Limerick 1-13 Offaly 0-4 - Minor Match Report

Despite  the clash with the Harty Cup Final a good crowd saw LImerick get off to a flying start when Deborah Murphy shot home from the edge of the box. Limerick had the best of the opening exchanges however the strong breeze played havoc with their shooting and a number of efforts at points dropped short into the goal area to be easily dealt with by the Offaly defence.

Limerick finally found their range and points from Caoimhe Lyons, Rebecca Delee and a free from Caoimhe Costello saw Limerick open up a 1-3 to 0-0 score lead. It was not all Limerick though and the score could have closer as a period of pressure saw Offaly awarded a penalty but an excellent save from Orla Condon denied the Faithful County.

Offaly did finally get on the scoreboard through a Mairead Jennings free and two further frees from the same player saw Offaly close the gap to three points. However an excellent passage of play involving a number of the Limerick forwards saw Kate Mulqueen point to put the score at half time Limerick 1-4 Offaly 0-3.

With the breeze behind them the second half was all Limerick as an increasingly dominant forward line led by captain Caoimhe Costello steadily increased their lead. Caoimhe scored 5 points in the second half including 1 from play to bring her match tally to 0-6. Indeed such was Limerick's dominance that were it not for an excellent display from Offaly goalie Shannon Tuohey they would surely have added 2 or 3 goals to their tally. One stop from a Rebecca Delee shot being particularly memorable. Rebecca added two points and Caoimhe Lyons and Kate Mulqueen added a point each to their first half tallies to bring Limerick's total to 1-13. Offaly's sole second half point and only point from play in the match coming from their captain Rachel Brennan.

All in all a great start to the campaign and the team can look forward to their remaining group games against Dublin and Cork with confidence. Final score in the game Limerick 1-13 Offaly 0-4.

Scorers:

LIMERICK: Caoimhe Costello 0-6 (5f) Deborah Murphy 1-0 Rebecca Delee 0-3 Caoimhe Lyons 0-2 Kate Mulqueen 0-2

OFFALY: Mairead Jennings 0-3 (3f) Rachel Brennan 0-1

LIMERICK: 1 Orla Condon (Knockaderry), 2 Katie Hennessy (Ballyagran), 3 Sinéad MacNamara (Na Piarsaigh), 4 Leanne Browne (Newcastle West), 5 Sarah Shanahan (Killeedy), 6 Tara Fitzgibbon (Ballyagran), 7 Jane Wilson (Na Piarsaigh), 8 Karen O'Leary (Newcastle West), 9 Donna Mulcahy (Killeedy), 10 Caoimhe Costello - captain (Adare), 11 Rebecca Delee (Newcastle West), 12 Deborah Murphy (Knockaderry), 13 Caoimhe Lyons (Monaleen), 14 Kate Mulqueen (Ballybrown), 15 Aoife Wilson (Na Piarsaigh)

Subs: 19 Leah O'Riordan (Ballyagran) for Kate Mulqueen, 17 Helena Fitzgerald (Adare) for Sarah Shanahan

Subs (unused): 16 Laura O'Neill (Na Piarsaigh), 18 Shannyn Sheehan (Templeglantine), 20 Alannah Mulcahy (Killeedy), 21 Niamh Tuite (Treaty Gaels), 22 Mairéad Clancy (Ballybrown), 23 Niamh Curtin (Ballybrown), 24 Megan O'Meara (Monaleen), 25 Aisling Scanlon (Killeedy), 26 Lisa Ryan (Murroe Boher), 27 Shauna Tobin (Newcastle West), 28 Ciara Carroll (Newcastle West), 29 Sinead Madden (Mungret), 30 Áine Cunningham (Killeedy), 31 Róisín O'Mara (Ahane), 32 Marian Quaid (Bruff), 33 Marie Danagher (Ballyagran), 34 Lizzie O'Dwyer (Cappamore), 35 Aoife Barry (Murroe Boher)

OFFALY: 1 Shannon Tuohey (Tullamore), 2 Laura Hogan (St Cillians), 3 Roisin Egan (St Rynaghs), 4 Paula Kinnarney (Tullamore), 5 Deirdre Cashen (Birr), 6 Aisling Brennan (St Cillians), 7 Kelly Sammon (Shinrone), 8 Cailin Fitzgerald (St Cillians), 9 Christine Cleary (Shinrone), 10 Grainne Dolan (St Rynaghs), 11 Rachel Brennan - captain (St Cillians), 12 Sarah Walsh (Tullamore), 13 Lisa Gorman (Tullamore), 14 Sarah Harding (Birr), 15 Mairead Jennings (Birr)

Subs: 18 Gillian Irwin (Birr) for Sarah Harding, 17 Ciara Ryan (Birr) for Mairead Jennings, 21 Aideen Freeman (St Cillians) for Grainne Dolan