Competition: Leinster Minor B Championship Final
Venue: Clane
Sunday 5 May 2013 Time: 1:30 PM

Kildare 1- 13
Laois 4 - 10

This Leinster Final turned into bitter disappointment for a Kildare side which, on this day, never managed to show their real ability. While injuries disrupted the preparations it was mistakes on the day which scuppered their chances. Kildare had first use of the wind blowing down Conneff Park and they opened brightly when Órlaith Moran won the ball in the left corner and found Triona Duggan who was flattened before Ellen Dowling nailed the free. Then in the first Laois attack Aine Conroy tore up the wing and with the defence drawn out the ball was played to Ciara Burke to score from close range. When Tara Hallinan played a free to Orla Gowran she passed to Mikaela McKenna who laid-off to Orla Moran to point and straight from the kick out Ellen Dowling went flying through and when she was grounded she got up to point the free. Ciara Conaty then intercepted a Laois attack and the ball was played via Tara Hallinan and Ellen Dowling to Mikaela McKenna ho also drew a foul but Ellen had her only miss. She immediately atoned when disposing Clare Dollard and driving over from long range. The narrow Kildare lead was short-lived as Shannon Costello pointed after two Kildare defenders fumbled. Then came a body blow. When Ciara Burke was bottled up near goal she passed back to Laura Maria Maher on the 20 line. Maher side-footed low and the ball rolled past the unsighted Kildare keeper into the corner of the net. Ciara Burke pointed after the ball again broke to her off a defender and Orla Gowran had a great chance but blazed just wide when Mikaela McKenna created the chance and seconds later Mikaela drove over from close range when set-up by Ellen Dowling. Two further goal chances followed for Kildare. First Mikaela was blocked as she shot and the Laois keeper got a foot to the Triona Duggan rebound volley with the ball spinning across the goal line and cleared by Kellie Preston. Then a lovely first time punched pass from Ellen Dowling sent Mikaela clear 30 yards out and she shot low and hard from the 13 line but again Emma Hooban was able to block the shot and Clodagh Dunne scrambled it clear. A Kildare point followed when Rachel Cribbin collected a Tara Hallinan free and passed to Ellen Dowling who powered it over but Laois responded when Laura Marie Maher won and pointed a free and the real killer-blow followed when Maher shot her second goal after Kildare failed to clear a high lob from Ciara Burke. Kildare did finish the half well with Orla Gowran and Triona Duggan kicked points but a 5 point deficit and having to face the wind after the break was an imposing task.
With Niamh Tuohy already on at midfield Davie Burke made a number of other changes at the break. Niamh Lawler joined thee defence where Michaela Nolan resumed at centre half and Ciara Conaty at full back and Amy McGrane joined the attack. Kildare piled on the pressure from the restart and won a succession of frees. Ellen Dowling potted the first and when she was fouled out of range she played a quick one/two with Mikaela McKenna and ran through the Laois defence to drive a rocket to the roof of the net but Laois lifted the siege and Ciara Burke pointed. When Michaela Nolan powered up field she found Orla Gowran who placed Mikaela McKenna to point. After a Shannon Costello Laois point Ellen Dowling again won a high ball out on her wing and soloed through, was again fouled and she took the free herself to add another point to her tally. Kildare were now in charge at midfield and Orla Gowran drove over after another mass attack to level the game and 8 minutes from time newly introduced Muireann Scully took a pass from ever willing Orla Gowran to feed Ellen Dowling to kick a glorious point and Kildare were once again in front. A Laois attack seemed to peter out as Shannon Costello kicked across goal with nobody to aim for but 2 Kildare defenders clashed as the ball seemed to be going wide and it deflected off Kildare hands into the net. Kildare tried to get back into the game for the next 4 minutes without any reward and then in the last 4 minutes Laois kicked 4 points with Kildare deflated.

Emma Hooban, Kellie Preston, Clodagh Dunne and Clare Dollard impressed in the Laois defence, Aine Haberlin did well at midfield while Laura Marie Maher and Shannon Costello were the stars in their attack with Ciara Burke also doing some nice work.
Kildare found that conceding soft goals is a killer but Rebecca McGuirk was blameless in goals while Orla Keoghegan, Ciara Conaty, Briona Hoban and Michaela Nolan defended stoutly with Michaela defiantly taking the battle upfield at every possible opportunity. Tara Hallinan and Eadaoin Connolly fought hard at midfield with Eadaoin giving way to Niamh Tuohy as her lack of training due to her recent injury told. Órlaith Moran, Mikaela McKenna and Orla Gowran grafted well upfront while Ellen Dowling was superb from first whistle to last.

Scorers:

Kildare

Ellen Dowling 1 - 7 (0-4 Frs),
Mikaela McKenna 0 - 2,
Orla Gowran 0 - 2,
Órlaith Moran 0 - 1,
Triona Duggan 0 - 1.
.
Laois

Laura Marie Maher 2 - 3 (0-3 Frs),
Shannon Costello 1 - 4 (0-1 Fr),
Ciara Burke 1 - 2,
Ciara Delaney 0 - 1.

Teams

Kildare team:

Rebecca McGurk,
Shauna Doyle,
Orla Keoghegan,
Ciara Conaty,
Michaela Nolan,
Briona Hoban,
Orla Hogan,
Eadaoin Connolly,
Tara Hallinan,
Ellen Dowling (1-7),
Orla Gowran (0-2),
Rachel Cribben,
Triona Duggan (0-1),
Mikaela McKenna (0-2),
Órlaith Moran (0-1).

Subs
Niamh Tuohy for E Connolly (22 min),
Niamh Lawler for O Hogan (HT),
Amy McGrane for R Cribben (HT),
Muireann Scully for O Moran (54 min).


Laois:

Emma Hoban,
Kellie Preston,
Clodagh Dunne,
Nicole Byrne,
Aoife Conroy,
Clare Dollard,
Fiona Dooley,
Meaghan Dunne,
Aine Haberlin,
Rachel O'Connell,
Aine Fitzpatrick,
Laura Marie Maher (2 -3),
Shannon Costello (1-4),
Ciara Burke (1-2),
Caoimhe Simms.


Subs:
Anna Fitzgibbon for C Simms (42 min),
Ciara Delaney (0-1) for A Fitzpatrick (50 min).

Referee: David Fedigan (Louth).

Report By: Tom Ryan. Tweet

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