Galway v Offaly: Littlewoods Ireland Camogie Leagues: Division 1
Venue: Kilbeacanty GAA
Date: 27 Mar 2022, 12pm
Referee: Liz Dempsey
FINAL SCORE: Galway 2-21, Offaly 1-8
MATCH PHOTOS
MATCH REPORT
by Sarah Gaughan
Galway made it 4 wins from 4 in their final group game in the Littlewoods Ireland Division 1 League on Sunday in Kilbecanty. Galway, who looked like a much-improved outfit in comparison to last weeks game against Tipperary, eased passed Offaly and looked the stronger side throughout the whole contest.
Galway started very quickly out of the blocks with a spread of scorers with points coming from Ailish O’Reilly, Orlaith McGrath, Catherine Finnerty and Carrie Dolan through a free to leave Galway 0-4 to 0-0 ahead after 6 minutes. Mairead Teehan got Offaly’s opening score on the 9th minute when she point a free for the Faithful county while Rebecca Hennelly responded with a point for Galway, straight from the re-start. Teehan slotted over another free for Offaly on the 10th minute. A minute later, Shauna Healy was dispossessed of the ball in front of the Galway net and Teehan worked hard to get the ball to Siobhan Flannery and Flannery blasted the ball into the back of the Galway net to leave the teams level at Galway 0-5 and Offaly 1-2 after 11 minutes. Hennelly and McGrath responded with two points from play for Galway while Louise Mannion, fresh from All Ireland success with St Rynagh’s, added another point to the Offaly tally to leave a point between the teams heading up to the 22nd minute. Galway finished the half the strongest with a flurry of scores from numerous players on the team. Carrie Dolan (0-2) through frees, Aine Keane, Niamh Kilkenny, and McGrath all added points to Galway’s tally while O’Reilly found the oncoming Ciara Murphy in the 31st minute of the half and Murphy stuck the ball in the back of the Offaly net to leave it Galway 1-12 Offaly 1-3 at half time.
Galway started the second half very brightly. A cross field pass from Hennelly found McGrath but McGrath’s shot deflected off the upright and into the path of O’Reilly and O’Reilly made no mistake and blasted the ball passed Leah Gallagher in the Offaly net. Hennelly added a point to Galway’s tally on the 33rd minute while Teehan responded with another free for Offaly on the 37th minute. Galway got 5 unanswered points through Kilkenny (0-2), O’Reilly through a free, Aoife Donohue and substitute Sabina Rabbitte between the 38th and 46th minute of the game to leave it Galway 2-18 Offaly 1-4 heading into the final quarter. Offaly did have a goal disallowed during this period because Flannery was deemed to have been in the square before the ball. St Rynagh’s star Flannery added another point to the Offaly tally on the 50th minute while Rabbitte and Orlagh Phelan exchanged points on the 55th minute. Finnerty and O’Reilly added two more points to Galway’s tally on the 56th minute and Teehan and Faye Mulrooney replied with two points from play at the end of the game for Offaly to leave it Galway 2-21 Offaly 1-8.
Galway will be happy with their much-improved performance. Their passing of the ball, their touch and the intensity they brought to the game made it hard for Offaly to compete at time. It was also fantastic to see Heather Cooney back playing her first full game since her cruciate ligament injury last year. Sarah Dervan, Heather Cooney, Niamh Kilkenny, Rebecca Hennelly, Ailish O Reilly and Orlaith McGrath preformed well for the tribeswomen while Roisin Egan, Christine Cleary, Mairéad Teehan and Siobhan Flannery impressed for Offaly. Galway will look forward to their Littlewoods Ireland League final on the 9th of April. It will be a repeat of the All Ireland final from 2021 as they take on old rivals Cork.
Galway Scorers: A O Reilly 1-3 (0-1F), O McGrath 0-3, C Dolan 0-3 (0-3F), R Hennelly 0-3, N Kilkenny 0-3, C Murphy 1-0, S Rabbitte 0-2, C Finnerty 0-2, A Donohue 0-1, A Keane 0-1.
Offaly Scorers: M Teehan 0-4 (0-3F), S Flannery 1-1, L Mannion 0-1, O Phelan 0-1, F Mulrooney 0-1
Galway: Sarah Healy; Shauna Healy, S Dervan, C Donohue; H Cooney, R Black, R Hanniffy; A Donohue, N Kilkenny; C Finnerty, R Hennelly, A Keane; C Dolan, A O’Reilly, O McGrath.
Subs: C Murphy (1-0) for A Keane (25 mins), M Cooney for R Black (37 mins), T Kenny for R Hanniffy (37 mins), S Rabbitte for C Dolan (37 mins), S Spellman for R Hennelly (40 mins), N McPeake for A Donohue (50 mins).
Offaly: L Gallagher; S Killeen, A Feeney, S Guinan; S Walshe, A Brennan, E King; R Egan, L Mannion; O. Gorman, C Cleary, S Harding; S Flannery, M Teehan, C Leahy.
Subs: O Phelan for O. Gorman (40 mins), S Shanahan for Killeen (42 mins), F Mulrooney for Harding (42 mins), C Doughan for Flannery (53 mins), K O’Connell for King (53 mins).
GALWAY SCORERS: A O’Reilly 1-3 (1F), C Dolan 0-3, (2Fs, 1 ’45), N Kilkenny, R Hennelly, C Finnerty & O McGrath 0-3 each, C Murphy 1-0, S Rabbitte 0-2, A Keane 0-1.
OFFALY SCORERS: M Teehan 0-4 (3Fs, 1 ’45), S Flannery 1-1, F Mulrooney 0-2, L Mannion 0-1.
ADDITIONAL
- O’Reilly turns on the style in Galway’s big win over Offaly – Connacht Tribune
- Unbeaten Galway ease into senior camogie league final – Galway Advertiser
Match Program
SENIOR TEAM
PANEL: Senior panel profiles
MANAGEMENT: Senior management team
