Teehan hat-trick fires Offaly to safety in Division 1 relegation play-off

Offaly maintained their Division 1 status on Saturday when a Mairead Teehan hat-trick of helped them to victory over Limerick in Moneygall.

Littlewoods Ireland Camogie Leagues Division 1 Relegation Playoff

Offaly 3-10

Limerick 1-13

Limerick were ahead 1-3 to 1-1 on nine minutes but once Offaly hit the front on 14-minutes they were never overtaken.

Teehan had the game's opening goal just on one minute but the Limerick response was immediate with Caoimhe Lyons finding the net and not yet two minutes on the stopwatch.

Points from Caoimhe Costelloe (free), Aisling Scanlon and Orlaith Kelleher then had Limerick ahead.

Then came the second Teehan goal and when Faye Mulrooney added points, Offaly were 2-4 to 1-3 ahead and the game just beyond the mid-point of the first half.

Sophie O'Callaghan's score replied but Offaly were now on top and soon 2-6 to 1-4 ahead.

At half time their lead was 2-7 to 1-6 but all could have been different but for a superb double save from Offaly goalkeeper Eleanor Clendennen just before the half time whistle to deny Michelle Curtin and Aisling Scanlon.

Six minutes into the second half came the third Offaly and Teehan goal - they were now 3-7 to 1-7 ahead.

Limerick sprung to life at this point and dominated the next 15-minutes and found a run of five successive points - Lyons, Delee (2) and Scanlon with scores from play.

That left it 3-7 to 1-12 with 13-minutes to play. The pressure was on Offaly but they defended superbly and two Teehan frees settled Offaly's nerves.

Costelloe had a fine score from play in the final minutes but Offaly kept Limerick at bay to ensure it was the side in green and white that suffered the pain of relegation at the final whistle. 

SCORERS: Limerick: Caoimhe Costelloe 0-5 (3frees, 1 45), Caoimhe Lyons 1-1, Rebecca Delee 0-3, Aisling Scanlon 0-2, Orlaith Kelleher and Sophie O'Callaghan 0-1 each. Offaly: Mairead Teehan 3-5 (0-3frees, 1 '45), Faye Mulrooney 0-2, Sarah Harding, Aisling Brennan (free) and Roisin Egan 0-1 each.

LIMERICK: Claire Keating (Cappamore); Emma Kennedy (Doon), Neamh Curtin (Ballybrown), Stephanie Woulfe (Templeglantine); Mairead Ryan (Bruff), Muireann Creamer (Cappamore), Aoife Nelligan (Monaleen); Sophie O'Callaghan (Adare), Orlaith Kelleher (Croagh-Kilfinny); Michelle Curtin (Templeglantine), Rebecca Delee (Newcastle West), Aisling Scanlon (Killeedy); Caoimhe Costelloe (Adare), Lorraine McCarthy (Bruff), Caoimhe Lyons (Monaleen). Subs: Marian Quaid (Bruff) for Emma Kennedy (35mins), Sarah O'Brien (Templeglantine) for Lorraine McCarthy (39mins), Niamh Ryan (Bruff) for Aoife Nelligan (39mins), Lizzie Boylan (Na Piarsaigh) for Michelle Curtin (50mins), Caroline Brennan (Bruff) for Neamh Curtin (60mins).

OFFALY: Eleanor Clendennen (Kinnitty); Sarah Guinan (Kilcormac-Killoughey), Aisling Feeney (Tullamore), Siobhan Killeen (St Cillians); Sarah Walsh (Tullamore), Aisling Brennan (St Cilians), Edwina King (Moneygall); Roisin Egan (St Rynaghs), Louise Mannion (St Rynaghs); Kaitlyn Kennedy (Drumcullen), Mairead Teehan (Moneygall), Christine Cleary (Shinrone); Faye Mulrooney (Birr), Sarah Harding (Birr), Orla Gorman (Tullamore). Subs: Jane Lowry (Kilcormac-Killoughey) for Orla Gorman (h-t), Orlagh Phelan (Naomh Brid) for Kaitlyn Kennedy (43mins), Clodagh Leahy (Dromcullen) for Sara Harding (46mins), Cayla Fletcher (Kilcormac-Killoughey) for Edwina King (62mins), Catriona Doughan (Moneygall) for Faye Mulrooney (63mins).

REFEREE: Ray Kelly (Kildare).