Match Report MFC Dublin v Laois
- May 03,2023
Leinster LGFA Minor B Semi-Final
Dublin 5-11 Laois 1-13
By Cóilín Duffy
Goals were key as Dublin booked a Leinster Minor B Final date with Wicklow on May 17th, following a 10 point win away to Laois in Annanough on Wednesday evening.
Garda Westmanstown Gaels player Katie Murphy led the scoring with 3-2, but this was certainly a strong team performance.
After losing all their group games in the 'A' competition, Fintan O'Curry's charges were definitely keen to bounce back, and they firmly signaled their intentions from the off.
Whitehall Colmcille's Nia Hannon registered the first of her three opening half points after two minutes, following good work from Elsa Kearney; to begin the scoring for the visitors.
Laois were eager to get an equaliser, but some good defensive play put paid to that, and soonafter at the opposite end Murphy had the ball in the net for the first Dublin goal.
1-1 to 0-0 ahead, Dublin looked good, but Laois hit back with two points from Katie Donoghue to reduce the gap to double scores after eight and a half minutes.
Nia Hannon grabbed her first pointed free, but Laois worked hard and with points from Donoghue and Tara Byrne they cut the gap to the minimum in the 19th minute.
Laois were working well at this stage, but a 20th minute Amber McCloskey goal proved vital, after the St. Oliver Plunkett's/Eoghan Ruadh player received a pass from Murphy.
This score settled Dublin, although Laois grabbed four of the five points scored before the break.
However, Dublin did also have the ball in the net during this spell, but Siobhán Birnie's effort was ruled out for a square ball.
Leading 2-3 to 0-8 at half-time, Dublin opened up a three-point lead inside 90 seconds of the restart thanks to scores from Hannon and Murphy.
Laois kept in touch thanks to the placed ball efforts of Donoghue, but Dublin were goal hungry.
Fingallians Ellen Joyce founded the net less than a minute after her introduction, and although Donoghue responded with two points, Dublin responded with 1-3 unanswered, including Murphy's second goal.
Laois were handed a 54th minute life-line when Ciara O'Neill converted a penalty, but Dublin responded immediately as Katie Murphy completed her hat-trick.
A second point from Joyce opened up a 5-10 to 1-11 lead, and although Laois pressed hard it was too late, with not even Dublin being reduced to 14 players after a sinbin for Aoife McGinley doing much to help the hosts cause.
Scorers for Dublin: Katie Murphy 3-2; Ellen Joyce 1-2; Nia Hannon (2f) 0-4; Amber McCloskey 1-1; Kate O'Toole 0-2.
Scorers for Laois: Katie Donoghue (6f) 0-8; Ciara O'Neill (1-0pen) 1-0; Tara Byrne, Lauren Rowan 0-2 each; Shannon Fitzpatrick 0-1.
DUBLIN: Kadie Martin; Saoirse Loughlin, Ashling Nyhan, Iseult Costello; Clodagh Fox, Líadan Murphy, Hannah McGinnis; Heather McGinnis; Heather Bolger, Siobhán Birnie; Elsa Kearney, Doireann Egan, Kate O'Toole; Nia Hannon, Katie Murphy, Amber McCloskey. Subs used: Ellen Joyce for Kearney (39); Kate Watson for Hannon (42); Aoife McGinley for Birnie (42) Katelyn Treacy for Loughlin (43); Éabha Ní Mhaoligain for Bolger (52).
LAOIS: Ava Shanahan; Kate Wall, Aoife Cummins, Sarah Gorman; Melissa Donnelly, Ciara Malone, Lauren Rowan; Grace Cunningham, Shannon Fitzpatrick; Aoife Gorman, Clodagh Power, Holly Hanway; Katie Donoghue, Ciara O'Neill, Tara Byrne. Subs used: Lily Hooney for Power (39); Lucy Conroy for Cunningham (43); Aoibhe Hoary for Wall (50); Aoibhe Byron for Hanway (50); Orlaith McNamara for Cummins (61).
REFEREE: Jason Corcoran (Kildare)