Louth Ladies ease past Longford to book place in All-Ireland JFC final

Louth Ladies swept aside Longford on a sun-soaked Clones this afternoon, winning by 12 points to book their place in the TG4 All-Ireland Junior Football Championship final for the second year running.

It was a performance full of control and maturity from Kevin Larkin’s side, who extended their winning streak to five games and never looked in trouble after shaking off a slightly slow start.

Now, they'll return to GAA HQ on August Bank Holiday Sunday with a shot at redemption following last year’s heartbreak against Fermanagh.

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There was a late switch in the Louth lineup before throw-in, with Holly Lambe-Sally stepping in for Laura Collins, but it made little difference to the outcome as the Leinster champions found their rhythm early.

Longford got the first score of the day through Sian Gallagher in the sixth minute, but that would prove to be one of few moments to cheer for the Midlanders.

Kate Flood was in imperious form and opened her account a minute later and quickly took over, notching a remarkable 0-9 overall, including a string of beautifully taken frees and points from play.

Louth’s big moment came in the 18th minute when Eimear Byrne showed terrific composure to round the keeper and slot into an empty net, pushing the Wee County into a commanding 1-4 to 0-2 lead.

Aoife Russell followed it up with a tidy point, and by half-time, Louth had built up a comfortable eight point cushion.

Half time: Louth 1-7 Longford 0-2

The second half was all about consolidating and extending the lead. Flood continued to shine, while Russell chipped in with two more points to cap an energetic display.

Ceire Nolan also got in on the act with a fine effort as Louth kept the scoreboard ticking over and the pressure on a faltering Longford outfit.

To their credit, Longford did tag on a few late scores with Clodagh Lohan and Kamille Burke among the scorers, but the result had long since been settled.

This was Louth at their efficient best with experienced players like Flood leading the charge and younger players stepping up, bodes well for their final outing in two weeks.

They now await the winners in the decider, and with three Junior titles already in the bag (1998, 2015, and 2019), the Wee County will be quietly confident about adding a fourth.

Louth scorers: Kate Flood 0-10 (6f), Eimear Byrne 1-0, Aoife Russell 0-3, Ceire Nolan 0-1.

Longford scorers: Clodagh Lohan 0-2, Kamille Burke 0-2 (1f), Sian Gallagher 0-1, Shauna Hagan 0-1.