Antrim 1:16 (19) Offaly 3:08 (17)
Match report and photos from Antrim Camogie PRO, Michael Corcoran at Roger Casements GAA Club, Portglenone.
A warm blustery day welcomed one and all to the opening game of this year’s All Ireland Intermediate championship from group 1. Spectators would have to face occasional showers and with both sides sizing each other up in the first half, occasional scoring too. A low scoring first half gave way to a torrent of scores from both teams in the second half, leading to a crescendo of sideline activity as the game lay finely in the balance for either side to win. Antrim would, however, demonstrate nerve and resolve to close the deal and rack up their three points on the table.
Match referee, Barry Nea, got proceedings underway and was reaching for his notebook in less than thirty seconds, preparing to enter a score from Offaly midfielder, Faye Mulrooney, but the sliotar drifted wide, leaving Antrim to register the first point from Katie Molloy as Molloy and Roisin McCormick performed a tidy 1-2-1 with 2 minutes gone on the board.
McCormick would be up next with her own point before Offaly’s half forward; Christine Cleary, would get Offaly out of the blocks with a point. Offaly kept that momentum going with another two points, from Caoimhe O’Donovan and Clodagh Leahy just before Molloy clipped the sliotar over the bar from a spearheaded advance from McCormick and Lucia McNaughton.
Offaly were about to take the lead in the game at four points to three but two back-to-back points from an on-form Molloy pulled Antrim back into a one point lead. Despite numerous advances from Offaly, Antrim managed to keep the Faithful County at bay with that small lead and improved it by one as Molloy earned her fifth point of the first half just as the short whistle drew the first half to an end.
In the second half, Antrim’s two point lead would soon become nine as McCormick, Molloy, Maeve Kelly and Caitrin Dobbin savaged the catch net over the bar and when Nicole McAtamney played a low sliotar into Cassie McArthur, a wall of Offaly jersey’s forced the offload to Dobbin and at short range with just four minutes elapsed in the second half, the games first green flag was raised.
That should have been a marker in the sand for Antrim to push on, but relaxing too early, Offaly’s Mairead Teehan made good of her pickup within Antrim’s box and at short range, flicked the sliotar past goalkeeper, Caitriona Graham, and suddenly Offaly were right back in the game.
Antrim would welcome three more points compared to Offaly’s two from Grace Teehan, giving the Saffrons a seven point lead but Antrim was about to be tested as Offaly’s substitute, Becky Bryant, was in the right place at the right time to fire back a rebounded save from team mate, Mairead Teehan and that goal was followed in less than a minute later from Teehan herself. When Clodagh Leahy dropped a free over the bar, both sides stood square at seventeen points each with eight minutes of normal time left plus injury.
Antrim supporters would breathe a sigh of relief as McCormick made good of a foul on Katie Molloy and just in normal time, Antrim’s Annie Lynn would give the Saffrons another point to stretch the lead to two. Offaly’s chance to close that back to one went amiss as the Faithful Counties’ free taker, Clodagh Leahy, made an uncharacteristic error and drifted the sliotar past the upright.
As referee Nea brought the game to a halt, Antrim could now relax without any threat to their three points in the round robin table, the game ending Antrim 1-16 Offaly 3-08. Antrim are now away to Westmeath on the 14th June for their second game in group 1.
Antrim panel and scorers
Caitriona Graham, Clare McKillop, Katie Lynn, Caoimhe McNaughton, Erin Coulter, Sarah O’Neill, Shannagh Heggarty, Amy Boyle, Nicole McAtamney, Maeve Kelly 0-02, Roisin McCormick 0-05 (2f), Lucia McNaughton, Cassie McArthur, Katie Molloy 0-06, Caitrin Dobbin 1-02, Becky Ellis, Dearbhail Dobbin, Katierose Bell, Sarah Fyfe, Niamh Neeson, Janey McIntosh, Eimear Johnston, Eavanne Martin, Aisling O’Donnell, Annie Lynn 0-01, Orlaith McAllister, Fionnuala Kelly, Dervla Cosgrove, Colleen Paterson
Offaly panel and scorers
Leah Gallagher, Aoife Liffey, Megan King, Cathy Fogarty, Roisin Kinsella, Amy Byrne, Orlagh Phelan, Sharon Shanahan, Faye Mulrooney, Clodagh Leahy 0-03 (1f), Christine Cleary 0-01, Grace Teehan 0-03 (1f), Caoimhe O’Donovan 0-01, Mairead Teehan 2-00, Fianait Dooley, Emer Reynolds, Karla Mannion, Hannah Feenane, kaitlyn Kennedy, Ciara Maher, Orla Kilmartin, Niamh Sheehy, Becky Bryant 1-00, Grainne Kennedy, Emma Buggy, Aoife O’Donovan, Elizabeth Kilmartin, Aine Rigney, Aoife Hoctor, Ellen Regan, Kate Pilkington
You can see more photos from today’s game by clicking on the following link…
https://myalbum.com/album/VrpsdAETga5d33/?invite=9c985690-81cd-403f-8332-9896fc7f47ed