Out of sorts Galway survive scare in Birr

Galway 1-11

Offaly 1-8

GALWAY recorded their second win of the All-Ireland Senior Camogie championship in Birr on Saturday when edging past a spirited Offaly side.

The league champions came into this game in confident mood following an opening round victory over Cork and were expected to comfortably account for an Offaly side that had already suffered losses to Limerick and Wexford.

Offaly were wind aided in the opening half but a Molly Dunne goal in first half injury time ensured Galway a 1-5 to 0-4 interval lead. They stretched their lead to five points on the restart following a Niamh Kilkenny score and one assumed that a convincing Galway victory was on the cards.

However, Galway failed to pull away from Offaly – they missed a number of scoring opportunities and when Tina Hannon goaled Offaly were back in the game. By the three quarter stage, the sides were level at 1-7 apiece with Galway finding it difficult to penetrate an Offaly defence ably lead by Michaela Morkan. The winners, though, finished strongly.

Niamh McGrath, who didn’t start due to a slight injury, was introduced and she pointed three frees while Jessica Gill also pointed as Galway built up a 1-11 to 1-7 lead. A Siobhan Flannery pointed free reduced Offaly’s deficit late in the game and in the nine minutes of additional time added on by referee Peter Dowd, they tried in vain for an equalising goal.

Galway goalkeeper Susan Earner was forced to keep out a Flannery effort from a 20 metre free while she also batted away a goal bound effort from the same player with the last play of the game.

The win was the most important aspect for Galway and while this was achieved, Tony Ward and his management team will have been disappointed that they didn’t put away the challenge of Offaly. There is plenty to work on prior to the upcoming potential group decider against Wexford and if Galway were to record victory over the Slaneysiders, a semi-final place would be almost assured.

Maria Cooney, who started in place of the aforementioned Niamh McGrath impressed in the opening half. She scored three first half points from her corner forward position.

Cooney pointed twice in the opening quarter while Jessica Gill, after being set up by Ailish O’Reilly, and Niamh Kilkenny, from a free after a foul on Ann Marie Starr, also registered early Galway scores as they led by 0-4 to 0-2 after 12 minutes.

Full report in this week’s Connacht Tribune.