Monaghan slam door on Laois revival this time

IT WAS another close thing all right, but this time there was no last minute goal from Lulu Carroll to save the day for Laois. Her team fought their way bravery back into things from six points behind a couple of times over the course of yesterday's women's football final replay at Croke Park but when, with only injury time to play, the two sides were once again separated by a single goal, it was Monaghan who this time found the net to double their lead and ensure that they took home their first All Ireland senior title in the code.

The Ulsterwomen were deserved 2-11 to 1-9 winners of a match in which they had set the pace from the very early stages. Diane Dempsey was their driving force through the opening minutes during which a Linda Gartland point and a neatly taken Michelle Murphy goal gave them a lead which they were never to surrender.

Laois, on the other hand squandered many of the chances they created and it wasn't until the last 10 minutes of the first period by which time they trailed their rivals by 1-4 to a point, that they began to make an impact on the proceedings.

By the interval the deficit had been narrowed to four points, and after the restart they continued their revival with a brilliant goal from Sue Ramsbottom, making it 1-8 to 1-6 in favour of Monaghan.

That was as close as Laois came, however, for Monaghan went on the offensive through the closing stages and, having taken just one point from two penalties, hit the post twice and the crossbar once, they finally put the result beyond doubt when their captain, Margaret Kierans picked up a rebound on the edge of the square and fired past Theresa Devine for a goal.

In club football, meanwhile, defending All Ireland champions Laune Rangers survived a tough Kerry county final test against West Kerry, with two Liam Hassett points and three from Michael Francis Russell helping them to victory by a single point, 2-7 to 1-9.

In the other big match of the day in Munster, Clonakilty upset Cork title favourites UCC by 1-9 to 0-10 in the county final at Pairc Ui Chaoimh. Their reward is a Munster semi final clash with Doonbeg of Clare.

This was Clonakilty's first county final win since 1952 and it was achieved, in difficult conditions, thanks mainly to a determined and aggressive second half display.

UCC had dominated the match for long periods and led by a point at the end of the first half despite having played into the wind. They looked to be well on the way to what would have been, for them, a long awaited county title.

As the second period progressed, however, Clonakilty's midfield partnership of Tom Mannix and Billy Crowley began to assert themselves.

It was a good day, too, for DJ Carey's Young Irelands side as they claimed their first Kilkenny senior hurling title at Nowlan Park where they put the stalemate of a fortnight ago behind them to score a 3-9 to 2-10 replay defeat of James Stephens.