Limerick junior camogie side suffers championship defeat to Laois

THE Limerick Junior Camogie team were defeated 2-16 to 2-7 on Saturday afternoon in their Glen Dimplex All-Ireland Junior Camogie Championship group fixture in Mick Neville Park, Rathkeale.

Limerick now face into a must-win game in the final group fixture against Cavan if they hope to reach the knockout stages, having lost two from three games in the round-robin stage. Limerick opened their campaign with a convincing win over Mayo before losing out to Roscommon.

In wet greasy conditions, Limerick got off to the worst possible start as Camross duo of Suisie Delaney and Aimee Collier combined for the latter to rifle the sliotar to the back of the Limerick net within the first minute.

Grainne Delaney followed up with a well-worked score before things went from bad to worse for the Shannonsiders as Rachel Deegan was awarded a penalty having been fouled on route to goal. However, Collier blasted over from twenty-one yards.

The influential Collier was a big player for the visitors and Avia Coss added further scores to give Laois a 1-4 to 0-0 lead by the
quarter-hour mark.

It was not until the 18th minute that Limerick had the first score raising three quick-fire white flags without reply through Noelle Curtin and Valerie Shanahan.

Susie Delaney was a constant menace for Laois and chipped over two further scores in between a Carla Griffin free to give Laois a 1-6 to 0-4 advantage at the interval.

Delaney and Collier picked up where they left off after the interval, aided by the strong breeze before Limerick were given a lifeline. Substitute Muireanne Leahy was fouled in the square to give Griffin a chance to reduce the deficit to four points.

From the resulting penalty, Aedin Lowry saved well before Alice Walsh went straight down the other end to make it 1-9 to 0-4 by the 38th minute.

Substitute Ella Hession found herself in space moments later to raise a green flag for Limerick, but that seemed to spur on the O’Moore county. From the puck-out, Aimee Collier forced a top-class save from Noami Ryan in the Limerick goals.

Now taking full advantage of the wind, Laois struck six points without reply, with four coming from the stick of Collier. Heading into the closing stages of the game the visitors led 1-15 to 1-5 before Hession buried her second goal of the half, Limerick’s first score since her first goal.

Just two minutes later, Avia Coss put to bed any hopes of a late Treaty comeback, bolting through the Limerick defence to bury her shot to the back of the net.

Late points from Griffin and Valerie Shanahan drew the game to a close as Laois ran out convincing winners.

The Limerick ladies will now return to action in a fortnight when they take on Cavan in their final group game.

SCORERS: Limerick: Ella Hession (2-0), Valerie Shanahan (0-3, 2f), Carla Grifin (0-4, 3f). Laois: Aimee Collier (1-10, 3f, 2 45, 1 pen), Susie Delaney (0-3), Avia Coss (1-1), Alice Walsh (0-1), Aisling O’Dea (0-1).

LIMERICK: Naomi Ryan, Megan Ryan, Tara Lenihan, Elaine Frawley (Abby Murrihy), Sophie O’Keefe, Ciara Houlihan, Lauren O’Connor, Ann Kennedy, Isabella Collins (Muireanne Leahy 30), Amy Burke, Kate Feasey (Ciara English 51), Aisling Irwin (Ella Hession 30), Valerie Shanahan, Noelle Curtin, Carla Griffin.

LAOIS: Aedín Lowry, Aoife Hyland, Leah Daly, Fiona Scully (Laura Finlay 58), Aoife Finlay (Ellen Conroy 51), Clodagh Tynar, Sarah Creagh, Jade Bergin (Gemma Hoare 51), Líadan Fennell, Avia Coss, Rachael Deegan, Alice Walsh, Grainne Delaney (Grainne Hyland 50), Aimee Collier, Susie Delaney.

REFEREE: Joe Mullins (Clare)