Tesco All-Ireland Minor Championship 

Laois:  3-10 

Offaly:  3-11 

The Offaly Minor team opened their championship campaign against Laois in Portlaoise’s Centre of Excellence on Sunday last. In sweltering heat and a light wind, it was Laois who registered the first point of the game, but Offaly replied quickly with two points from Clodagh Leahy and Cayla Fletcher to settle them nicely into the game.   Laois then rocked the Offaly girls when they hit two goals in the space of a minute, however a goal from Faye Mulrooney reduced the deficit for Offaly.  Both teams added two points before the water break with Clodagh Leahy hitting both for Offaly to leave the score at Laois 2-3, Offaly 1-6.  During the water break Offaly were forced into making a substitution when Chloe Hennessy, who had picked up an injury, being replaced by St Cillian’s Cara Hoare. 

After the break, Laois hit two early points but Offaly responded well with a point from Faye Mulrooney and free from Clodagh Leahy to level the scores again.  Mulrooney then put the Offaly girls in front before the half time break with a well taken goal. 

It was Offaly who started better in the second half with a point from Grace Leonard and a further pointed free from Clodagh Leahy. Laois then hit a purple patch scoring five unanswered points to level the game. 

With the game now in the melting pot, a well worked ball up the field to Faye Mulrooney resulted in another goal for the Birr girl.  A further pointed free by Clodagh left Offaly four points ahead but Laois refused to lie down and hit back with another goal two minutes into injury time.  With just minutes left on the clock the tension was unbearable but Offaly managed to see the game out and win by a solitary point.  They will now go on to meet Kildare in the next round of the championship 

Teams: 

Laois:  Cara Phelan, Lorna Phelan, Luisne Delaney, Ellen Meagher, Katie Durnican, Karla Whelan, Aileen O’Neill, Grainne Delaney, Jill Gaughan, Andrea Scully, Aiva Coss, Eireann Cole, Rachel Deegan, Amy Flanagan, Lucy O’Connor 

Subs:  Cara Henderson, Grainne O’Reilly, Leanne Dowling, Emma Jane Coss, Enya Carroll, Louise Creagh, Anna Phelan, Caitlin Hoary, Natasha Rowan, Annabelle Ryan, Tara Lowry, Rebecca Pearson, Regina Ogbulafor 

Offaly:  Leah Gallagher, Hannah Feenane, Sarah Doherty, Denise Connor, Sarah Fitzgerald, Orlagh Phelan, Chloe Hennessey, Grace Leonard, Caoimhe Darcy, Aoife O’Regan, Cayla Fletcher, Chloe Foarty, Sinead Hanamy, Faye Mulrooney, Clodagh Leahy 

Subs: Cara Hoare (for Chloe Hennessy), Labhaoise Glynn (for Grace Leonard), Emma Nevin (Aoife O’Regan), Niamh Egan, Ciara Brady, Caoimhe Rice, Aoibhe Kennedy, Sarah Freeman, Eimear Maher, Miriam O’Neill, Rachel Dillon, Maria Maher, Hannah Riley, Eimear Rigney, Marie Cantwell 

Offaly scorers, Faye Mulrooney 3-1. Clodagh Leahy 0-8 (5 frees, 1 45) Cayla Fletcher 0-1 Grace Leonard 0-1.  

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