Louth Ladies bow out to Offaly

All-Ireland IFC Preliminary Round Qualifier

Offaly 3-21 0-8 Louth

Louth Ladies will have to negotiate a relegation play-off on the last weekend of August to ensure their survival in the Intermediate ranks for 2018.

This, following Sunday's comprehensive defeat to Offaly in Mullingar.

Louth were always going to be up against it against the Faithful, despite having already beaten them in championship action this season, with as many as five of their regulars missing.

Kate Flood was one of those absent, and the Wee County missed her dearly in the scoring department.

Paula Murray got Louth on the scoreboard, with a point, after eight-minutes before Offaly raced ahead with two goals in quick succession through Róisín Egan and Aoife Corbett.

That gave Louth, who featured six newcomers, a mountain to climb as they trailed 3-9 to five-points at the interval, with Egan getting a second goal.

With the contest effectively settled, the second-half was a low-key affair.

Louth battled to the close with Murray continuing to be their chief-scoring threat. A comeback was never likely though.

Louth: Una Pearson; Michelle McArdle, Shannon McLaughlin, Grainne Murray; Kathy O'Reilly (0-1), Ceire Nolan, Ciara O'Connor; Aoife Byrne, Sineád Woods; Aoife Russell (0-1), Susan Byrne (0-1), Eimear Byrne; Róisín Kavanagh, Paula Murray (0-5), Catherine McGlew ( 0-1)

Subs: Aoife Gregory for Kavanagh, Ciara Woods for Nolan, Christine Carolan for Eimear Byrne, Sara Moore for Russell, Allana McLaughlin for O'Reilly