Offaly ladies football and camogie teams in relegation battles

OFFALY'S camogie and ladies football teams are embroiled in desperate relegation battles and face huge, season defining games in the coming weeks.

The camogie team will be aiming to secure their status in the All-Ireland senior championship with a crunch home game against Limerick on Saturday while the ladies footballers play Longford in a relegation play off in the All-Ireland intermediate championship in Kinnegad on on Saturday, July 8.

Both teams have been trying very hard but results have not gone their way and they now find themselves facing big games in a bid to avoid the drop.

The camogie team are out of the running for the knockout stages after defeats to Waterford and Antrim. Limerick are in the same boat, having lost to both those counties, and Saturday's game will determine who goes into the relegation play offs with the teams who finish bottom of the other two groups.

It is likely to be a very close contest on Saturday. Offaly and Limerick also played in a relegation shootout in Division 1B of the league with Limerick getting the final six points to win by three and send Offaly down to Division 2A

That game was in Rathkeale whereas this one is in Offaly and that should be a big help. The venue and time will be announced later in the week. It has been a transitional season for Offaly with a number of young players getting their first introduction at this level. Saturday represents a real chance to get their relegation worries but it will take a big performance to win.

Similarly, Offaly ladies footballers are up to their necks in relegation trouble. They gave a very brave performance when losing 2-9 to 0-13 away to Wicklow on Sunday in Baltinglass and that defeat sent them into the relegation play off with Longford.

Offaly played with terrific heart as they brought it down to the wire. They were just a point down inside the last five minutes but unfortunately, couldn't get the rsult and Wicklow got a closing score for a two point win.

Offaly were the better team early on. They stormed into a 0-5 to 0-1 lead after ten minutes and were two points in front, 0-6 to 0-4 at the quarter way stage. Offaly had the gap back to four, 0-8 to 0-4 after twenty minutes but conceded two goals in the next five minutes. They were level, 2-5 to 0-11 at half time but those goals were to seal their fate.

Wicklow got the first two points of the second half and were able to hold their lead to the finish as Offaly managed only two points.

It has been a season of what could have been for Offaly. They lost to Clare and Tyrone before Sunday's defeat and now face a winners take all game against Longford with the losers heading to junior ranks.

Offaly lost to Longford in the league a while ago but will fancy their chances of turning the table. Like the camogie team, they have been in a rebuilding phase with a number of new players. They have been down a number of their best players due to a variety of reasons, including Mairead Daly, Kate Kenny, Ellee McEvoy, Dawn Hannon, Annie Kehoe and Grainne Egan.

With all them on board, Offaly could be singing a different song and contending for the All-Ireland intermediate title but the players that are there have been giving it everything.

The Offaly scorers on Sunday were: Roisin Cockram 0-5, Amy Gavin Mangan, Emily Bailey, Saoirse McGuinness 0-2 each, Ava Dolan and Emma Hand 0-1 each.