwin, Molly Price, Eadaoin Connolly, Ellen Dowling, Roisin Byrne, Mikaela McKenna. 

 

Subs

 Aoife Wosser, Trina Duggan,Louise Scully,Aine Mulligan, Aoife Mulligan, Joanne Mulligan, Niamh Mulhall, Rose Mernagh,Shannon Doheny, Michelle Cutlet, Grace Clifford, Chloe Foy. 

 

Laois Team

Ciamh Dollard, Amy Potts,Jenny McEvoy, Martha Kirwan, Aine Haberlin, Mags Mcevoy, Anna Healy, Maggie Murphy, Fiona Dooley, Emma Lawlor, Clare Conlon, Erone Fitzpatrick, Rachel Williams, Meghan Dunne, Caoimhe Simms. 

 

Subs

Aileen o Loughlin, Ciara Burke, Emma Lawlor, Laura Nerney,Mo Nerney, Casey Conroy, Aisling Saunders, Mary Cotter, Alannah Havill, Noirin Kirwan, Laura Peake, Caoimhe Lalor, Charlotte Delaney, Olivia Deverell, Aisling Kehoe, Marie Byrne, Laura Marie Maher.

 

Kildare scores 

 

Ellen Dowling 1.05 (3 frees)

Aisling Holton 0.01

Roisin Byrne 1.01 (1 free) 

Orlaith Kirwin 0.01

Molly Price 0.01

 

Laois scores 

Emma Lawlor 0.04

Clare Conlon 0.02

Caoimhe Simms 0.01

Noirin Kirwin 0.02

Megan Dunne 2.01 ( 1penalty) 

Mo Nerney 0.01

Referee Des McHenry (Westmeath) 

 

 

Kildare are at home to Tyrone next Sunday at

 2pm in St Conleths Park.