Tipp ladies retain senior status for 2025 after win over Laois

 TG4 Ladies Football All-Ireland Senior Championship Relegation Qualifier 

Tipperary  1-15

Laois 1-4

Tipperary ladies travelled to Callan to take on Laois in the relegation qualifier. The girls had fire in the bellies having narrowly missed out on a quarter-final spot this year. 

Tipperary set the pace from the get-go as they rallied up 1-3 with no response from Laois in the opening four minutes. No response from Laois remained the tone for the whole first half as they went scoreless up until half-time. 

Aishling Moloney played a lovely ball into Emma Morrisey who raised a white flag in the first 30 seconds of the game. A hand pass over the top from Anna-Rose Kennedy set up Angela McGuigan who made no mistake rattling the Laois net. Laois kick outs once more proved a problem as Morrisey gathered one up and slotted between the posts. 

Morrisey once more broke down a Laois attack and a lovely team effort saw Moloney set up McGuigan to raise a third white flag. Moloney pointed three frees while Laura Morrisey 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 goals but a fabulous right fist from Fitzpatrick denied Nerney a goal. 

Clara English pointed down the other end while Moloney earned her first from play with Marie Creedon hand passing 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.  Tipp went in at the break comfortably ahead by 1-11 to 0-0. 

Morrissey started the scoring for the second half as she did the first with two fine scores over the black spot. Laois awoke in the 35th minute when Mo Nerney slotted a free over the bar. 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 to the woodwork by Barry. Aoibhe Byron pointed two long-range frees while Nerney pointed from play. Morrissey raised Tipp’ 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 home. Laois awoke in the second half, but Tipp had done enough and secured a comfortable 11-point win in the end. 

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 used: Elaine Kelly (Cappawhite) for Cronin (HT) and Nessa Twomey (Templemore) for McCarthy (Both HT), Katelyn Downey (Boherlahan Dualla) for Dillon (35m), Heather Spillane (Fethard) for Kelly (39m), and Sarah Ryan (Arravale Rovers) for Morrisey (57m)

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 used: Faye McEvoy for Allen (20m), Aoibhe Byron for Hennessy and Aerin Ryle for Jacob (Both 40m), Laura Marie Maher for Fitzpatrick (45m), and Alice Walsh for Lacey (64m).

Referee: Sinead McHugh (Dublin)