Dublin overcome Offaly
in thrilling All Ireland semi-final playoff game
What an exciting, brilliant game of Camogie this
was! Dublin and Offaly served up a terrific game of skillful Camogie in this All
Ireland semi-final play-off at Parnells GAA club, Coolock. Final score Dublin
3-11 Offaly 0-14. As the adage goes - goals win games - and so it proved again
today. Last week Offaly scored a goal in each half to give them victory in the
group stage. Today Dublin hit 3 past Offaly to secure a vital win in the
play-offs.
Offaly attacked right from the
start putting Dublin under early pressure. Faye McCarthy in the Dublin goals
was called upon to make 2 early saves. Offaly had 2 points on the board before
Orla Began opened Dublin’s account with a pointed free on 7 minutes. Dublin
settled into the game and on ten minutes corner forward Amy Conroy after a
terrific goal-ward run, lashed the sliotar to the net giving Shannon Tuohey in the
Offaly goals no chance. Great defending curtailed Offaly to 2 points during the
mid-period of the half while Dublin replied with points from midfielders Martha
O’Donoughe and Caragh Dawson and 2 from frees from Orla Beagan. With 7
minutes of the half remaining Amy Conroy found herself in front of goals surrounded
by Offaly defenders. Unable to use her hurley she managed to kick the ball into
Offaly net giving Dublin a 2 goal advantage 2-5 to 0-5. Offaly fought back magnificently
for the remainder of the half scoring 4 points while Dublin tagged on 2;
another pointed free from Orla Began and a great long range effort from captain,
Doireann Mullany. Half time score: Dublin 2-7 Offaly 0-9.
The second half started with
Offaly again putting huge pressure on the Dublin defense. Resolute defending
especially from full back Niamh Byrne, centre back Hannah Hegarty and corner
back Aine Woods made sure that Offaly didn’t get an early goal. Dublin’s Aoife
Molloy and Mairead Jennings, Offaly’s most dangerous forward, exchanged early
points. The turning point in the game happened 8 minutes into the half when
Offaly were correctly awarded a penalty. Faye McCarthy saved the well struck
penalty, the ball came out to Zenouska Murphy who sent a quick long delivery
into the forwards. Orla Beagan collected, powered towards the goals and sent
the sliotar into the top right hand corner giving Dublin a precious 7 point
lead. But one must admire the response of the Offaly players. They redoubled
their efforts and scored the next 3 points without reply cutting Dublin’s lead
to 4 points. Martha O’Donoghue and Caragh Dawson were dominant in midfield.
Catherine Costello and Eve Keogh, though not scoring, worked tirelessly. Aoife Molloy
and Lisa Gorman exchanged points. An Orla Beagan free and a sweet point from
substitute Aisling O’Leary finished the scoring giving Dublin a 3-11 to 0-14
win when referee Alan Lagrue (Cill Dara) sounded the final whistle.
Congratulations to the players
of both teams on a wonderful game of Camogie. Offaly play Cork next Sunday while
Dublin travel to Cork for the last of the play-off games on Sunday, 13 April.
Scorers
Dublin: Orla Beagan 1-5 (0-5 frees), Amy Conroy 2-0, Aoife Molloy
0-2, Martha O'Donoughe, Caragh Dawson, Doireann Mullany and Aisling O'Leary 0-1
each.
Offaly: Mairead Jennings 0-10 (7 frees one 45), Lisa Gorman 0-2, Cailin
Fitzpatrick and Grainne Dolan 0-1
each.
Dublin team:
1.Faye McCarthy
(St
Judes)
2. Aine Woods 3.
Niamh Byrne 4.
Annemarie
Courtney
(Lucan Sarsfields) (St Vincents) (Lucan
Sarsfields)
5. Zenouska
Murphy 6. Hannah
Hegarty 7.
Sarah Nagle
(Ballyboden
St Endas) (St Judes) (Ballyboden St
Endas)
8.
Martha O'Donoghue
9. Caragh Dawson
(Ballyboden
St Endas) (St Judes)
10.
Catherine Costelloe
11.
Doireann Mullany (capt)
12.
Eve Kehoe
(Faughs)
(
Ballyboden St Endas)
(Skerries Harps)
13.
Aoife Molloy
14.
Orla Beagan 15
Amy
Conroy
(St Judes)
(Lucan Sarsfields) (Ballyboden St Endas)
Substitutes:
16.
Laura Kilcoyne
(St Judes)
17.
Aisling
O'Leary
(Ballyboden St Endas),
20.
Mary Cronin
(
St Vincents)
21.
Eimear O'Riordan
(St Judes),
22.
Laura O'Mahony
(Lucan Sarsfields)
23. Eilise
O’Grady (Whitehall
Colmcilles)
24.
Lilly Conway
(Oliver Plunketts ER)
25 Emma
Loo Whitehall
Colmcilles)
26. Jill Rogers
(Crumlin)
27. Vanessa
Boland (Na Fianna)
Management team:
Eimear Butler, Stephen Hoary, Cecil Beggins, Ciaran
Hayes, Joe O’Grady, Andy Molloy and Paul Beecher.
First Aid: Joan Kehoe. Physio: Orna McGinley.
Offaly
team:
1.Shannon
Tuohey
(Tullamore)
2.Ayesha Brasil 3. Roisin Egan 4.
Laura Hogan
(
Tullamore) (St Rynaghs) (St Cillians)
5. Deirdre Cashen 6. Aisling Brennan 7. Sarah Walsh
(
Birr)
(St Cillians) (Tullamore)
8.
Cailin Fitzgerald 9.
Kelly Sammon
(St Cillians) (Shinrone)
10. Grainne Dolan 11.
Gillian Irwin 12. Christine Cleary
(St Rynagh’s) (Birr) (
Shinrone)
13. Mairead Jennings
14. Rachel
Brennan (Capt) 15. Lisa Gorman
(Birr) (St Cillians) (Tullamore)
Substitutes:
16. Aoibhe Whelahan
(Birr) 17. Ciara Ryan (Birr)
18. Paula Kinnarney
(Tullamore) 19. Terry Delaney (Kilcormac/Killoughy)
20. Aideen Freeman
(St Cillian’s) 21. Shiofra Ryan (St Cillian’s)
22. Amy Ryan
(Naomh Bríd) 23. Dawn Whelahan (Birr)
24. Shauna Moran
(Drumcullen) 25. Sarah Lyons (Birr)
26. Katie Harding
(St Cillians) 27. Lucy Ryan (Shinrone)
28. Aoife Plunkett
(St Cillians) 29. Ann Daly (St Rynaghs)
30. Sarah Harding
(Birr)
Management:
Sean O’Meara, Mick Lyons,
Andy Walsh, Declan Fitzgerald, Breda Hayes,
Physio Martha Morkan