Last-gasp Lynam free gets relieved Offaly out of jail
A contentious Caoimhe Lynam free with the last kick of the game earned Offaly a fortuitous draw with Longford in the second round of the TG4 Leinster LGFA Junior Championship at a blustery Daingean last Saturday afternoon.
TG4 Leinster LGFA Junior Championship Round 2
Offaly 1-8
Longford 1-8
Gavan Doyle’s charges were far from their best as they snatched an unlikely share of the spoils after being outplayed for most of the second half. But they refused to accept defeat and outscored the visitors by 1-4 to 0-1 down the home straight to keep alive their hopes of reaching the provincial final ahead of a final round meeting with table-toppers and recently-crowned Lidl National League Division 4 champions Carlow.
With two wins from two – including a 7-41 to 0-0 pasting of Kilkenny last Saturday – Carlow are in pole position to make the final of what is a completely separate competition to the upcoming All-Ireland Junior Championship, with Offaly and Longford each having a win and a draw. Longford will be expected to beat Kilkenny and rack up a big score in the process in the last round, so Offaly will more than likely need to take something from their clash with Carlow, who have already defeated them twice this year.
When Offaly and Longford last met in Round 5 of the Lidl National League in Cappincur in late March, the Faithful produced a sensational second half performance to run out 3-18 to 2-12 winners. But Longford were determined not to let that happen again and were the better side from the midway stage of the first half onwards, bar the last 10 minutes when Offaly finally got motoring to snatch a draw from the jaws of defeat.
Trailing by 0-4 to 1-4 at half-time and by 0-4 to 1-7 after 38 minutes, the hosts had to wait until the 51st minute for their opening score of the second half from top-scorer Caoimhe Lynam. That proved the catalyst for a late surge that culminated in Lynam’s late, late equaliser from a dubious free she won herself.
Longford had wind advantage in the first half and posted a pair of early wides before Lynam opened the scoring in the fifth minute. Faith McDermott doubled Offaly’s advantage after Michele Mann had done well to keep the ball in play before Aoife Darcy got Longford off the mark from a 10th minute free.
The crossbar denied Mann the opening goal before Lynam slotted over her second free which followed a foul on fellow Pullough woman Nicole Buckley. Longford ‘keeper Aoife Cooney was then called upon to make a smart save from Emma Hand, while Eve Kelly was inches wide from another goal chance before points from Lauren McGuire and Darcy (free) at the other end made it 0-3 apiece after 19 minutes.
The momentum was now with the visitors who had a goal disallowed after full forward Kamille Burke was deemed to have fouled Offaly goalkeeper Lauren Dunne, who was treated for a heavy knock. But there was no disputing Sián Gallagher’s goal in the 27th minute after the impressive Katie Crawford played her in.
Crawford then got in on the scoring act before Eve Kelly replied to leave a goal in it at the break.
Offaly introduced the experienced Marie Byrne for the second half and Saorah Doyle – who fired 2-8 in the aforementioned League clash – a few minutes later, but they couldn’t get their hands on the ball as the blue and golds doubled their lead through a quick brace from Hannah Burke and a Darcy free.
It was hard to see a way back for the underperforming hosts, but they stuck to their task and, after Lynam finally broke their second half duck following a good move involving Róisín Ennis and substitute Tara Tyrrell, Mann brought them back into with a tonic 53rd minute goal after Longford had been caught napping from a quickly-taken free.
Lynam reduced the gap from a free that had been brought forward for dissent before missing the chance to equalise from another placed ball. It looked like the visitors would see it out after Darcy’s fifth free in the 57th minute made it 1-8 to 1-6, but Offaly dug deep and reduced the deficit to the minimum once again through Emma Maher before Lynam was fouled at the death and kept her cool to send over the equaliser from the left of the posts.
MATCH ANALYSIS
PLAYER OF THE MATCH
Katie Crawford (Longford): While Róisín Ennis held the Offaly defence together well and Caoimhe Lynam was accurate from frees, Crawford excelled for Longford with her creativity and excellent all-round play. Sián Gallagher and Shauna Hagan also shaded the midfield battle for the visitors.
THE SCORERS
Offaly: Caoimhe Lynam 0-5 (4fs), Michele Mann 1-0, Emma Maher, Faith McDermott and Eve Kelly 0-1 each.
Longford: Aoife Darcy 0-4 (4fs), Sián Gallagher 1-0, Hannah Burke 0-2, Lauren McGuire and Katie Crawford 0-1 each.
THE TEAMS
Offaly: Lauren Dunne (Rhode); Brooke McDermott (Ballinamere/Durrow), Róisín Mealiff (Ballinamere/Durrow), Saoirse McGuinness (St Manchan’s); Fiona Dempsey (Naomh Molaoise), Róisín Ennis (Naomh Ciarán), Nicole Buckley (Naomh Ciarán)l Meabh Rouse (Tullamore), Emma Maher (Naomh Ciarán); Faith McDermott (Ballinamere/Durrow), Caoimhe Lynam (St Manchan’s), Anna Grehan (Naomh Ciarán); Eve Kelly (Clara), Michele Mann (Naomh Molaoise, captain), Emma Hand (Ballinamere/Durrow). Subs: Marie Byrne (St Conleth’s) for Grehan (half-time), Saorah Doyle (Ballinamere/Durrow) for Kelly (38 min), Tara Tyrrell for Dempsey (45 min).
Longford: Aoife Cooney; Aisling Scanlon, Leanne Keegan, Riane McGrath; Sorcha Dawson, Emma Bleakley, Emma Farrell; Sián Gallagher (captain), Shauna Hagan; Aoife Nolan, Lauren McGuire, Hannah Burke; Katie Crawford, Kamille Burke, Aoife Darcy. Subs: Funmi Talabi for McGuire (23 min, injured), Amy Creegan for H Burke (52 min).
Referee – Jason Buckley (Dublin).
REFEREE WATCH
Longford weren’t happy with the late free-in that rescued a draw for Offaly or the timekeeping at the end of both halves (three minutes were played at the end of the second half compared to just 10 seconds at the end of the first), but Jason Buckley was consistent with his decision-making and wasn’t afraid to enforce the new rule that sees the ball brought forward 50 metres for delaying play.
MOMENT OF THE MATCH
Michele Mann’s 53rd minute goal threw Offaly a lifeline after they had played second fiddle to their midland rivals for much of the second half.
VENUE WATCH
This was Daingean’s second time to host an Offaly LGFA game this year and the pitch was in great condition, with the new spectator terrace enhancing the club’s excellent facilities.
WHAT'S NEXT
Offaly play Carlow, while Longford face Kilkenny in the last round.
STATISTICS
Wides: Offaly – 6 (3 in first half); Longford – 5 (3 in first half)
Yellow cards: 0
Red cards: 0