Fantastic Faithful Defeat Limerick

 

Limerick 1-8

Offaly 3-7

 

By Jackie Cahill at Parnell Park, Dublin

 

MAIRÉAD Daly fired Offaly to Tesco Ladies National Football Division 4 glory on Saturday afternoon at Parnell Park.

Daly, who netted twice in the 2013 All-Ireland junior final, was up to her old tricks again on the national stage as she scored 3-1.

The Faithful County won a second Division 4 crown in three seasons, with third tier football next season the big prize on offer for the winners.

In dreadful conditions at Parnell Park, St Rynaghs player Daly shone like a beacon from the start as the Shannonsiders were left heartbroken at the Donnycarney venue.

Daly netted as early as the second minute to put Offaly on the road to victory and at half-time, the winners led by 2-5 to 0-3 having played with the breeze from the start.

Daly grabbed her second goal two minutes before half-time, finishing from close range after Linda Sullivan’s attempted point bounced off the upright.

Sullivan was also impressive for Offaly in that opening half with two points from play but Limerick, in contrast, struggled for scores.

Ace forward Dymphna O’Brien finished with four points for Limerick but she was held scoreless from play.

And when Daly completed her treble in fortuitous fashion early in the second half, the game was up for Limerick.

Daly’s shot proved too hot to handle for Martina Giltenane as the ball squirted through the Limerick goalkeeper’s grasp in the greasy conditions.

That goal handed Offaly an unassailable ten-point lead – 3-5 to 0-4 – but spirited Limerick responded almost immediately with their only goal of the game.

Shauna Ryan’s long-range free went all the way to the net as Limerick were handed a glimmer of hope and while the margin was trimmed to five points by full-time, Offaly held out for a comfortable win and promotion.

 

Scorers for Limerick: S Ryan 1-1, D O’Brien 0-4f, S Carroll 0-2, A Neary 0-1.

 

Scorers for Offaly: M Daly 3-1, L Sullivan 0-3, R Egan, O Heavey (f) & K Furey (f) 0-1 each.

 

LIMERICK: M Giltenane; J Garvey, L Hanley, K Reidy; O Giltenane, S O’Sullivan, Y Culhane; N Richardson, A Meaney; M Kelleher, B Cahill, A Neary; D O’Brien, S Carroll, S Ryan.

 

Subs: C Coughlan for Richardson (7), G Regan for Coughlan (h.t.), A Regan for Cahill (49), M Curtin for Carroll (50), M O’Shea for O Giltenane (53).

 

OFFALY: L Devery; A Byrne, C Bennett, M Guinan; N Farrelly, R Egan, C O’Connor; E Dalton, A Norris; A Corbett, O Heavey, K Furey; M Daly, E McEvoy, L Sullivan.

 

Sub: S Farrelly for Bennett (54).

 

Referee: C Dourneen (Cavan).