Limerick begin All-Ireland junior camogie championship with big win over Offaly

LIMERICK's junior camogie side got off to a winning start in their All-Ireland championship after seeing off Offaly on a 5-11 to 1-5 scoreline in Cappamore.

David Deady's side had the game sewn up at half time with two goals from Sarah Cosgrove and one each from Laura Southern, Ellen Meehan and Phoenix Mulcaire-Shire helping them to a 15-point lead.

Limerick bossed the second half as well but will be disappointed with their slackness in front of goal after racking up a tally of 15 wides.

They had missed the target four times in the opening stages before Ella Hession fired over the first score of the game in the fourth minute.

The first goal arrived moments later when Cosgrave took in a pass from Valerie Shanahan and beat her marker, before firing a bullet into the net. Meehan followed up with a second soon after. 

Two Southern points followed and then Limerick got in for their second goal courtesy of an excellent finish by Mulcaire-Shire that saw them 2-3 to 0-1 ahead after 12 minutes. A Leah Gath free accounted for Offaly's score.

Cosgrove and Shanahan raised white flags, before the former bagged her second goal of the contest that helped Limerick to a 4-5 to 0-2 half time advantage.

Hession and Shanahan scored the first two points of the second half and then Southern netted the fifth goal. The Monaleen youngster then scored a point to increase Limerick's lead to 21-points.

Offaly responded with a Clodagh Murphy goal and a couple of well-taken Gath efforts that put a gloss on the scoreline in the final quarter but Limerick had long taken care of the result by then.

SCORERS - LIMERICK: Sarah Cosgrave 2-1, Laura Southern 1-3, Phoenix Mulcaire-Shire and Ellen Meehan 1-0 each, Ella Hession 0-4, Valerie Shanahan (2 frees) 0-3.

SCORERS - OFFALY: Leah Gath 0-4 (2 frees), Clodagh Murphy 1-0, Emma Nevin 0-1.

LIMERICK: Naomi Ryan (Tournafulla); Leah Twomey (Granagh-Ballingarry), Tara Lenihan (Croagh-Kilfinny), Megan Ryan (Crecora); Aisling Irwin (Granagh-Ballingarry), Ann Kennedy (Ahane), Ciara Houlihan (Croagh-Kilfinny), Phoenix Mulcaire-Shire (Croagh-Kilfinny), Sarah Shanahan (Killeedy); Ellen Meehan (Blackrock-Effin), Valerie Shanahan (Killeedy), Emma English (Galbally); Ella Hession (Monaleen), Laura Southern (Monaleen), Sarah Cosgrove (Ahane).

SUBS: Reba Kenny (Croagh-Kilfinny) for Meehan (26 mins, inj), Abby Murrihy (Ahane) for Houlihan (h-t), Claire Power (Blacrock-Effin) for S Shanahan (36 mins, inj) Kelly Shanahan (Ballybrown) for Ryan (47 mins), Annie Giltenane (Adare) for Kennedy (52 mins). 

OFFALY: Caoimhe Kinsella (Birr); Rebecca Carroll (Birr), Cara Hoare (St Cillians), Sarah Doherty (Kilcormac-Killoughey); Cathy Fogarty (St Cillians), Aoife O'Donovan (St Cillians), Sarah Meacle (Kilcormac-Killoughey); Sarah Connolly (Lus-Drum), Tara Butler (St Rynaghs); Claire Sammon (Shinrone), Leah Gath (Lus-Drum), Andrea Kieran (Shinrone); Clodagh Murphy (Kilcormac-Killoughey), Rachel Fogarty (Tullamore); Emma Nevin (St Rynaghs).

REFEREE: Colm Ó Mocháin (Cork).