Ladies Football Article

Ladies Football Article

Mountmellick Sarsfields of Laois caused the biggest upset of the Vhi Healthcare Club Championships to date by dumping Ballyboden St Enda’s out of the Leinster Championship.

 

The Laois outfit bested the Dublin champions in a thrilling game held in Mountmellick and now advance to play Clonee of Wexford in the Leinster Senior Club final this weekend in Dr Cullen Park.

 

The two point loss ended Ballyboden’s recent dominance of the Leinster championship and sent the Dublin outfit back to the capital wondering how they can win nine straight Dublin titles but fail to mount a serious challenge on the All Ireland front.

 

In contrast, Sarsfields won their first ever county title earlier this year after being beaten in the previous two county finals. This is the clubs first year competing in the Leinster club championship and they have only been a senior club for five years.

 

Sarsfields must now concentrate on Clonee if they are to reach another milestone to the clubs history and claim the Leinster senior title. All Star and Laois mainstay Tracey Lawlor was one of the Sarsfield heroes last weekend scoring the final decisive four points for her side to ensure victory.

 

Lawlor has experienced big games at county level but this provincial club final is special in its own right. “The win over Ballyboden was great and we are in really unfamiliar territory at the moment having never played in the provincial competition before. We don’t know anything about our opposition on Sunday and the only Wexford team we have played is Shelmaliers but we are taking ever game as it comes along and are just really excited about being in the final,” said Lawlor.

 

There are a number of other laois county stars in the Sarsfield side including former All Star Lorraine Muckian, Aileen O’Loughlin and Ciara O’Loughlin who captain’s the side.

 

The last Laois side to make it to the All Ireland Club final was Timahoe eight years ago and the last time a club from the O’Moore county claimed the All Ireland title was back in 1986 when The Heath successfully defended the title they won the previous year.

 

Last year’s finalists Carnacon and Inch Rovers are already in the All Ireland semi-final shake-up so if Sarsfields advance to the All Ireland stage of the competition they will have to be at the very top of their game.

 

Firstly they must take the Leinster title and get past Clonee who are looking to make a little history of their own. Shelmaliers were the last team from the Model county to record any major success in this competition when they won the All Ireland title some 12 years ago and Clonee will want to emulate that achievement.

 

The Clonee team has a number of representatives from the county side who lost out to Tipperary in the semi-final of the Intermediate Championship including former county captain Martina Murray.

 

 

David O’Síocháin

Account Manager

Pembroke Communications

16 Sir John Rogerson’s Quay

Dublin 2

Tel: 01 649 6322 / 087 936 2440

E: david@pembrokecomms.ie