Extra time heartbreak for Offaly minors

All Ireland Minor A Shield Quarter Final

Offaly 2-9, Waterford 1-17

A confidence boosting win over Carlow last time out set up Offaly for a date with Waterford in Sunday's All Ireland Minor A Shield Quarter Final.

An Isabella Gleeson point gave the Offaly girls a good start but Waterford went on to hit six points without reply. Just before the break Kate Pilkington hit Offaly's second point but Waterford cancelled that out to lead by five points at the break.

It was a disappointing half from the Faithful girls and Declan Murray and his management team needed to work some magic to help their girls turn the game around when play restarted. Credit to the Offaly girls, they did respond well. While Kate Pilkington got the opening score from a free, Waterford replied with two more points to stretch their lead. The Offaly girls were showing some signs of a response and hit three points in a row. They must have felt it just wasn't to be their day when their work was cancelled out by a Waterford goal in the 53rd minute but the home side dug deep and an Aine Rigney point was followed by a goal from Karla Mannion in injury time to leave just two points between the teams.

Immediately after an excellent chance presented itself to Ciara Walshe who fired over the bar when on another day the sliotar might have crept under the bar. With the minimum between the sides and time running out and Offaly were looking for one more chance and it presented itself in the form of a 45 which Kate Pilkington duly converted to leave the sides level at the final whistle.

While the momentum was with Offaly, it was Waterford that kicked on when the match restarted in extra time and hit four unanswered points but an outstanding goal from Lucy Flynn gave her team hope.

Unfortunately for Offaly, the Waterford girls kicked on in the second half of extra time and hit an additional four unanswered points to claim the win and move on to the semi finals.

Offaly team: Caoimhe Spain, Saoirse LIffey, Sarah Costello, Sadbh King, Jasmine Bennett, Karla Mannion, Aine Rigney, Ciara Walshe, Lucy Lowry, Kate Pilkington, Kayla Lawlor, Niamh Sheehy, Isabella Gleeson, Sarah O'Rourke, Chloe Gath Hollywood

Subs: Allie Wynne for Sadbh King, Lucy Flynn for Lucy Lowry, Grace Cleary for Chloe Gath Hollywood, Sadbh King for Grace Cleary, Lucy Lowry for Saoirse Liffey

Offaly scores: Kate Pilkington 0-4 (2 frees, 1 x '45), Lucy Flynn 1-1, Karla Mannion 1-0, Isabella Gleeson 0-2, Aine Rigney 0-1, Ciara Walshe 0-1