Goals decisive as Offaly capture Division 2A league title

Very Camogie League Division 2A Final

OFFALY 4-13

DERRY 0-10

OFFALY captured the Very Camogie League Division 2A title with an emphatic 15 point victory over Derry in the final played at FBD Semple Stadium in Thurles on Sunday.

It wasn't all plain sailing for Offaly but strong finishes to each half ensured that Offaly overcame their Ulster opponents thanks to a brace of goals each from Mairead Teehan and Grace Teehan.

Victory ensures that Offaly return to Division 1B of the camogie league for 2026 and they can look forward now with confidence to the All-Ireland Intermediate chamionship in the coming months as they bid to regain their place in the All-Ireland senior championship.

Over the hour Offaly were the better team but they were made fight all the way by gritty opponents who might feel that the final scoreline doesn't really do justice to their efforts.

Offaly were slow to settle despite playing with the wind and it took a while for them to settle into the game. They actually trailed by a point at the midway point of the first half but aided by two goals from Mairead Teehan dominated the second quarter, outscoring their opponents 2-5 to 0-1 to go in leading by nine points at half time.

That lead could have been even greater at the break but Offaly hit some poor wides and had nine on the board at the interval as against just three for Derry.

Offaly stretched their lead to 10 points on the resumption but then Derry hit five points in a seven minute spell to halve the lead and the game was in the melting pot again but Offaly responded well and Grace Teehan's goal after 12 minutes steadied the ship and although Derry pointed again a minute later that was their last score of the game as Offaly dominated the final quarter adding a further 1-5 without reply to seal the victory.

Offaly had defeated Derry in the group stages in Owenbeg but it was a hard game so Offaly knew what they were facing in this final. They had gone through the group stages with a 100% record but promotion was on the line here so it was important that they completed the league campaign on a high note.

They will be pleased with the outcome and while there were aspects of their game that they will look to improve, particularly their shooting in the first half, they can now plan for the championship and looking to go further than last year when they lost at the semi-final stage.

Cathy Fogarty, Orlagh Phelan and Amy Byrne were excellent in a very strong defensive unit, Sharon Shanahan had a good hour at midfield and Mairead Teehan, Fianait Dooley and Grace Teehan were best in attack.

For Derry it was a second final defeat in a row and for the second year running they conceded four goals while not raising a green flag themselves. While they still gave Westmeath a good test last year despite conceding those goals, on this occasion they were well beaten by the finish. Leah Lennon, Cliodhna Ni Mhianain, Rachel McAllister, Lauren McKenna and Jackie Donnelly tried hardest for them.

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It was Derry who got the scoring going in just the second minute when Eacha McElhinney scored a nice point from the right. Grace Teehan was off target from two early frees for Offaly as they tried to get the measure of the wind. Sharon Shanahan eventually opened Offaly's account after eight minutes and straight from the restart Mairead Teehan pointed to put them in front for the first time. Lauren McKenna levelled for Derry before Orlaith Hull pointed a '45' after 13 minutes to restore Derry's lead.

Offaly got back on terms in the 16th minute from a Grace Teehan free but as they began to get on top they hit some bad wides while a shot from Fianait Dooley also came off the crossbar. Then after 19 minutes they found the net for the first time when Caoimhe O'Donovan's ball in seemed to be controlled by Derry but Mairead Teehan did very well to dispossess her opponent and she then fired to the net.

Derry pulled a point back after 24 minutes with a good score from Jackie Donnelly but within a minute Offaly had found the net again when Mairead Teehan shot goalwards, Laura Coyle tried to reach to catch the ball but it dipped over her head into the net. Faye Mulrooney and Fianait Dooley quickly added points before a late brace from Christine Cleary and Faye Mulrooney gave Offaly a 2-7 to 0-4 half time lead.

Mairead Teehan pointed again for Offaly inside the first minute of the second half but any notions that they were going to be allowed pull away were quickly wiped out as over the next eight mintutes Derry scored five points without reply. Rachel McAllister, Aimee Lennon and Lauren McKenna all found the range before Orlaith Hull pointed two frees to leave just five points in it.

Offaly knew they were in a game but they got the score they needed after 12 minutes when Fianait Dooley won a ball from a throw in, found Grace Teehan and she sidestepped her way through the defence before finishing to the net. Orlaith Hull added another free but that was Derry's last score with 17 minutes still left on the clock.

Mairead Teehan pointed for Offaly midway through the half before Grace Teehan pointed a free. Then with six minutes left Clodagh Leahy lofted a high ball into the goalmouth, Grace Teehan emerged from a crowd with it and shot to the net and Offaly were four goals clear. Grace Teehan from play and a free added to Offaly's tally before fittingly Mairead Teehan scored the final point to give Offaly a 15 point winning margin.

MATCH ANALYSIS

THE TEAMS

OFFALY: Leah Gallagher (Tullamore); Aoife Liffey (Shinrone), Cathy Fogarty (St Cillian's), Megan King (St Cillian's); Ellen Regan (Birr), Amy Byrne (Shinrone), Orlagh Phelan (Naomh Brid); Sharon Shanahan (Shinrone), Caoimhe O'Donovan (St Cillian's); Grace Teehan (Naomh Brid), Christine Cleary (Shinrone), Roisin Kinsella (Birr); Fianait Dooley (Drumcullen), Faye Mulrooney (Birr), Mairead Teehan (Moneygall). Subs. Clodagh Leahy (Drumcullen) (for Caoimhe O'Donovan, 40 mins), Ciara Maher (Moneygall) (for Faye Mulrooney, 52 mins), Hannah Feenane (Birr) (for Ellen Regan, 55 mins), Kaitlyn Kennedy (Drumcullen) (for Roisin Kinsella, 55 mins), Becky Bryant (Tullamore) (for Christine Cleary, 58 mins), Orla Kilmartin (Kilcormac/Killoughey) (for Fianait Dooley, 58 mins), Elizabeth Kilmartin (Kilcormac/Killoughey) (for Megan King, 62 mins), Grainne Kennedy (Drumcullen) (for Grace Teehan, 62 mins).

DERRY: Laura Coyle; Eimear Doherty, Roisin Cassidy, Leah Lennon; Cliodhna Ni Mhianain, Niamh Quinn, Rebecca Bradley; Aine McGill, Rachel McAllister; Sinead McGill, Lauren McKenna, Eabha McElhinney; Jackie Donnelly, Aimee Lennon, Orlaith Hull. Subs. Anna McDaid (for Aine McGill, 38 mins), Conla Kerry (for Orlaith Hull, 50 mins), Aoife McOscar (for Niamh Quinn, 55 mins), Caoimhe McCloskey (for Rebecca Bradley, 58 mins), Rachel Keenan (for Sinead McGill, 61 mins).

REFEREE: Joe Mullins (Clare).

PLAYER OF THE MATCH

Mairead Teehan was the star player of this game. She was lively and sharp in attack from the outset and her two first half goals put Offaly on the road to victory. She popped over important points in the second half as well and was the vital cog in the Offaly attack that kept the score ticking over.

MOMENT OF THE MATCH

Offaly's third goal 12 minutes into the second half was the crucial score. Derry had scored five points in succession to cut Offaly's 10 point lead to five and seemed to have the momentum with the wind behind them but Grace Teehan's goal took the wind out of their sails and they only managed one further point after that. Offaly pushed on and their victory never seemed in doubt in the final quarter.

REFEREE WATCH

Joe Mullins handled the game well. He was consistent in pulling for foul handpasses and overcarrying for both sides. He let the game run and allowed physical challenges and overall did a good job.

WHAT’S NEXT

Both sides will now turn their attentions to the All-Ireland championships which will be coming up in the next few months.

VENUE WATCH

Semple Stadium was in good condition for this double header of finals on a crisp cool day after a lovely warm week. There was a good sized Offaly crowd present to support the team for this final.

STATISTICS

Wides; Offaly 11 (9 in first half) Derry 8 (3 in first half)

Yellow Cards: Offaly 1 (Amy Byrne) Derry 4 (Eabha McElhinney, Anna McDaid, Orlaith Hull, Niamh Quinn.

Red Cards: None

THE SCORERS

Offaly; Mairead Teehan (2-4), Grace Teehan (2-4, 0-3 frees), Faye Mulrooney (0-2), Sharon Shanahan, Fianait Dooley, Christine Cleary (0-1 each).

Derry; Orlaith Hull (0-4, 0-3 frees, 0-1 '45'), Lauren McKenna (0-2), Eabha McElhinney, Jackie Donnelly, Rachel McAllister, Aimee Lennon (0-1 each).

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