Honest Offaly fight hard to limit damage against superior Clare

IT has been a very testing year for Offaly ladies football on and off the field. With quick departures of managers earlier in the year and friction at County Board level, there has been no shortage off turbulence but at the end of the day you just have a group of people who want to play and promote ladies football.

LGFA All-Ireland Intermediate Championship Group 4 Round 1

Clare 5-12

Offaly 2-6

It hasn't been simple for the people at the coalface and the difficulty facing this group is the absence of some of their best players – a couple are playing in Australia and others have not been available due to various reasons.

You just had to admire the way Offaly went about their business for this All-Ireland Intermediate Championship group 4 opener in Ennis's Cusack Park on Sunday afternoon. Their desire, honesty and work rate was exemplary, even when the game was out of reach and they gave it everything they had, clearly well tutored by their manager, Clara man Enda Dunne and his backroom team.

A defeat proved to be a young Offaly's lot and they face a season defining clash against Wexford in Tubber next Sunday – with two qualifying from the group for the quarter-finals, a second successive defeat will put Offaly out.

The very strong wind blowing straight down the field was a huge factor here and Clare had its first use. Offaly trailed by 3-9 to 1-1 at half time but were not fully out of it, even if that was a big deficit to retrieve.

There were plenty of green shoots in the first half and they made life difficult for Clare. Offaly matched them in most aspects in the first ten minutes and a two point deficit was a very satisfactory position at that stage. They were unfortunate to concede an 11^th minute goal when Lauren Dunne brilliantly kept out a Chloe Moloney shot but Ellie Hanrahan got her fist to the '45' for a 1-2 to no score lead.

Offaly struggled to win ball after this for a period as Clare mopped up a lot of the breaks around midfield. Hanrahan got her second goal in the 17^th minute after a misplaced kickout and Megan Downes broke through for a 25^th minute goal and a 3-8 to 0-0 lead.

Offaly deserve huge credit for not letting their heads drop and got in for a crucial 1-1 before half time, both scored by Saorah Doyle with the goal coming in the 26^th minute after she reacted quickly to a breaking ball.

Offaly needed quick fire goals to have any chance but unfortunately they arrived at the other end as Lucy Shanahan and Edel McNamara got goals in the 31^st and 33^rd minutes as Clare led by 5-10 to 1-4 eight minutes into the second half – Emma Hand got two Offaly points from frees and sub Eve Kelly got a fine score from play but any hopes the visitors had of a comeback were well and truly shattered by this stage.

They could have thrown in the towel and Clare were a vastly superior outfit but Offaly continued to work hard and try and do the right thing. They tackled and chased and there were plenty of positives ahead of next week's big game.

Saorah Doyle made it 2-4 to 5-10 in the 42^nd minute when she blasted a free to the net and Offaly got a brief lease of life but a point from the best player on the field, Chloe Moloney settled Clare again.

Despite the morale sapping deficit Offaly continued to take the game to Clare and limit the damage. Their fifth point was one of the highlights of the game for them as the very hard working Aine Phelan made a great burst up the field and passed to the very lively Saorah Doyle who floated over a quality score. Emma Hand also got a very good late point and while it was a heavy defeat, it could have been a lot worse and Offaly gave it what they had.

MATCH ANALYSIS

PLAYER OF THE MATCH

Chloe Moloney (Clare): Chloe Moloney ran the show for Clare in the first half, kicking four points and setting up other scores while she continued to impress in the second half.

Offaly can be proud of their honesty and the way they went about their business. Players such as Nicole Buckley, Aine Phelan, Anita Watkins, Emma Hand and Saorah Doyle were among rhe players who took the game to the winners and showed a great willingness for hard work as Offaly went down with their heads held high.

THE SCORERS

Clare: Ellie Hanrahan 2-2 (1f), Chloe Moloney 0-5, Megan Downes and Edel McNamara 1-1 each, Lucy Shanahan 1-0, Joanna Doohan, Teresa Collins and Caoimhe Harvey 0-1 each.

Offaly: Saorah Doyle 2-2 (1-0, f), Emma Hand 0-3 (2f), Eve Kelly 0-1.

THE TEAMS

OFFALY: Lauren Dunne (Rhode); Nicole Buckley (Naomh Ciaran), Niamh Glackin (Shamrocks), Jane Maher (Ballinamere-Durrow); Isabella Liu Lyons (Edenderry), Kaytlin Flynn (St Manchan's), Aine Phelan (Tullamore); Anita Watkins (Shamrocks), Dawn Hannon (Rhode); Marie Byrne (St Conleth's, Laois), Michelle Mann (Naomh Molaoise), Saoirse McGuinness (St Manchan's); Emma Hand (Ballinamere-Durrow), Abbi Stafford (Rhode), Saorah Doyle (Ballinamere-Durrow). Subs – Eve Kelly (Clara) for Lyons (33m), Ella Cuskelly (Naomh Moloaise) for McGuinness ()34m), Aoife Minnock (Shamrocks) for Stafford (34m), Abbie Stafford for Glackin (48m).

CLARE: Amy Lenihan; Caoimhe Harvey, Grainne Harvey, Rebecca Doohan; Shauna Melican, Joanna Doohan, Emer Burke; Teresa Collins, Roisin Martin; Megan Downes, Chloe Moloney, Lauren Conway; Edel McNamara, Ellie Hanrahan, Lucy Shanahan. Subs – Aine Slattery for Shanahan (32m), Lauren Flaherty for Caoimhe Harvey (46m), Johanna Fogarty for McNamara (54m), Katie O'Halloran for Hanrahan (55m).

Referee – Conor McCarthy (Cork).

REFEREE WATCH

Conor McCarthy refereed it fairly and competently with no issues.

MOMENT OF THE MATCH

Clare's first goal from Ellie Hanrahan in the 11^th minute settled them down at a stage when Offaly were battling really hard and they were finding it hard to find to get going. They pushed on in the next 15 minutes, opening up a decisive and match winning gap.

VENUE WATCH

It was great that this game was held at the Clare county grounds in Cusack Park, Ennis. It was easy to host the small crowd but the pitch was in fine order. There was a few clubs listed wrong for Offaly players in the programme but apart from that, there were no issues.

WHAT'S NEXT

Offaly are at home to Wexford next Sunday in Tubber in a most win game

STATISTICS

Wides: Offaly - 2 (0 in first half); Clare – 5 (3 in first half).

Yellow cards: 0

Red cards: 0