Mayo ladies through to All-Ireland quarter finals after win over Laois

TG4 All-Ireland Senior Championship Group 1 Round 3

Mayo 2-15 Laois 0-8

Oisín McGovern in MacHale Park

THE Mayo ladies face an away trip for their All-Ireland quarter final after a handy home win over Laois this afternoon. 

The superb Sinéad Cafferky and Sinéad Walsh were the leading lights for Mayo, kicking 2-9 between them in the absence of key attackers Rachel Kearns and Lisa Cafferky (both injured).

Michael Moyles' charges hit the ground running and quickly began sprinting when they shot the game's opening seven score through Cafferky (3), Walsh, Shauna Howley, Éilis Ronayne and Ciara Needham.

The hosts also saw a shot from late replacement Saoirse Delaney saved by Laois sub goalie Naomi Luttrell, whose kick-outs were subject to enormous Mayo pressure in the first half.

Laois eventually worked the scoreboard in the 14th minute, but Mayo kept in fifth gear.

Turning over mountains of ball, the home side kept up the pressure on the Leinster ladies - who did make the odd incursion into the Mayo goalmouth. 

The goal that came in injury time was to be expected, given Mayo's dominance.

The executioner was Sinéad Walsh, who was handed the axe in yards of space from a 40-yard pass from Deirdre Doherty. 

Leading 1-9 to 0-2 at the break, Mayo continued to dominate after half-time, though not quite to the same extent as they had done in the first half. 

Sinead Cafferky killed Laois's dying hopes with an early goal after being set up by Shauna Howley, who added two points to her tally in the second half. 

Laois held a bit more possession in the second half but created few chances, hitting just one score from play before the end. 

Both sides had goal chances, with both Sinéad Walsh and Maria Cannon missing opportunities for Mayo - who added 1-6 in in the second half.

Had any of them gone in, it would have made no difference to the final result, which recorded an overwhelming and impressive Mayo win. 

Throw-in was delayed by five minutes when both teams re-entered the dressing rooms to protest against the GAA's refusal to enter into discussions regarding a charter that would guarantee travel expenses and other entitlements to female inter-county footballers

Read the full report plus reaction in Tuesday's Mayo News 

Mayo: L Brennan; É Ronayne (0-1), C McManamon, D Caldwell; S Lally, C Needham (0-1), K Sullivan; A Geraghty, F McHale; M Cannon, S Cafferky (1-4), S Delaney; S Howley (0-3, 1f) D Doherty (0-1, 1f), S Walsh (1-5)

Subs: M Reilly for Doherty (40 mins), S Tierney for McHale (44 mins), R Durkan for Sullivan (49 mins), E Murray for Needham (50 mins)

Laois: N Luttrell; S Farrelly, C Dunne, A Kelly; S Havill, E Healy (0-1), L Nerney; A Healy (0-1) O Hennessy; E Galvin (0-1), LM Maher, A Moran; SA Fitzgerald (0-2, 2f), M Nerney (0-3, 2f), K Donoghue

Subs: A Kirrane for Donoghue (44 mins), G Moran for Hennessy (46 mins)

Referee: M Farrelly (Cavan)