Offaly Hold Off Determined Down Challenge

Offaly advance to the semi finals

 

Date: 2^nd April 2017

 

Full Time Score: Offaly 4-16, Down 5-11

 

The Offaly Ladies welcomed Down to a sunny Kilcormac on Sunday for the last round of the Lidl Ladies National Football League.

Offaly needed a win to ensure a semi final spot and they started well with a point after 30 seconds and another a minute later. Offaly stretched their early lead to 3 points before Down got on the scoreboard and followed up with another point minutes later.

 

The sides then traded goals and the pace of the game did not relent. Offaly continued their scoring and built a 6 point lead until Down pointed from a free.

Offaly responded with a point from Helen Hensey after some great work from Roisin Egan. Helen followed soon after with a well taken goal but Down’s Colleen Lennon rattled the Offaly net minutes later. Down followed with another fine point before Offaly’s Mairead Daly found space in a packed Down backline to slot over a neat point. Offaly continued to build on their lead with another point and a trademark goal from the prolific Mairead Daly. Roisin Egan followed soon after with a well worked score, weaving her way from midfield to take her point. The score at half time, Offaly’s 4-11 to Down’s 2-6.

 

Roisin Egan opened the scoring in the second half with another point. A free earned by Roisin 5 minutes later was slotted over by Mairead Daly and Offaly stretched their lead. However Down were not giving up. The looked dangerous in attack. Lauren Cunningham scored a great point before Down again shook the Offaly net. Offaly responded with a point from Claire O’Brien. Down midfielder Ciara Mulvena converted a penalty to bring the Down Ladies back to a 7 point deficit before Offaly’s captain Aoife Norris stretched the Offaly lead out to 8 points

 

Down pushed hard and the Offaly girls had to defend furiously in the last 10 minutes, another point from Down, followed by a goal and two more points and Offaly found themselves 2 points ahead for the final few minutes. Offaly held a fantastic Down attack at bay and the game finished with Offaly 4-16 to Down’s 5-11, enough to earn Offaly a place in the League semi finals.

 

Referee: Ger Carmody

 

Down: Christine McCarthy, Laura Morgan, Orla Boyle, Aimee Greene, Adair Trainor, Chara Laverty, Nuala Carville, Aoife Keown, Clara Mulvena, Laoise Duffy, Kate McKay, Cushla Savage, Colleen Lennon, Kyla Trainor, Lauren Cunningham, Elaine Madine, Aishling Cull, Erin McGinn, Natalie McKibbin, Leanne Taylor, Kiera Turley, Ann Marie Magee, Gemma Magee, Morgan Shannon, Ella Durkan, Sinead Fitzsimons

 

Offaly: Lucy Egan, Katie Kehoe, Sarah Cummins, Emer Lawless, Claire O’Brien, Emer Nally, Imelda Fleming, Aoife Norris, Ellee McEvoy, Mairead Daly, Roisin Egan, Sarah Kehoe, Maeve Coleman, Helen Hensey, Aoife Corbett, Lauren Dunne, Vicky Carey, Paula Harte, Bernie Walsh, Sorcha Coleman, Roisin Kane, Alicia Murphy, Emma Kirwan