Laois Today: Portlaoise ladies show their class to win Division 1 crown

Portlaoise 4-14 St Brigid’s 0-10
Laois LGFA Division 1 Final

Having won their first senior championship title last September, the Portlaoise ladies footballers added another trophy to their collection this evening when they got the better of St Brigid’s in the Division 1 league final.

Both sides were without their county players but it was still an impressive showing from Portlaoise who led from start to finish.

St Brigid’s stayed with the county champions for the first three quarters of the game but three goals in the final quarter saw The Town run out 16-point winners in the end.

Rebecca Reddin opened the scoring for Portlaoise after two minutes with Shaunagh Jackson quickly adding another.

Grainne Moran got their third in the ninth minute before Patrice Whelan got St Brigid’s off the mark.

Reddin, Rachel Glynn and Moran responded for Portlaoise and they led 0-6 to 0-1 at the first water break.

A massive score from Anna Moore lifted Brigid’s on the resumption and they hit the next two, from Deirdre O’Shea and an Aisling Lacey free.

Rachel Glynn, however, hit back with her second point and then Maeve Phelan got the game’s first goal in the 21st minute.

A right-footed effort from Aisling Lacey pulled one back for St Brigid’s but Moran cancelled it out only for Brigid’s to get the last two scores of the half, from Patrice Whelan and Deirdre O’Shea. At half time Portlaoise led 1-8 to 0-7.

Jackson and Moran got the first two points of the second half and although Lacey hit back with a free, Portlaoise soon had their second goal when Shaunagh Jackson hit the net from close range after Rachel Glynn had hit the cross bar.

Deirdre O’Shea and Moran then traded points and at the second water break, Portlaoise were as good as home and dry with a 2-11 to 0-9 lead.

Brigid’s could only muster one more point in that final quarter as injury time goals from Jackson and Glynn put daylight between the sides.

SCORERS – Portlaoise: Shaunagh Jackson 2-2, Rachel Glynn 1-3, Grainne Moran 0-5 (three frees), Maeve Phelan 1-0, Rebecca Reddin and Aisling Kehoe 0-2 each; St Brigid’s: Aisling Lacey 0-3 (two frees), Patrice Whelan 0-3 (one free), Deirdre O’Shea 0-3 and Anna Moore 0-1

PORTLAOISE: Aoife Conlon-Hyland; Rebecca Reddin, Claire Dunne, Aoibhe O’Brien; Emma Dunne, Maeve Phelan, Sinead Murphy; Amy Byrne, Ciara Byrne; Shauna Dooley, Ciara Murphy, Shaunagh Jackson; Grainne Moran, Aisling Saunders, Rachel Glynn. Subs: Charlie Walsh for S Murphy (HT), Aisling Kehoe for C Murphy (40), Rebecca Keane for O’Brien (44), Eireann Brennan for D Phelan (48),

ST BRIGID’S: Aisling Byrne; Maeve Gallagher, Tara Kelly, Jessica Byrne; Aoife Gallagher, Lisa Walsh, Fiona Fennessy; Aine Lacey, Anna Moore; Kate Page, Deirdre O’Shea, Niamh Whelan; Patrice Whelan, Aisling Lacey, Liz Brophy. Subs: Saoirse Byrne for Brophy (37), Chloe Ryan for Page (48), Ciara Moore for N Whelan (52), Christina Byrne for Gallagher (55), Alison Phelan for Byrne (injured – 62)

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