by Jackie Cahill

DUBLIN secured a third successive TG4 Leinster Ladies senior football championship crown with a comfortable 2-13 to 0-9 victory against Laois in Sunday’s provincial decider at Dr. Cullen Park, Carlow.

Two goals early in the second half sealed victory for the Metropolitans as Laois were denied a first Leinster title since 2006.

Dublin march on the quarter-finals of the TG4 All-Ireland championship while Laois must now regroup for the second round of qualifiers on August 7/8.

Gerry McGill’s Dublin completely dominated the first half and at the break, the Sky Blues had established a 0-8 to 0-2 lead.

Laois battled against the wind in that first half and Dublin secured the vast majority of the possession while the O’Moore County cause wasn’t helped by the sin-binning of Martha Kirwan before half-time.

Dublin reeled off four unanswered points before the break to turn a two-point lead into a six-point advantage and the Jackies killed the game with those two goals after half-time.

Orla Egan scored Dublin’s first goal as her shot carried too much power for Laois goalkeeper Ciamh Dollard, who got a hand to the ball but couldn’t keep it out.

Dollard had little or no chance minutes later when Lindsey Peat slotted home after capitalising on a mistake in the Laois defence for Dublin’s second goal.

Dublin centre forward Amy McGuinness scored six points and received the player of the match award for an outstanding display.

Dublin scorers: A McGuinness 0-6, S Ahern 0-5, L Peat 1-1, O Egan 1-0, E Kelly 0-1.

Laois: T Lawlor 0-3, M Dunne 0-3, N Kirwan 0-2, A Taylor 0-1.