DUBLIN'S CAMOGIE MINOR'S LOSE TIGHT BATTLE WITH OFFALY.
All Ireland Minor A Championship Group 1, Round 2,
Dublin 0-09 Offaly 3-07
Dublin's Minor Camogie team suffered defeat today in DCU after a really tight game against Offaly. It was Dublin who made the brighter start to the game although playing against a really strong wind. With five minutes gone on the clock Dublin took the lead with a fine point from Catherine Costello and she followed it up three minutes later with another beauty to give Dublin the perfect start to the game.
Offaly were struggling at this point to get the ball to stick in their forward line thanks to some tigerish defending from the girls in blue. And on ten minutes yet another Dublin turnover led to a well struck point from open play from the hurl of Ellen McGovern to put three points between the sides.
Then over the course of the next five minutes the game turned completely on its head as Offaly struck an unanswered 3-01. All three goals were scored by Offaly centre forward Sarah Harding with their point coming from Róisín Egan. Dublin suddenly found themselves seven points behind with a mountain to climb.
Both teams found it difficult to find scores for the rest of the first half as they basically cancelled each other out. But Offaly did manage to have another quick burst of scores with two points within two minutes of each other from Mairéad Jennings and Sarah Harding to leave the score at half time Dublin 0-03 Offaly 3-03.
A lot of sides 9 points down may have thrown in the towel even with a half still to play but not this Dublin team. They came flying out of the blocks for the second half and hit three points in the opening four minutes thanks to Grace O'Shea,Catherine Costello and Ciara Glynn to cut the Offaly lead back down to six points.
But with Dublin chasing the game and Offaly dropping thirteen players into their own half the dubs were always vulnerable to the counter attack and so it proved with Offaly scoring two points within a minute of each other to push the Offaly lead back out to eight points.
Weather conditions worsened which made it very difficult for both sides but Offaly yet again had a quick burst of scores with two more points. It was to be their last scores of the game as Dublin completely owned the ball for the closing fifteen minutes.
The Dubs were really pressuring the Offaly back line at this stage trying to haul themselves back into the game. But try as they did they just couldn't get that all important goal or two they needed with an Offaly player always just getting a hurl or body part in the way to block a number of goal bound efforts. Dublin did score the final three points of the game but unfortunately they could never get close enough to panic a well organized Offaly team.
Dublin will take a lot from the game particularly with their second half performance which seen them dominate possession and play some really good hurling.
The scoreline doesn't really reflect how close a battle it was between the two sides but Dublin will know going forward that they can't concede such soft goals as they did today if they are to win games.
Dublin's next game is at home to Galway and they will be looking to take their second half display into that game and get their first points on the board.
Dublin Scorers:
C Costello 0-5.
C Glynn 0-1.
S Harte 0-1.
E McGovern 0-1.
G O Shea 0-1.
Offaly Scorers:
S Harding 3-01
J Brady 0-01.
C Brennan 0-01.
M Jennings 0-01.
S Walsh 0-01.
G Irwin 0-01.
R Egan 0-01.
Dublin Starting 15:
1. Faye McCarthy
Naomh Jude
2. Jane Edwards
Ballyboden St. Endas
3. Ciara Buchanan
St. Finnians
4. Roisin MacLoughlin
Naomh Olaf
5. Ciara Griffin
Naomh Bríd
6. Hannah Hegarty
Naomh Jude
7. Ellen Joyce
Naomh Jude
8. Catherine Costelloe
Faughs
9. Megan Lewis
Faughs
10. Ellen McGovern
Naomh Uinsionn
11. Alex Griffin
Naomh Bríd
12. Ciara Glynn
St. Oliver Plunkett Eoghan Ruadh
13. Claire Murray
Castleknock
14. Ciara Carolan
St. Oliver Plunkett Eoghan Ruadh
15. Grace O'Shea
Ballinteer St. John
Dublin Panel:
16. Amy Gorman
Lucan Sarsfields
17. Emma Loo
Whitehall Colmcille
18. Emma O’Flynn
Lucan Sarsfields
19. Jessica Condron
Lucan Sarsfields
20. Jill Rogers
Crumlin
21. Julia Buckley
Kilmacud Crokes
22. Laura Gregg
St. Oliver Plunkett Eoghan Ruadh
23. Laura O’Mahony
Lucan Sarsfields
24. Marion O'Donnell
Naomh Jude
25. Nadine Murphy
Naomh Uinsionn
26. Samantha Fitzgerald
Lucan Sarsfields
27. Shaunagh Harte
Whitehall Colmcille
28. Sinead Murphy
Cuala
29. Zenouska Murphy Ballyboden St. Endas
Selectors: Ambrose Curry, Brendan Cooper, John Bergin, Liam Costelloe, Mary O’Connell