Monaghan fall short in thriller

TG4 All-Ireland IFC semi-final

Laois 5-7

Monaghan 1-12

By Mark Comerford

LAOIS booked their place in the TG4 All-Ireland intermediate final after an epic encounter with Monaghan at Pearse Park in Longford.

Four goals in the first half and a fifth late on were enough to earn a return to Croke Park where they will meet Tyrone in what will be a second All-Ireland final in four years for Laois.

Stephen Duff’s side opened their account in style with a goal in the third minute when Fiona Dooley and Eva Galvin combined to play in Emma Lawlor who made no mistake from close range. Monaghan were on the board through Holly McQuaid and a free from Éabha Sherry before Jennifer Duffy was shown a yellow card for the Ulster side.

Laois had the ball in the net for a second time then when Dooley found Jane Moore who played in Ciara Crowley to raise the green flag. Mo Nerney pointed a free before getting on the end of a great move between Galvin and Lawlor to convert her side’s third goal in the opening 15 minutes.

Lawlor then joined Duffy in the sin-bin before Monaghan raised a green flag of their own when a powerful run from Casey Treanor made space for Sarah Tierney who finished well.

But the Laois forwards were on a mission and went through for a fourth goal five minutes before half time when a surging run from Galvin set up Nerney to score her second of the game.

Dooley, Lawlor and a beauty from Emily Lacey increased the lead to seven points at the break with Laois leading by 4-4 to 1-6.

Monaghan began to chip away at the deficit after the restart and the gap was down to five points when Moore was sent to the sin bin with 19 minutes left. Monaghan kicked the next three scores in her absence, but with Moore preparing to return to the field, she was joined in the sin-bin by Monaghan’s Treanor.

Laois closed out the game, with Lauren Kearney and Nerney each pointing after they had combined to play in Lawlor for her second and Laois’s fifth goal of the game.

Scorers

Laois: E Lawlor (0-1f) and M Nerney (0-2f) 2-2 each, C Crowley 1-0, E Lacey, F Dooley and L Kearney 0-1 each

Monaghan: H McQuaid 0-6 (0-1f), S Tierney 1-0, É Sherry 0-3 (0-3f), R Courtney 0-2, N Flanagan 0-1

LAOIS: E Barry; S Farrelly, C Dunne, F McEvoy; A Gorman, A Moore, A Moran; F Dooley, J Moore; S Havill, E Galvin, C Crowley; E Lacey, E Lawlor, M Nerney
Subs: L Kearney for Lacey (40), M Cotter for Gorman (47), K Donoghue for Lawlor (58), A Fitzpatrick for Havill (59)

MONAGHAN: Ó Kelly; C Brennan, S Brady, Á Loughman; A Garland, A Burns, C Treanor; G Hanratty, S Corley; R Courtney, H McQuaid, L Garland; É Sherry, J Duffy, S Tierney
Subs: K Sherlock for Kelly (inj, 4), C Kelly for Burns (27), N Flanagan for Corley (31), L Connolly for Loughman (47)

Referee: Gerard Canny (Mayo)