Teehan goal power too much for Derry as Offaly claim camogie league title

Offaly 4-13

Derry 0-10

By Daragh Ó Conchúir

First cousins Mairéad Teehan and Grace Teehan showcased all her talents, scoring 2-4 each as Offaly’s goal threat proved too much for Derry, enabling the Midlanders to claim the Very Camogie League Division 2 title and earning promotion to the Division 1B next year.

The margin of victory was a little harsh on a youthful Derry, who gave as good as they got but just were always a little open defensively.

Some brilliant last-ditch rearguard action kept Offaly out but then they were authors of their own demise, with Teehan the arch-scorer capitalising and giving David Sullivan’s squad a lead that enabled them to weather the early Derry third-quarter storm and end with a well earned victory.

The game started full of endeavour and all the skills of the game. From the start it ebbed and flowed, with Offaly wasting a few chances from frees before schoolgirl Éabha McElhinney split the posts for Derry from a tight enough angle coming in on the right.

Laura Coyle was busier than the Oak Leafers would have liked however, and made the first of two point-blank saves, when denying Faye Mulrooney in the third minute.

It was the ninth minute before Offaly got off the mark, an outstanding point on the run from outside the 45 by Sharon Shanahan and her midfield partner, Caoimhe O’Donovan picked out Mairéad Teehan with a deliberate diagonal for the Moneygall markswoman to put the Faithful in front.

Teehan was denied a goal by another one-on-one save from Coyle and Derry capitalised with points from Aimee Lennon and Orlaith Hull, from a '45'.

The warning signs were there in the Derry defence however, and after Grace Teehan restored parity from an easy free, Cliodhna Ní Mhianáin had to make another outstanding block from Mulrooney, before Christine Cleary hit the crossbar.

It must have been galling to finally concede in the manner they did then, with the normally ultra-reliable Leah Lennon (twin of Aimee) dallying in possession coming across her goal and being then blocked by Mairéad Teehan. The forward gathered quickly and drilled beyond Coyle.

Jackie Donnelly pointed for Derry but Mairéad Teehan grabbed her second goal immediately after, in the 26th minute, when her driven shot from about 25m out eluded Coyle’s grasping fingertips and flew all the way to the net.

Points flowed thereafter from Fianait Dooley, Mulrooney and Christine Cleary and it was 2-7 to 0-4 at the change of ends.

Eamon Melaugh and his brains trust certainly earned their corn at the interval and their charges responded well with five consecutive points to give them hope.

Skipper Rachel McAllister started the run, with Aimee Lennon and Lauren McKenna, making her first appearance in almost 12 months after injury, also on the mark.

A couple of converted frees by Hull reduced the margin to five but then Grace Teehan pounced for the first of her two goals and that removed all doubt.

Her second arrived in the 54th minute, in a golden run that saw her provide a goal and three points consecutively. Mairéad launched a soaring point from 50m late on to put the cherry on top.

Offaly Scorers: M Teehan 2-4; G Teehan 2-4(0-3fs); F Mulrooney 0-2; Shanahan, C Cleary, F Dooley 0-1 each.

Derry Scorers: O Hull 0-4(3fs, 1 '45'); A Lennon 0-2; L McKenna, E McElhinney, R McAllister, J Donnelly 0-1 each.

Offaly: L Gallagher, A Liffey, C Fogarty, M King, O Phelan, A Byrne, E Regan, S Shanahan, C O’Donovan, G Teehan, C Cleary, R Kinsella, F Dooley, F Mulrooney, M Teehan. Subs: C Leahy for O’Donovan (41), C Maher for Mulrooney (53), H Feenane for Kinsella (56), K Kennedy for Regan (56), O Kilmartin for Dooley (58), G Kennedy for G Teehan (60+3).

Derry: L Coyle, E Doherty, R Cassidy, L Lennon, C Ní Mhianáin, N Quinn, R Bradley, A McGill, R McAllister, E McElhinney, L McKenna, S McGill, J Donnelly, A Lennon, O Hull. Subs: A McDaid for A McGill (38), C Kerr for Hull (51), A McOscar for Quinn inj (56), C McCloskey for Bradley (60), R Keenan for S McGill (60+2).

Referee: Joe Mullins (Clare).