Powerful third quarter in goal fest sees Offaly ladies over the line

Offaly Ladies Intermediate footballers got their first win of this season's National League campaign and following on from last weeks drawn game with Sligo to leave themselves unbeaten in the campaign. 

LIDL Ladies National Football League Division 3 Round 2

Offaly 5-4

Antrim 2-8

2022 All-Ireland Junior champions Antrim were the visitors to Edenderry GAA on Sunday morning for what was a highly tactical and entertaining game of football.

The opening eight minutes of this clash was lively and up and down the field stuff with both teams breaking well, however, neither could register a score here at all with some excellent turnovers. Offaly's Marie Byrne came closest as she saw her one on one effort blaze the wrong side of the post and wide.

The opening score of the afternoon came in inside the tenth minute when Caitlin Taggart pointed a close range free. The following minutes were a joy to behold with well taken  goals coming at either end of the park in the space of ninty seconds through Ellie Murphy and Ellee McEvoy, both after some cracking team work in the build up.

The visitors added two points in a row both through Taggart, one from a free and then a lovely score from play before Offaly responded with a fine score from McEvoy after excellent link up play with Saoirse McGuinness for their first white flag of the afternoon. 

Cliodhna Hogan pointed in the twentieth minute before Offaly should have had their second goal of the clash and Saoirse McGuinness was very unlucky as Shauna Murphy made a fine save. 

Murphy was unable to save her side moments when the lively McEvoy laid off a pass to Roisin Cockram who blasted to the roof of the Antrim net to leave the sides all square with five minutes remaining in the opening half.

The Saffron ladies finished strongest in this opening half and a long range effort from Lara Dahunsi before a close range Taggart free gave them a two point lead at the break.

Aoife Taggart opened the second half proceedings when she pointed a close range free to extend the Antrim girls lead back out to three points.

Five minutes into the half Offaly were back level, Ellee McEvoy once again ran at the defence and was hauled down inside the box, her club mate Roisin Cockram made no mistake from the spot sending the keeper the wrong way for her second goal of the afternoon.

Cockram had her hat trick three minutes later when a lovely pass from Marie Byrne sent her one on one with the Antrim keeper to give the home side a three point lead.

McEvoy pointed another free in forty-fourth minute to open the gap to four, before moments later hatrick hero Cockram was sent to the sinbin leaving Offaly down to fourteen players for the following ten minutes.

Offaly didn’t let this affect them at all and held out well frustrating the Antrim attack and being very disciplined getting some great turn overs.

The visitors themselves were reduced to fourteen players in the fifty-third minute when midfielder Ana Mulholland was sent to the sin bin for a high challenge.

Once again it was Offaly skipper McEvoy who got her name on the score sheet, pointing a close range free for the hosts.

Aoife Taggart pointed a free in the fifty-ninth minute before Offaly substitute Emma Hand pointed from close range after some great work from Amy Gavin-Mangan in the build up as the clock ticked into second half injury time.

Once again the super McEvoy was instrumental in the Faithful ladies next score when she turned over a crucial ball in the middle third and played a delightful pass to Hand who made no mistake in chipping the ball over the head of the Antrim keeper to seal the spoils for her side in the third minute of stoppage time.

Antrim managed a consultation goal five minutes into injury time through Dahunsi, but that was to be as good as it got for them as the full time whistle sounded giving the hosts their first win of the campaign.

MATCH ANALYSIS

PLAYER OF THE MATCH

Ellee McEvoy (Offaly): Roisin Cockram deserves the first honourable mention, scoring a hat Trick of goals in this clash and she was crucial to the win - her second half sin bin was probably the only black mark to her name.

Amy Gavin-Mangan, Emma Maher and second half substitute Emma Hand were also very good for Offaly while Lara Dahunsi, Caitlin Taggart and Theresa Mellon were best for the visitors.

The nod goes to Offaly captain Ellee McEvoy who was absolutely instrumental to her sides win. Playing closer to goal this week McEvoy caused all sorts of problems with her direct running and passing to oncoming runners throughout the game along with drifting out the field winning ball late on.

THE TEAMS

Offaly: Kelley Cunningham (Tullamore); Anna Grehan (Naomh Ciaran), Michelle Mann (Naomh Molaoise), Nicole Farrelly (Edenderry); Eimer Hackett (Tullamore) Nicole Buckley (Naomh Ciaran); Amy Gavin-Mangan (Naomh Ciaran) Emma Maher (Naomh Ciaran); Fiona Dempsey (Naomh Molaoise), Marie Byrne (St Conleths, Laois) Ciara Walsh (Naomh Molaoise); Saoirse McGuinness (St Manchans), Róisin Cockram (Naomh Ciaran), Ellee McEvoy (Naomh Ciaran). Subs: Emma Hand (Ballinamere/Durrow) for Dempsey and Chloe Sheridan (Erin’s Own, Waterford) for McGuinness (both halftime) 

Antrim: Shauna Murphy; Duana Coleman, Emma Ferran, Carla Mc Kenna, Grace Shannon, Ciara Brown, Hannah Donaghy, Ana Mulholland, Lara Dahunsi; Theresa Mellon, Caitlin Taggart, Aine Sheehan; Ellie Murphy, Aoife Taggart, Cliodhna Logan.  

Referee – Eoghan O'Neill.

MOMENT OF THE MATCH

Roisin Cockrams penalty six minutes into the second half brought offaly back into the game and set them a platform to build on for the remainder of the game. 

VENUE WATCH

With Bretland Park still out of action Edenderry GAA provided their facilities at Gaelic Park for this clash.

The club were proud to host this clash with team manager Greg Farrelly, selector  Tony Kenny and members of the panel hailing from the Reds. 

The pitch was marked out, scoreboard in operation and grass cut and they had plenty of parking available. Along with the hard working Offaly county board everything ran well at the Edenderry grounds. 

REFEREE WATCH

Eoghan O’Neill was very whistle happy throughout this game and a foul count of 31 to 21 in what was a very clean game of football shows how the Kildare man was being sticky with the whistle.

Overall he was consistent with the calls and was not a factor in the winning or losing of the game. He had his own linespersons and umpires with him for the game.

WHAT'S NEXT

Offaly now make the trip to face Louth in Round 3 in two weeks time

CARDS

Yellow: Offaly 1 (Roisin Cockram); Antrim 1 (Ana Mulholland)

Red: 0

THE SCORERS

Offaly: Roisin Cockram 3-0, Ellee McEvoy 1-3 (2f) and Emma Hand 1-1

Antrim: Caitlin Taggart 0-4 (3f), Lara Dahunsi 1-1, Ellie Murphy 1-0, Aoife Taggart 0-2 frees, Cliodhna Logan 0-1.