Laois 1-13
Wexford 1-11
MO NERNEY SCORED 1-5 but it was a superb defensive display that helped Laois claim the TG4 All-Ireland intermediate championship for the first time since 2000 after a narrow win over Wexford.
Laois looked comfortable and on their way to claiming the Mary Quinn Memorial Cup, when they opened up a ten-point lead in the second half. However, Wexford never gave up. A goal from Caitriona Murray in the 58th minute left just three between them but Laois held on at Croke Park.
Laois dominated the early exchanges but kicked too many wides in the first half. Erone Fitzpatrick saw an effort flash across the face of the goal in the second minute while Laura Marie Maher directed her effort wide in the 15th minute.
Eva Galvin had kicked over the game’s first score inside the opening minute. Maher added a second point for Laois in the fifth minute while Clara Donnelly got Wexford’s first point one minute later.
Nerney scored two frees and then found the back of the net with an excellent finish in the 18th minute, after she received a pass from Galvin. A fine point from Murray cut the gap to four but that was to be Wexford’s last score of the first half as Laois finished strong.
Emma Lawlor and Fitzpatrick fired over two points each and a pointed free from Nerney gave Donie Brennan’s side a nine-point advantage at the break, where they led by 1-9 to 0-3.
The second half wasn’t even a minute old when Fitzpatrick stretched her side’s lead to ten with her third point. Wexford substitute Aoife Cullen scored a fine point for her side in the 33rd minute. Kellie Kearney and Bernie Breen added points for Wexford before Cullen fired a low drive wide in the 36th minute.
Wexford went in search of a goal and Aisling Murphy brought a good save out of Laois goalkeeper Eimear Barry in the 39th minute before a Murray free came back off the post.
Lizzy Kent’s team kept battling away and trailed by six with 12 minutes remaining. But in Nerney, Laois possessed a quality player and she kicked over an excellent point in the 51st minute.
Laois full-back Aisling Donoher was sin-binned two minutes later. With numerical advantage Wexford piled on the pressure and the Slaneysiders did get a late goal and point through Murray but they suffered a second straight defeat in the final.
Scorers for Laois: M Nerney 1-5 (4f), E Fitzpatrick 0-3, E Lawlor 0-2 (1f), A Healy, E Galvin, L M Maher 0-1 each.
Scorers for Wexford: C Murray 1-3 (1f), K Kearney 0-3, B Breen 0-2, C Donnelly, A Murphy, A Cullen 0-1 each.
LAOIS: E Barry; C Dunne, A Donoher, A Kelly; R Williams, E Healy, A Potts; A Healy, J Moore; E Galvin, LM Maher, E Fitzpatrick; M Nerney, E Lawlor, SA Fitzgerald.
Subs: J Dunne for Potts (39), S Havill for Fitzgerald (45), A Moore for E Galvin (57)
WEXFORD: MR Kelly; S Harding Kenny, A Halligan, S Murphy; O Kehoe, R Murphy, C Donnelly; K Kearney, C Banville; S Hamilton, C Murray, E O’Brien; B Breen, A Murphy, A Wilson.
Subs: A Cullen for Hamilton (30), C Fox for Wilson (41), A Walsh for Harding Kenny (43), E Tomkins for O’Brien (45)
Referee: S Coyle (Donegal).
Come on spurs. Destroy those deluded fools.
The irony.
Liverpool fans are the most deluded on this planet. Everyone knows that.
Yidds are in cookoo land
Coming from a United supporter still in denial
How are Spurs delusional? Ask City…
Spurs fans have been deluded since their Champions League dizziness.
Spurs on their day can beat any team in that league; consistency is the problem more so than delusion. The ability is there in droves.
Karol is 100% bang on. Liverpool fans think they are a title winning side that can still compete in the champions league. They’re a mid table club as best. Or as Carragher once said. “Liverpool are no longer a big club”.
Yeah a lot of fans are deluded, sure many united fans thought they were favourites to win the league a few weeks ago. Back where they belong? Hilarious.
Lads, does Ron know United are 3rd and 2 points off top?
Ron, City lodt 4-1 to spurs, a lesser side than Aresnal. Don’t write United off just yet
Ironic, so biased
All football fans are biased when it comes to the team they support, its human nature.
Carol and Loner are correct, they have accepted that Man U are average and have moved on.
Another few hundred million and the league cup is within your sights. The idea of a spurs fan calling Liverpool fans deluded is embarrassing for them
I’m not a Spurs fan.
How on earth are our 3 main strikers all injured?
Liverpool fans must be delighted with a manager actually playing Can and Lucas together in midfield.
Come on the pool !!!
And why is anyone even surprised that Daniel Sturridge is out injured, sick note head on him
He’s hardly making it up, and is fairly useful when he is fit.
Will take a draw
2-2 is 11/1 with PP
Jeasus he’s no-one up front to choose from .. Hope it goes well for him YNWA
For his first game he has a pitiful choice of players.
Come come now. The Liverpool squad is full of promising young players, it’s a bit harsh to be writing them off. I know for a fact if anyone of them played for United you’d have a different perspective. Biased, simple as…..
Come on Kloppo!
3-1 to the Pool!
YNWA
Wouldn’t get ahead of yourself there, I got a back lashing the last time I gave a prediction. It will a good game however.
You’re not calling him Kloppo already are you. Oh God.
Ah Chris is back!!!! I LOL with his prediction in the arsenal game how do you call it today Chris?
Alan B = Pathetic.
Not as pathetic as your predictions Christopher
Difference is Alan B, I can say I got it wrong and acknowledge it.
Where there is you, whom keeps sprouting crap on this site.
I can imagine Alan B having really greasy hair and needs glasses because of all the time he’s spent looking at a computer screen.
You do know the journal is available as an app on smartphones unknown you don’t have to log on to your computer to read it
What’s your prediction today Christopher?
Chris, I would have predicted this would turn into a slagging match.
3 – 1 Spurs with Kane 1st goalscorer
Make that 2-1 and I’d agree with you
What’s your prediction in the united game?
1-1 draw
Mine was 0-3 ! Was I close ….
I’ve had a bet with my Liverpool supporting nephew that whoever loses has to send the other a photo naked in a shopping center. Please win Spurs !!!
@Shakka
Could turn out to be the worst bet of your life.
Come on da Pool!
why do you want to see your nephew naked?
Are you his aunt or uncle. Too weird either way
Please tell me your nephew is over 18 at least.
I’d go into the jacks in one and send one from there. you should have been more specific
Or a changing room
Which shopping centre?
What was the plan in case of a draw?
Well, a patched up team, against a very good team that destroyed Man City…. Sorry to disappoint deluded Man U fans, but Liverpool have a manager who is going to reinvent this club, bring them back to where they belong….. Will take time, but it will happen.
Yeah shoring up the defense has to be the priority but Liverpool did get a few chances in the second half. Spurs were the better team but not by enough to deserve the win.
And having faith in some players….Sakho for example.
Sakho Sh!te