Antrim starting line-up
Antrim 1:16 (19) Offaly 3:08 (17)
A low scoring first half at Roger Casements GAA Club, Portglenone gave way to a torrent of scores from both teams in the second half. The game could have gone either way at this point – however Antrim demonstrated nerve and resolve to close the deal and secure the three points on offer in a winning start to their Group 1 campaign.
Match referee, Barry Nea, got proceedings underway and was reaching for his notebook in less than 30 seconds, preparing to enter a score from Offaly midfielder Faye Mulrooney but the sliotar drifted wide, leaving Antrim to register the first point from Katie Molloy after a tidy 1-2-1 combination with Roisin McCormick with two minutes gone on the board.
McCormick was next up with her own point before Offaly’s half forward, Christine Cleary, got her side out of the blocks with a point. Offaly kept that momentum going with another two points, from Caoimhe O’Donovan and Clodagh Leahy, just before Antrim’s Molloy clipped the sliotar over the bar from a spearheaded advance from McCormick and Lucia McNaughton.
Offaly looked about to take the lead in the game at four points to three but two back-to-back points from an on-form Molloy pulled Antrim back into a one point lead. Despite numerous advances from Offaly, Antrim managed to keep the Faithful County at bay with that small lead and improved it by one as Molloy earned her fifth point of the first half just as the short whistle drew the first half to an end.
In the second half, Antrim’s two point lead would soon become nine as McCormick, Molloy, Maeve Kelly and Caitrin Dobbin racked up scores and when Nicole McAtamney played a low sliotar into Cassie McArthur, a wall of Offaly jerseys forced the offload to Dobbin and, at short range with just four minutes elapsed in the second half, the game’s first green flag was raised.
That should have been a marker for Antrim to push on, but relaxing too early, Offaly’s Mairead Teehan made good of her pick-up within Antrim’s box and at short range, flicked the sliotar past goalkeeper, Caitriona Graham, and suddenly Offaly were right back in the game.
Antrim welcomed three more points compared to Offaly’s two from Grace Teehan, giving the Saffrons a seven point lead but Antrim were about to be tested as Offaly substitute, Becky Bryant, was in the right place at the right time to fire back a rebounded save from team mate Mairead Teehan and that goal was followed in less than a minute later from Teehan herself. When Clodagh Leahy dropped a free over the bar, both sides stood square at 17 points each with eight minutes of normal time left, plus injury.
Antrim supporters breathed a sigh of relief as McCormick made good of a foul on Katie Molloy and, just in normal time, Antrim’s Annie Lynn would give the Saffrons another point to stretch the lead to two. Offaly’s chance to close that back to one went amiss as the free taker Clodagh Leahy made an uncharacteristic error and drifted the sliotar past the upright.
Antrim are now away to Westmeath on June 14 for their second round robin game in group 1.
Antrim panel and scorers
Caitriona Graham, Clare McKillop, Katie Lynn, Caoimhe McNaughton, Erin Coulter, Sarah O’Neill, Shannagh Heggarty, Amy Boyle, Nicole McAtamney, Maeve Kelly 0-02, Roisin McCormick 0-05 (2f), Lucia McNaughton, Cassie McArthur, Katie Molloy 0-06, Caitrin Dobbin 1-02, Becky Ellis, Dearbhail Dobbin, Katierose Bell, Sarah Fyfe, Niamh Neeson, Janey McIntosh, Eimear Johnston, Eavanne Martin, Aisling O’Donnell, Annie Lynn 0-01, Orlaith McAllister, Fionnuala Kelly, Dervla Cosgrove, Colleen Paterson
Offaly panel and scorers
Leah Gallagher, Aoife Liffey, Megan King, Cathy Fogarty, Roisin Kinsella, Amy Byrne, Orlagh Phelan, Sharon Shanahan, Faye Mulrooney, Clodagh Leahy 0-03 (1f), Christine Cleary 0-01, Grace Teehan 0-03 (1f), Caoimhe O’Donovan 0-01, Mairead Teehan 2-00, Fianait Dooley, Emer Reynolds, Karla Mannion, Hannah Feenane, kaitlyn Kennedy, Ciara Maher, Orla Kilmartin, Niamh Sheehy, Becky Bryant 1-00, Grainne Kennedy, Emma Buggy, Aoife O’Donovan, Elizabeth Kilmartin, Aine Rigney, Aoife Hoctor, Ellen Regan, Kate Pilkington
Offaly starting line-up
Match report and photos from Antrim Camogie PRO, Michael Corcoran
