Laois 0-8 Westmeath 3-13
Laois National Football League Division 2 Round 6
Laois have been relegated from Division 2 of the Ladies National Football League following defeat to Westmeath is Heywood this afternoon.
Billy Kiernan and Tom Devereux charges have one game remaining – away to Monaghan next week.
But even a win there cannot prevent relegation as Laois can’t catch any of the teams above them.
After reaching the Division 2 final last year, this is a very disappointing outcome for Laois.
But the team have lost so many established players this season and are operating with a very young side – so staying up itself proved too great a big challenge.
The sides were even enough initially with Westmeath tipping the scales as Ashley Ruane rattling the net.
Laois were given an opportunity to score a goal after that when Lauren Kearney was fouled in the square with Laois’s Mo Nerney stepping up to take the penalty.
Nerney’s effort was superbly saved by McCormack as she tipped her effort on to the post.
Westmeath ended the half with a third point from Sarah Dillon as The Lake County led 1-6 to 0-4 at the break.
Goals in the second half from Sarah Dillon and Karen Hegarty wrapped up the win for Westmeath.
SCORERS— Westmeath: Sarah Dillon 1-4, Leanne Slevin 0-5 (0-4 frees), Karen Hegarty 1-1, Ashley Ruane 1-0, Chloe Kelly, Rebecca Higgins and Meadbh Monaghan 0-1 each. Laois: Orla Hennessy 0-3, Katie Donoghue and Mo Nerney (frees) 0-2 each, Alice Walsh and Andrea Moran 0-1 each
LAOIS: Eimear Barry (Shanahoe); Sinead Farrelly (St Joseph’s), Mary Cotter (St Conleths), Ciara Malone (Killeshin); Susie Delaney (Portlaoise), Clodagh Dunne (Ballyroan), Grainne Lalor (Sarsfields); Anna Moore (St Joseph’s), Andrea Moran (Ballyroan); Alice Walsh (Shanahoe), Orla Hennessy (Timahoe), Katie Donoghue (Timahoe); Mo Nerney (Timahoe), Grainne Moran (Portlaoise), Lauren Kearney (Sarsfields).
Subs: Emily Lacey (St Joseph’s) for G Moran, Aoife Finlay (Shanahoe) for Delaney and Isabel Finlay (Shanahoe) for Malone (all HT), Aoife Cummins (St Conleth’s) for Lalor and Aerin Ryle (Sarsfields) for Walsh (52)
WESTMEATH: Lauren McCormack; Laura Kiernan, Lucy Power, Lara Mc Cartan; Chloe Kelly, Fiona Coyle, Rachel Dillon; Kelly Boyce Jordan, Vicky Carr; Ashley Ruane, Rebecca Higgins, Meadbh Monaghan; Sarah Dillon, Leanne Slevin, Tracey Dillon. Subs: Melek Fagan for McCartan (42), Caoimhe Kilmurray for Ruane (49), Karen Hegarty for Monaghan (53), Mairead Newman for R Dillon (55), Sadhbh Gorman for S Dillon and Susanna Buckley for T Dillon (both 60)
REFEREE: Angela Gallagher (Dublin)
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