Lawlor leads Laois with 5 points

By Daragh Ó Conchúir

Laois 2-10 Kildare 0-7

A wonderful individual display from Tracey Lawlor yielding five
points was the highlight of a hard fought TG4 All-Ireland ladies
SFC quarter-final at Wexford Park that turned on two second half
goals from Kay O’Reilly and Martha Kirwan. Kildare were heavily
beaten by Laois in the Leinster final but provided a much stiffer
test on this occasion. They began with serious intent, racing
into a two-point lead after two minutes. Aoife Herbert popped
one over early after finding space well and 30 seconds later,
Ashling Jennings fired a glorious score on the run from the right
flank.

Laois gradually settled down with a pointed free from Mary Kirwan
and a fine finish from sister Nóirín after a length-of-the-field
move. Lawlor lofted over soon after to put the Leinster champions
in front after three Kildare defenders had managed to hold up
the pacy Gemma O’Connor. The deadly Lawlor increased Laois’s advantage
with a brace of points either side of a Jennings free and when
Nóirín Kirwan shot her second point, the Leinster champions were
three clear. The Lady Lilies increased their endeavours but some
terrible shooting dogged them before Noelle Earley earned a reward
for her incredible workrate by spearing a good score after a lovely
dummy.

Catriona Dolan spilled a ball at the other end though and handled
on the ground to gift Mary Kirwan a handy point from a free to
leave Laois leading at the break 0-7 to 0-4. Jennings chipped
over after outstanding work from Maria Moolick and Brianne Leahy
to reduce the deficit straight after the resumption but Kildare’s
hopes were dashed when midfielder Kay O’Reilly sent a rasper to
the roof of the net in the 34th minute having been sent clear
by Lawlor. Laois were on the march now and a wonderful pass from
Mary Kirwan nine minutes later found her sister Martha in splendid
isolation and the half-forward finished clinically to the corner
to push Pat Critchley’s side nine points clear.

The Lilies tried hard with Moolick and Simone Gilabert (free)
getting on the scoresheet but 11 wides allied with an inability
to create any goal chances meant that a comeback was never likely.

Laois: B Deegan; L Hyland, L Muckian, E McEvoy; A Casey, P Fogarty,
A Quigley; M Casey, K O’Reilly 1-0; Martha Kirwan 1-0, N Kirwan
0-3, T Lawlor 0-5(1f); G O’Connor, Mary Kirwan 0-2(fs), E Fitzpatrick.
Subs: A Moore for O’Reilly inj. (42); M O’Gara for Quigley (58);
C Delaney for Fitzpatrick (59); A Miller for McEvoy (59).

Kildare:C Dolan; A Holton, C Hogan, A Lambe; K Leahy, D Berry,
M Moolick 0-1; B Leahy, E Dillon; A Herbert 0-1, A Jennings 0-3(1f),
N Earley 0-1; H Mulligan, S Gilabert 0-1f, A McBride. Subs: T
Noone for Mulligan (44); S Melia for Herbert (52); A Hughes for
Holton (59); Herbert for Berry inj. (59).

Referee: D Byrne (Limerick).