Offaly ladies footballers take the spoils in a tricky encounter with Louth

Offaly ladies footballers made the trip to Louth Centre of Excellence in Darver on Sunday last for their first away trip of the season.

The Faithful ladies will be thrilled to get out of the Wee county with the three points on the board, especially after being six down at the break and leaving themselves in a very good position on the table at this point of their league campaign.

The opening period was lively with both sides exchanging early scores Kate Flood and Roisin Cockram from a free exchanging white flags inside the opening couple of minutes.

Eimear Byrne put the home side back in front in the fifth minute with a lovely score after great work from centre forward Niamh Rice. Ellee McEvoy cancelled that effort out moments later when the dangerous Offaly captain got her first of the afternoon.

Both teams were moving at ferocious speed in the opening period and really taking the game to one another and after a fantastic turnover from late starter Emma Hand,

Amy Gavin-Mangan gave the Offaly ladies the lead for the first time.

In the ninth minute, top scorer on the day, and Louths star player Flood once again pointed, this time from a close range free to leave proceedings all square in a cagey opening third of the half.

In the twelfth minute Offaly wing back Nicole Farrelly was harshly sent to the sin bin for an adjudged high tackle.

With the wind at their backs and the numerical advantage, the hosts took complete control absolutely ripping the Offaly outfit apart scoring 2-4 unanswered in the following fifteen minutes. Flood and Aoife Russel raising white flags before Niamh Rice got the games opening goal.

Things went from bad to worse for the Offaly side when Kate Flood intercepted a Kelley Cunningham kick out and in turn lobbing the net-minder for her sides second goal of the afternoon and left her side in a savage position as the stopwatch edged closer to the halfway point.

In fairness to Cunningham, she made up for the previous goal pulling off a great save from a Rice effort and ultimately keeping her side in the game, albeit at the time they looked like they were in for a long afternoon.

Trailing by ten with a couple of minutes remaining in the half, Offaly were in serious bother, however McEvoy once again came to the fore with a very well taken goal against the run of play after excellent work once again from Emma Hand and midfielder Marie Byrne.

Another Offaly late starter, the returning Chloe Sheridan pointed excellently for her side before Flood cancelled that effort out in first half injury time to leave the scoreboard reading 2-7 to 1-4 in favor of Louth.

Offaly would have been very relieved to go in at the break trailing only by six, that could have been three had it not been for the Louth crossbar stopping a fine Ciara Walsh effort.

What ever Greg Farrelly and his backroom team said at the break proved dividends as the Offaly ladies looked like a transformed outfit in the second half, for the second week on the bounce, and McEvoy once again was on the end of an Offaly attack pointing inside the opening three minutes. The lively Flood once again opened the lead back to six pointing well into a stiff breeze.

Offaly kept to what was working for them and fed McEvoy some excellent ball and the scorer turned creator laying off a fine pass to Ciara Walsh who this time made no mistake in rattling the back of Rebecca Lambe-Fagan’s net.

In the forty third minute the Offaly skipper ran through the defence before being taken out of it inside the small square and referee

Sinead McHugh showed no hesitation in pointing to the spot and Roisin Cockram made no mistake from the spot blasting to the roof of the net leaving the ladies in Green, White and Gold ahead for the first time since the opening five minutes.

At the other end of the park, the Wee county were struggling to break down a tenacious Offaly defence and with four attacks only managed to raise a single flag when a Rice effort went over the bar. Rice could have found the net in this period, but once again Kelley Cunningham came to the fore saving well.

Offaly were soon awarded their second penalty of the half and a goal here would have most probably sealed the deal, this time however Cockrams effort went the wrong side of the cross bar only gaining her side a white flag, still a crucial one. 

The Offaly turnovers were a joy to watch as their work rate continued to be awarded when the excellent Marie Byrne got her first score of the game leaving the faithful three points to the good in the closing minutes.

Kate Flood managed to nail two frees, after two “good fouls” from an Offaly point of view ensuring there would be no more goals coughed up and the visitors breathed a sigh of relief four minutes into injury time when the sound of Sinead McHughs whistle was blown and what could have been a long journey was a happy one for the Offaly side.

THE TEAMS

Offaly: Kelley Cunningham (Tullamore); Anna Grehan (Naomh Ciaran), Michelle Mann (Naomh Molaoise), Nicole Buckley (Naomh Ciaran); Nicole Farrelly (Edenderry), Kiah Farrelly (Edenderry), Eimear Hackett (Tullamore); Amy Gavin-Mangan (Naomh Ciaran), Marie Byrne (St Conleths, Laois); Ciara Walsh (Naomh Molaoise), Emma Hand (Ballinamere/Durrow), Chloe Sheridan (Clara); Fiona Dempsey (Naomh Molaoise), Ellee McEvoy (Naomh Ciaran), Róisin Cockram (Naomh Ciaran).

Subs: Saoirse McGuinness for Dempsey (12) (temporary sub), Saorah Doyle for Hackett (40), Abbi Stafford for Dempsey (49)

Louth: Rebecca Lambe Fagan; Katie Mathews, Eimear Murray, Caitlin O’Reilly; Aoife Russell, Anna White, Seoda Mathews; Aine Breen, Aoife Halligan; Claire McDonald, Niamh Rice, Lousie Byrne; Lucy White, Eimear Byrne, Kate Flood. 

Subs: Carrie Keenan for Louise Byrne (HT), Mia Duffy for White (41), Holly Lambe Sally for McDonald (49), Roisín Maguire for Russell (55), Aideen Dunne for Halligan (60), Katie Doheny for Seoda Mathews (61)

Player of the Match

Ellee McEvoy (Offaly)

For the Louth outfit, Kate Flood was on song infront of the posts and had her side have got the win it would have been hard to look past her, Aine Breen also impressed for the visitors along with Niamh Rice.

For Offaly, Emma Hand and Chloe Sheridan on their return got through a mountain of work in the middle third as did the superb Marie Byrne, but the nod today once again has to go to Ellee McEvoy

McEvoy left everything she had on the pitch and was instrumental in Offaly being still in the game at half time and really led from the front, scoring 1-3, winning a penalty, retaining valuable possession and really playing a captains role. 

Venue Watch

The Louth GAA Centre of excellence at Darver was in perfect condition. There were plenty of welcoming stewards, and programmes available. Scoreboard was in working order and the pitch was lovely.

The lack of shelter at the venue was the only concern, but thankfully the rain stayed clear.

Talking Point

The progress Offaly are making throughout the campaign has been noted by many. Still missing a number of their big players the current crop of girls are working extremely hard and being well rewarded for their efforts.

The talk of possible promotion won’t be on the minds of the Faithful county just yet, but unbeaten after three games and players of the calibre of Roisin Ennis, Emma Maher and Kym Furey to name but a few soon set to make their returns Greg Farrellys charges will be looking to keep the progress on an upward trajectory.

Referee Watch

Sinead McHugh did a decent job in what was a lively encounter.

Offaly felt hard done by for Nicole Farrellys son bin, which was probably on the soft side.

Louth certainly should have had two yellows in the second half when Offaly won two penalties, but McHugh didn’t go to the pocket at all to the surprise of many.

Overall she wasn’t a factor in the winning and losing of this clash and was fairly consistent for the most.

Moment of the Match: 

Roisin Cockrams penalty in the second half (for the second week in a row, ironically) was ultimately the crucial score. It brought the visitors back into the clash giving them a one point lead giving them the platform from which they drove on from.

What’s next

Offaly are on the road again next week when they make the trip to Ennis to face last years All-Ireland intermediate finalists, Clare.

Louth travel to Wexford for their round four clash.

The scorers: 

Offaly: Ellee McEvoy 1-3, Roisin Cockram 1-2 (1-1 penalty 1free), Ciara Walsh 1-1, Chloe Sheridan, Amy Gavin-Mangan and Marie Byrne 0-1 each 

Louth: Kate Flood 1-6 (4f), Niamh Rice 1-2, Aoife Russell 0-2, Eimear Byrne 0-1. 

Cards

Offaly 

Yellows: 1 Nicole Farrelly

Reds: 0

Louth: 

Yellows: 0

Reds: 0