Mullin makes her point as ladies reach quarters ROUND 2
Mayo 2-19
Laois 1-15 
Edwin McGreal
Longford KEVIN REIDY’S Mayo ladies eventually managed to withstand the firm challenge of Laois last Saturday evening and secure a place in the quarter-finals of this year’s championship.
The seven point final margin is somewhat misleading with a late goal from ‘Player of the Match’ Emma Mullin finally making the game safe for Mayo, but the game had been close up to that point.
Mullin offers Mayo a real threat inside along with Cora Staunton, meaning opposition defenders have more than Cora to occupy their thoughts. The pair ended up accounting for 1-18 out of Mayo’s total with Mullin striking an eye-catching 1-6 from play.
“We’re through to the next round and that’s why we went out there,’ Mayo manager Kevin Reidy told The Mayo News afterwards. “I’m happy enough with the performance. I was very happy with the work-rate and effort out there.
“We hadn’t played a game for five or six weeks and it probably told for a while. We worked very hard in training, extremely hard, but it didn’t show out there in the first fifteen minutes. It probably took them fifteen minutes to get up to the pitch of the game whereas Laois had a game last weekend and that stood to them early on.”
Mayo’s two-player inside line was the main reason they were in front at half-time but it was their nominal partner in the full-forward line who got their first score – a goal. Triona McNicholas played in a withdrawn role but got up in support of Cora Staunton and palmed the latter’s centre to the net from about a yard out.
However, the gap from their Connacht final defeat (on July 5) did see Mayo stuttering. Laois looked dangerous when attacking – particularly down the middle where Aileen O’Loughlin and Tracy Lawlor asked plenty of questions of Claire Egan and Caroline McGing respectively.
Lawlor pointed twice early on before Laois took a deserved lead on seven minutes when O’Loughlin arrowed a shot to the corner of Yvonne Byrne’s net.
Two fine points from Mullin were but brief respite for Mayo as three points from Lawlor and another from Anna Moore left Laois 1-6 to 1-2 clear midway through the half.
But Mayo hit top gear after this and in a six minute period they scorched through for six unanswered points. Cora Staunton struck four of them with McNicholas and Mullin also on target.
And while Mayo were struggling in the middle third, judicious use of the ball from goalkeeper Yvonne Byrne (whose laser precision kick-outs went to a Mayo player on all but one occasion in the game) and midfielder Martha Carter helped to provide a platform for Mayo.
The two point gap would remain at half-time – Lawlor and Mary Kirwan pointed at one end, each time cancelled out by two scores from Staunton.
Mayo upped their overall work-rate with their half-forward line being a more productive unit in the second half and with Egan and McGing improving at the back, and Martha Carter inspirational at midfield with ceaseless running, Mayo started to dominate.
Staunton (6) and Mullin (2) reflected this on the scoreboard as Mayo led by 1-18 to 1-12 with eleven minutes to go but they relaxed and Laois forced their way back. Mary Kirwan lofted over a point and had Emer Fitzpatrick been a bit more fortunate with a goal chance, Mayo would have been under serious pressure.
Mary Kirwan did leave just four points in it with five minutes to go but Mayo, as if they were sensing danger, decided to end matters from the resulting kick-out. Sinead Cafferkey, Carter, McNicholas and Staunton were all involved and the latter squared for Mullin to finish to the net.
Mayo Y Byrne; N Tierney, N Hurst, C McGing; K Sullivan, C Egan, A Loftus; M Carter, S Hughes; N Beegan, F McHale,L Cafferkey; E Mullin (1-6), T McNicholas (1-1), C Staunton (0-12, 6fs). Subs used: S Cafferkey for Beegan (46mins); S Tierney for L Cafferkey (58mins).
Laois T Fallon; M McEvoy, L Muckian, M O’Grady; E McEvoy, A Quigley, A Casey; P Fogarty, A Moore (0-1); Martha Kirwan, A O’Loughlin (1-0), Mary Kirwan (0-4, 2fs); M Dunne (0-2), T Lawlor (0-7, 3fs), N Kirwin. Subs used: C McLoughlin for Casey (37mins); G Weston (0-1) for M McEvoy (42mins); E Fitzpatrick for Martha Kirwan (51mins); C Delaney for Fitzpatrick (inj. 54mins).
Referee: K Delahunty (Tipperary)
