Limerick make winning start to return to senior ranks

Limerick 1-12 (0-6) Offaly 1-8 (0-7)

Liberty Insurance Senior Camogie Championship

Round 1

Saturday 20th June at 2.30pm in Newcastle West

 

Limerick made a winning return to Senior Camogie ranks with a hard fought 1-12 to 1-8 win over Offaly in Newcastle West on Saturday. This was Limerick's first win in the senior championship since 2005 and gets their campaign off to the best possible start.

The late withdrawal of Caoimhe Costelloe meant changes in the Limerick starting line-up with Killeedy's Aisling Scanlon coming in at full-forward and a resulting reshuffle of the Limerick midfield and attack.

On a sunny day in Newcastle West, perfect conditions for camogie, the sizeable crowd were treated to a high quality entertaining senior camogie championship match. In an intense, physical encounter Offaly had the better of the opening half but would have felt they should gotten better return for their possession and have been further ahead at the break. However some dogged defending from Limerick, with captain Sarah Carey particularly impressive, restricted Offaly's scores and the ever-reliable Niamh Mulcahy kept the Limerick scoreboard ticking over. Despite their dominance Offaly never got more than two points clear and the half finished with only a single point between the teams.

Limerick made two changes at the break with Caoimhe Costelloe coming in alongside Monaleen's Megan O'Mara. These changes had an immediate impact as Limerick started to dominate the middle of the field and the resulting pressure meant that Offaly conceded frees that were converted by Niamh Mulcahy to put Limerick ahead for the first time since the opening minutes of the game.

The key moment in the game came when a Niamh Mulcahy free from well inside the Limerick half dropped under the crossbar for a goal to put Limerick ahead 1-9 to 0-8. Limerick continued their domination and two further points including one from Caoimhe Costelloe widened the gap to put the Treaty girls firmly in control.

However there was fight in this experienced Offaly side yet and when Arlene Watkins broke past the Limerick defence she made no mistake and hit the back of the net to put her side firmly back in the game with 5 minutes to play. Offaly continued to press through the closing period but the Limerick defence held firm and in the final moments Niamh Mulcahy converted another free to put the result beyond doubt.

This was a great opening to Limerick's campaign in what is without doubt the tougher of the two groups, as it includes the last three All-Ireland champions. Limerick will host current champions Cork on next Saturday in Kilmallock. Cork lost their opening clash by two points after a late Galway surge so a backlash is anticipated. However Limerick pushed the Leesiders hard in their League semi-final clash back in April and though they ultimately came short on that day such is their belief that this squad is well capable of causing an upset. Either way another great occasion is guaranteed and all Limerick supporters should make their way to Kilmallock on Saturday and support this great bunch of girls.

 

Limerick Team:

Sile Moynihan (Ahane), Marguerite McCarthy (Ahane), Lorraine McCarthy (Bruff), Judith Mulcahy (Ahane), Rebecca DeLee (Newcastle West), Sarah Carey (capt.) (Granagh Ballingarry), Fiona Hickey (Granagh Ballingarry), Sinead McNamara (Na Piarsaigh), Aoife Sheehan (Granagh Ballingarry), Karen O'Leary (Newcastle West), Niamh Mulcahy (Ahane), Caoimhe Lyons (Monaleen), Noreen Barry (Killeedy), Rebecca Noonan (Granagh Ballingarry), Deborah Murphy (Knockaderry)

Substitutes:

Half-Time: Caoimhe Costelloe (Adare) for Karen O'Leary and Megan O'Mara (Monaleen) for Deborah Murphy

52 mins: Aisling Scanlon (Killeedy) for Noreen Barry

Scorers:

Limerick: Niamh Mulcahy 1-11 (1-8f), Caoimhe Costelloe 0-1

Offaly: Siobhán Flannery 0-4 (all frees), Arlene Walkinstown 1-0, Tina Hannon 0-2, Cailin Fitzgerald 0-1, Niamh Larkin 0-1
Fixtures

Saturday 27th June

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Limerick v Cork

Liberty Insurance Senior Camogie Championship - Round 2

2.30pm in Kilmallock

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