Mo the maestro as last gasp point seals Division 3 League glory for brilliant Laois ladies

Laois 2-10 Kildare 3-6
Ladies National Football League Division 3 Final

Mo Nerney was Laois’s hero once again as her last gasp point sealed the Division 3 league title in dramatic circumstances in Baltinglass this evening.

The Timahoe footballer kicked a point with 42 seconds to go that proved to be the difference following yet another incredible game of football.

They are now promoted to Division 2 for 2022 and will go into the Intermediate championship with a pep in their step following this success.

Laois played against the breeze in the first half but they made a brilliant start with the first three points.

Mo Nerney landed two and Fiona Dooley fisted another as Donie Brennan’s charges started like a train.

Kildare were struggling to create opportunities in the absence of talismanic forward Roisin Byrne who is out for the season after damaging her cruciate knee ligament.

It took them 12 minutes to get a score, a free from Lara Curran, but they did have a big goal chance just before that.

Captain Grace Clifford split the Laois defence apart but the excellent Eimear Barry pulled off a brilliant save to thwart her at point bland range.

Curran added another free but Laois led 0-3 to 0-2 at the water break.

Kildare broke through again on the resumption as Lara Curran fed Grace Clifford but once again Barry would not be beaten as she made another stunning save.

Laois had gone almost 20 minutes without a score but they got two in the 23rd minute through Eva Galvin and Mo Nerney to restore their three point lead.

Lara Curran hit back with Kildare’s first from play but Laois took a three point lead to the half time interval thanks to a great score from wing back Rachel Williams – 0-6 to 0-3.

Kildare now had to face the wind but they hit the front for the first time within five minutes of the restart.

Grace Clifford was the player who did the damage as she kicked a point and then, with Rachel Williams down and injured, Kildare countered and Nesa Dooley found Clifford who this time got the better of keeper Eimear Barry.

It was game on now and Kildare almost had two more goals only for Clodagh Dunne to make a goal line interception and sub Orla Hennessy to make a crucial interception before Laois drew level through Nerney.

Her cousin Sarah Anne Fitzgerald then landed a free to leave Laois ahead 0-8 to 1-4 at the second water break.

Lara Curran squared the game once again on the restart but then Laois scored a brilliant goal.

Straight from the resulting kickout, Laura Nerney and Jane Moore carved the Kildare defence apart with the former finding Sarah Anne Fitzgerald on the edge of the square and she rattled the net from close range.

And then with eight minutes to play, Laois had their second goal. Erone Fitzpatrick and Orla Hennessy combined to set up sub Andrea Moran but her shot was blocked – only for Mo Nerney to smash home the rebound.

But Kildare were not out and they reduced the gap to three with six minutes to play when Neasa Dooley lashed in a goal from a 14 meter free.

Kildare were reduced to 14 players for the remainder of the game when sub Orlaith Sullivan was sinbinned for a high tackle on Ellen Healy but Curran made it a two point game with her fifth point of the game with three minutes to go.

Erone Fitzpatrick eased Laois’s nerves by making it a three point game but as we entered the final minute, Kildare got level.

Lara Curran carved Laois open and slipped the ball to Neasa Dooley who smashed it to the net.

But with 42 seconds to go, Laois regained the advantage through who else but Mo Nerney after another surging run from Jane Moore.

We then had a huge delay as Kildare sub Caoimhe Fagan-Hynes suffered a serious injury in the aftermath of the score and had to be stretchered off.

Kildare went forward when play resumed but Mo Nerney won it deep in her own half as they held on to win.

SCORERS – Laois: Mo Nerney 1-5 (two frees), Sarah Anne Fitzgerald 1-1 (one free), Erone Fitzpatrick 0-1, Eva Galvin 0-1, Fiona Dooley 0-1, Rachel Williams 0-1 Kildare: Lara Curran 0-5 (three frees), Grace Clifford 1-1, Neasa Dooley 1-0 (1-0 free)

LAOIS: Eimear Barry; Clodagh Dunne, Amy Potts, Aimee Kelly; Rachel Williams, Ellen Healy, Laura Nerney; Fiona Dooley, Jane Moore; Anna Healy, Eva Galvin, Erone Fitzpatrick; Mo Nerney, Sarah Anne Fitzgerald, Alannah Havill. Subs: Orla Hennessy for Williams (inj) and Leah Tarpey for Havill (both 35), Joyce Dunne for Dooley (40), Andrea Moran for Fitzgerald (50), Aoife Kirrane for Galvin (55)

KILDARE: Dervla McGinn; Claire Sullivan, Laoise Lenehan, Mia Doherty; Lauren Murtagh, Lara Gilbert, Hazel McLoughlin; Siobhan O’Sullivan, Grainne Kenneally; Ciara Wheeler, Lara Curran, Grace Clifford; Ellen Dowling, Neasa Dooley, Aoife Rattigan. Subs: Shauna Kendrick for Doherty and Triona Duggan for McLoughlin (both ht), Mikaela McKenna for Wheeler (43), Orlaith Sullivan for Dowling (50), Caoimhe Fagan-Hynes for Murtagh (56)

Referee: Shane Curley (Galway)

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source https://www.laoistoday.ie/2021/06/27/mo-the-maestro-as-last-gasp-point-seals-division-3-league-glory-for-brilliant-laois-ladies/