LULU CARROLL'S last minute equalising goal for Laois against Monaghan in the women's All Ireland football final a fortnight ago meant that her captain Theresa Swayne was able to leave Croke Park for the first time in four visits without the bitter taste of defeat in her mouth.

Swayne was on the losing Laois team in three finals in a row, from 1991 to 1993, but she didn't realise just how close she came to collecting a fourth loser's medal two weeks ago. "I thought there were five minutes left when Lulu scored so I wasn't really panicking," she said.

"I couldn't believe it when the referee blew up the match after the goal," she added.

While Carroll's goal snatched victory from Monaghan's grasp it was Swayne's efforts in goal for Laois that earned her the Player of the Match award.

Ironically, if she had her way, the Crettyard player insists she would not choose to clay in the number one jersey. This is my first year to play in goals for the county, I always played outfield before and that's where I prefer to play."

With their hopes of a first senior All Ireland title still alive Swayne insists that there were no difficulties getting the players to raise themselves again for the replay. It was no problem because we've never come out of Croke Park before other than being losers, at least this time we came out with a draw and we know it's not beyond us anymore, we know we can do it.

If Laois succeed in beating Monaghan tomorrow it will have been a hard won All Ireland title. On route to the final they had to beat Dublin, Meath and Wexford in the Leinster championship before facing Mayo in the semi final. Like Monaghan the Connacht champions thought they had victory sealed when they went three points up with seconds to go enter 15 year old sub Mary Kirwan who scored an equalising goal, an apparent Laois habit this year.

Kirwan is one of a number of young players to make it on to the Laois panel for the championship and Swayne, a native of Graiguecullen, points to the team's blend of youth and "maturity" as a key to their success to date. "We have a perfect mixture really in the team. There's Mary (Kirwan) and Serena King from the Shanahoe club who are both 15 year olds and then we have the experience of Margaret Greanan and Connie Conway who are ... playing a long time. I'd better not say how old they are, there could be murder."

In all, the Laois women's team has had to endure six All Ireland final defeats in the past, 11 years and the "mature Grennan and Conway have played in every one Swayne and her team mates are fiercely determined to pub an end to that record of frustration.