All-Ireland champions Meath add League title to collection

Meath players and backroom team celebrate after their side's victory in the Lidl Ladies Football National League Division 1 Final. 

Lidl NFL Division 1 final 

Meath 2-8 

Donegal 1-9 

Croke Park continues to be Meath's field of dreams with another landmark win for the Royal County ladies, this time a first ever Lidl NFL Division 1 title success.

Just seven months after winning the All-Ireland senior championship for the first time there, Eamonn Murray's side held off a determined Donegal to claim a maiden league win.

Reigning Footballer of the Year Vikki Wall struck the 54th minute point that proved to be the insurance score in a hard fought two-point win.

Meath led by seven points after a great start but then conceded 1-5 without reply from a rallying Donegal who wiped out the deficit early in the second-half and took a narrow lead.

It was anyone's game at that stage but Niamh O'Sullivan's 40th minute goal for Meath put them into a lead that they would ultimately hold onto. Kelsey Nesbitt scored Meath's other goal in the first-half as they roared 1-6 to 0-2 clear and hinted at a rout. There were strong early performances too from Emma Duggan and fellow All-Star Emma Troy.

But that 1-5 without response from Donegal turned the game on its head and made for a cracking last 20 minutes or so.

Niamh McLaughlin scored the Donegal goal in the 27th minute from a penalty after Yvonne Bonner was hauled down by Mary Kate Lynch who was sin binned for the foul. O'Sullivan's goal for Meath after a terrific pass from Duggan proved to be decisive and Wall's late point kept Meath just about in front.

They will return to action in the three-team Leinster championship that also includes Dublin and Westmeath.

Scorers for Meath: K Nesbitt (1-1); N O'Sullivan (1-0); E Duggan (1 free), O Lally (0-2); S Grimes, N O'Sullivan, V Wall (0-1).

Scorers for Donegal: N McLaughlin (1-0, 1 pen); G McLaughlin (0-4, 1 free); K Guthrie (0-3, 2 frees); Y Bonner (0-2).

MEATH: M McGuirk; K Newe, MK Lynch, S Ennis; A Cleary, E Troy, A Leahy; M O'Shaughnessy, V Wall; K Nesbitt, O Lally, M Thynne; N O'Sullivan, E Duggan, S Grimes.

Subs: B Lynch for Nesbitt 38, N Gallogly for Leahy 52, E White for Thynne 52, O Byrne for Lally 56.

DONEGAL: R McCafferty; N Carr, E McGinley, N Boyle; T Hegarty, N McLaughlin, A Boyle Carr; K Herron, R Rodgers; B McLaughlin, N McLaughlin, S Twohig; Y Bonner, K Guthrie, G McLaughlin.

Subs: N Hegarty for T Hegarty 40, T Kennedy for Boyle 49, E McCrory for Twohig 56.

Referee: G McMahon (Mayo).