Down 1-12
Laois 1-8

Down scored seven unanswered points in the final quarter to defeat Laois in a thrilling All-Ireland premier junior camogie final at Croke Park.

With player of the match Niamh Dollard to the fore, Laois looked set to make amends for last year's final loss to Kildare when they led by 1-8 to 1-5 midway through the second half. But the Mourne County finished with a flourish to claim a dramatic victory.

Sarah-Anne Fitzgerald (Laois) and Catherine McGourty (Down) were in fine scoring form in a first half which ended in a welter of excitement. Dollard found the net to propel Laois into a 1-3 to 0-4 lead, only for McGourty to reply with a similar score deep into injury-time to give the winners a 1-4 to 1-3 interval lead.

Fitzgerald regained parity for the midlanders on the restart before they proceeded to open up a three-point lead. The Ulster side dug deep, however, and drew level with six minutes remaining through Niamh Mallon.

And they went on to win thanks to a flurry of late scores from Karen Gribben, McGourty and Karen McMullen.

Scorers - Down: C McGourty 1-4 (0-1f, 0-1 45); K McMullan, N Mallon, K Gribben 0-2 each, A McAleenan, SL Carr 0-1 each. Laois: SA Fitzgerald 0-5 (4fs); N Dollard 1-2; L Mahony 0-1.

Down: M McNally, K Tinnelly, C McGovern, B McGourty, C Rocks, L McAliskey, F Carr, A Keown, K McMullan, L McPolin, P Gribben, C McGourty, N Mallon, SL Carr, K Gribben. Subs: G O'Higgins for Rocks (30), C Clarke for McPolin (37), N Braniff for Clarke (57), E McCormick for Keown (60+1), A McAleenan for Gribben (60+2)

Laois: l Dunne, M Burke, R Bermingham, A Burke, M O'Grady, E Delaney, A Dunphy, S Burke, AM Purcell, L Mahony, SA Fitzgerald, E Mahony, D Mortimer, N Dollard, LM Maher. Subs: C Walsh for Burke inj (4), O Parkinson for Maher (55)

Referee: L Dempsey (Kilkenny)

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