Galway v Offaly: 2024 All Ireland Intermediate Championship, Round 4

June 29, 2024
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2024 ALL IRELAND INTERMEDIATE CHAMPIONSHIP, ROUND 4

Galway v Offaly
Date: 29 Jun, 2pm
Venue: Banagher
Referee: TBC

FT: Galway 3-12 Offaly 1-16

Match Report

The Galway intermediate team have booked their place in the Glen Dimplex All Ireland Intermediate championship after recording their third win in the campaign against Offaly in Banagher on Sunday. The Galway side have gone from strength to strength after their defeat to Clare in the second round and can now look forward to a quarter final spot.

Chloe Allen opened the scoring for Galway on the 3 rd minute with a well taken score from the sideline. Ellen Regan levelled the sides a minute later after she received a nice pass from Fianait Dooley. Dooley had a goal chance a minute later but it was well defended by Ellen Burke and Sarah Lyons. Mairead Jennings slotted over a free for the home side on the 6th minute while Katie Donohue had a good goal chance straight from the restart but it was well defended by Leah Gallagher in the Offaly net. However a minute later, Aoibhe Joyce did find the back of the net for Galway to restore their lead. Clodagh Leary and Aoibheann Barry swapped frees on the 14th minute to leave two between the sides. Ava Lynskey, Barry through free and Donohue all pointed for Galway to extend their lead to five by the 21st minute. Jennings got Offaly first score in 8 minutes when she slotted over a point. Offaly did have a goal chance on the 25th minute but credit must go to Michelle Gately in the Galway net who pulled off a great save. Caoimhe Kelly got her name on the score sheet while Grace Teehan replied for Offaly 2 minutes later. Lynskey replied straight away for the tribeswomen but it was Offaly who finished the half the strongest with points from Teehan and Bryant as Galway went in 1-7 to 0-7 in front at half time.

It was Galway who started the second half the strongest with points from Barry through a free and Joyce. Leahy and Jennings replied with frees for Offaly on the 36th and 37th minutes. However a long ball in from Lynskey on the 40th minute found Barry one on one inside the 21 meter line and Barry buried the ball for Galway’s second major of the day. Offaly tried to get a goal of their own two minutes later but Faye Mulrooney’s shot was saved by Gately. Dooley got on the rebound but her shot hit the crossbar and into the path of Mulrooney again but Gately made another great save and deflected the ball out for a 45. Leahy pointed the resulting 65. Joyce laid off a lovely ball to Ava Bloomer a minute later and Bloomer got Galway’s third major of the day to leave Galway 3-10 to 0-12 in front heading up to the midway point of the half. Leahy pointed two more frees for Offaly to reduce the deficit. Barry replied with a free of her own on the 18th minute but it was Offaly who started to get a grip on the game. Substitute Aine O’Connor, Leahy through a free and a 65m and Dooley all pointed for the Faithful county while Regan got on the end of a deflection on the 25th minute and slotted the ball into the back of the Galway net but it was Galway who had the final say through substitute Sophie Flynn as it finished Galway 3-12 Offaly 1-16.

Galway will be thrilled to have booked themselves a place in the quarter final. They have proven that they have improved on last year’s campaign and their loss to Clare in the group stages has really inspired them. They now face a trip down to Cork on Saturday in their final group game knowing they have already booked a place in the knockout stages of the championship.

Team

Match Preview

This highly anticipated clash in the Glen Dimplex All-Ireland Intermediate Championship will no doubt go down to the wire on Saturday evening in Banagher. Both teams are still within a chance of reaching a top table position if bottom of the table holders Wexford manage to pull of a win against current leaders Cork. This will be a match that will be contested down to the final whistle and one not to be missed!

Galway Intermediate team, Kenny Park. Photo credit: Don Soules

Intermediate Team

Captain: Ava Lynskey
Vice-captain: Leah Burke

All Ireland Intermediate Championship Group 1: Results to Date

County, County Intermediate