Tipp retain Senior status for 2025 after win over Laois
Tipperary preserved their senior status for 2025 with a comfortable victory over Laois in this All-Ireland Relegation Qualifier on Saturday.
LADIES FOOTBALL: TG4 All-Ireland Senior Championship Relegation Qualifier
Tipperary 1-15
Laois 1-4
Report: Keely Burke at John Locke Park, Callan
MATCH DIGEST
Player of the Match: Aishling Moloney (Tipperary)
SCORERS – Tipperary: Aisling Moloney 0-6 (5 frees); Emma Morrissey 0-5; Angela McGuigan 1-1; Laura Morrissey, Marie Creedon, Clara English 0-1 each.
Laois: Katie Donoghue 1-0, Mo Nerney (1 free), Aoibhe Byron (frees) 0-2 each.
The premier girls had fire in the bellies having narrowly missed out on a quarter-final spot and set the pace from the get-go, scoring 1-3 with no response in the opening four minutes. No response from Laois remained the tone for the whole first half as they went in scoreless at half-time.
Player of the match Aishling Moloney played a lovely ball into Emma Morrissey who raised a white flag in the first thirty seconds. A handpass over the top from Anna-Rose Kennedy set up Angela McGuigan who made no mistake in rattling the Laois net.
Laois kickouts once more proved a problem as Morrissey gathered one up and slotted between the posts. Morrissey once more broke down a Laois attack and a lovely team effort saw Aishling Moloney set up McGuigan to raise a third white flag. Moloney pointed three frees while Laura Morrissey got her name on the scoresheet.
A Laois effort from Lauren Kearney went to the left and wide before Moloney added a fourth free to her tally. A ball over the Tipp defence saw Mo Nerney face to face with Lauren Fitzpatrick in the Tipp goal but a fabulous right fist from Fitzpatrick denied a goal.
Clara English pointed at the other end while Moloney earned her first from play with Marie Creedon handpassing over the bar. Laura Dillon was shown a yellow card for a dangerous tackle on Emily Lacey in the 28th minute meaning she missed the opening eight minutes of the second half as Tipp went in at the break comfortably ahead, 1-11 to 0-0.
Emma Morrissey started the scoring for the second half as she did in the first with two fine scores over the black spot. Laois finally awoke in the 35th minute when Mo Nerney slotted a free over the bar. Aishling Moloney beat Eimear Barry but was pulled up for Tipps second square ball in the game.
Moloney pointed a free off the ground while a Katelyn Downey goal effort was guided onto the woodwork by Barry. Sub Aoibhe Byron pointed two long-range frees while Nerney pointed from play for the Leinster side.
Emma Morrissey raised Tipp’s final white flag giving her five to her name before Laois charged up the field and were awarded a 45’, taken by Byron into the hands of Katie Donoghue who buried the ball to the back of the net.
Laois awoke in the second half, but Tipp had done enough and secured a comfortable 11-point win in the end.
TEAMS - Tipperary: Lauren Fitzpatrick (Ballymacarbry); Laura Dillon (Ardfinnan), Lucy Spillane (Fethard), Emma Cronin (Moyle Rovers); Cliona O’Dwyer (Brian Borus), Maria Curley (Templemore, Capt), Sarah English (Ardfinnan); Laura Morrissey (Brian Borus), Anna Rose Kennedy (Aherlow); Clara English (Ardfinnan), Aishling Moloney (Cahir), Emma Morrissey (Aherlow); Marie Creedon (Thurles Sarsfields), Angela McGuigan (Sliabh na mBan), Emer McCarthy (Galtee Rovers).
Subs: Elaine Kelly (Cappawhite) for Cronin (HT); Nessa Twomey (Templemore) for McCarthy (HT); Katelyn Downey (Boherlahan-Dualla) for Dillon (35); Heather Spillane (Fethard) for Kelly (39); Sarah Ryan (Arravale Rovers) for L Morrissey (57)
Laois: Eimear Barry; Kate Jacob, Sinead Farrelly, Grainne Lalor; Mary Cotter, Anna Moore, Lauren Kearney; Andrea Moran, Aishling Fitzpatrick; Katie Donoghue, Roisin Allen, Grainne Moran; Mo Nerney, Orla Hennessy, Emily Lacey.
Subs: Faye McEvoy for Allen (20); Aoibhe Byron for Hennessy (40); Aerin Ryle for Jacob (40); Laura Marie Maher for Fitzpatrick (45); Alice Walsh for Lacey (60+4).
Referee: Sinead McHugh (Dublin).