Two second half goals from Holly Tyrrell and one in the first half from Leah Doran ensured a first victory in the Leinster Championship for Kildare this season against Laois in Manguard Park.
Scores were kept to a minimum by both sides such was the defensive strength on display.
The Lilywhites led after Doran's 16th-minute goal despite Laois doing all they could. Emily Lacey stood out for Laois, while Aoife Rattigan was commanding in the centre of the field for Kildare.
Lacey opened the scoring in the fourth minute after an excellent run, before a Rattigan free quickly levelled matters.
Katie Donoghue restored Laois' advantage with a free, and while they had their chances to push on, they failed to do so.
Lacey had a lively opening half but she was well marshalled by a tenacious Kildare defence, with Laoise Lenehan and Alex Reynolds in particular sanding out for the Lilies.
Kildare took the lead on sixteen minutes when a run along the end line was finished brilliantly at a difficult angle by Balyna’s Leah Doran.
The visitors reduced the deficit to a single score when Lacey added her second on 18 minutes.
Rattigan nabbed her second score, this one from play, on twenty-five minutes, with her back to goal, a quick turn flicked the ball over the bar to ensure Kildare held a two point lead at the break, 1-02 to 0-3.
Kildare were handed the perfect start to the second half when substitute Claire Sullivan provided a timely pass to Tyrrell and the full-forward made no mistake with the finish, hitting the back of the net.
The O'Moore County however responded well, and could well have found the net themselves as Katie Donoghue’s effort blasted over the bar instead of under it a minute later.
A free from Donoghue and Mo Nerney's first of the game made it a two-point game, but Kildare were not to be outdone and when Trina Duggan found Tyrrell in space, the Rathcoffey footballer added a second goal on forty-two minutes.
Again, Laois did not panic and points from substitute Aoibhe Byron and a second Nerney free brought reduced the margin to a single score.
Kildare could have sealed the game on fifty-six minutes, but Sarah Munnelly’s chance flashed over the bar and they lived on their nerves for the last few minutes as Laois continued to attack the Kildare defence.
Lacey added her third score of the contest after brilliant work from Nerney and Donoghue added her fourth score of the game from a free, but that was as good as it got for Stephen Duff’s team as time ran out and Kildare registered their first Leinster win to finish in third place with the All-Ireland series just around the corner.
Kildare: A Dunlea; A Mernagh, L Lenehan (capt.), A Reynolds; M Doherty, E O’Toole, L Murtagh; A Rattigan (0-2, 1f), A Kilkenny; L Doran (1-0), E Keogh, S Munnelly (0-1); E Brereton Foley, H Tyrrell (2-0), T Duggan.
Subs: C Sullivan for Murtagh (22), N Barnes for Dunlea (h/t), F Troute for Lenehan (h/t)
Laois: E Barry; S Farrelly, I Finlay, G Lalor; A Ryle, M Cotter, A Gorman; A Moore, C Malone; G Moran, E Lacey (0-3), L Kearney; R Allen, M Nerney (0-2, 2f), K Donoghue (0-4, 3f).
Subs: A Cummins for I Finlay (36), A Fitzpatrick for Allen (38), E Healy for Moran (40), A Byron (0-1) for Kearney (46), A Lalor for Ryle (53).
Referee: Marion Hayden (Carlow).
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