Meath overcome rocky start to secure two-in-a-row after win over Kerry
EASY FINISH: Niamh O'Sullivan of Meath scores her side's second goal past Ciara Butler of Kerry during the TG4 All-Ireland Ladies Football Senior Championship Final match between Kerry and Meath at Croke Park in Dublin. Pic: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile
Two second-half goals in the space of three minutes paved the way for Meath’s successful defence of their All-Ireland senior ladies football title in Croke Park this afternoon.
In front of a crowd of 46,440, the Brendan Martin Cup holders’ shooting at times was questionable but their general play was good enough to prevail as they recovered from a shaky start when they trailed by five points after seven minutes.
Meath’s advantage, three at half-time, was cut to a point five minutes into the second half as Kerry converted a quick brace. An Emma Duggan free stretched Meath’s lead once more but they were wasteful in front of goal, Duggan herself kicking three short by the 38th minute.
Kerry didn’t help themselves with some poor discipline and overcarrying. Their kick-out was spluttering too and it cost them for Meath’s second goal in the 45th minute when the ball was moved quickly back towards the Kerry goal, Stacey Grimes squared it to Niamh O’Sullivan and she palmed the ball to the net.
Three minutes later and Meath were out of sight, eight points up, as Vikki Wall broke with intent, found Grimes who fed substitute Bridgetta Lynch and while her first effort came back off the bar she was alert to make the most of the second bite of the cherry.
The intensity of Meath’s tackling throughout the second half was excellent and too often Kerry’s forwards ran into cul de sacs. Wall didn’t finish the game on the field as she was yellow carded but it didn’t matter as Meath kept their opponents scoreless for the final 25 minutes of the game.
Kerry’s start was electric, though. By the seventh minute, they had 1-2 on the board and Meath, who didn’t score until two minutes later, appeared shellshocked. Ciara Murphy and Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh (free) had points on the board when after the latter’s effort she seized on Katie Newe’s attempt to retrieve a quick kick-out and found her target with a beautifully-placed lob in the seventh minute.
Like true champions though, Meath responded resoundingly with the next seven scores. They raised a green flag in the 10th minute, Kelsey Nesbitt catching and running before Emma Troy applied an emphatic finish.
A Wall free squared the game in the 12th minute, Meath went ahead a minute later and by the 24th minute they were four ahead as Wall added her third point of the game. Kerry were struggling with their kick-outs and Aoibhín Cleary was playing a blinder for Meath in the middle third.
Kerry did stop the rot in the 25th minute when Síofra O’Shea split the posts. Niamh O’Sullivan cancelled that out but Paris McCarthy and Lorraine Scanlon fired over a point either side of a Grimes free and Kerry were within touching distance at the break, 1-5 to 1-8 down.
E. Troy, N. O’Sullivan (1-1 each); B. Lynch (1-0); V. Wall (0-3, 2 frees); S. Grimes (0-3, 2 frees); E. Duggan (free) (0-1 each).
L. Ní Mhuircheartaigh (1-2, 0-2 frees); S. O’Shea (0-2); C. Murphy, P. McCarthy, L. Scanlon (0-1 each).
M. McGuirk; K. Newe, M.K. Lynch, S. Ennis (c); E. Duggan, E. Troy, M. Thynne; M. O’Shaughnessy, O. Lally; V. Wall, A. Leahy, A. Cleary; N. O’Sullivan, K. Nesbitt, S. Grimes.
O. Byrne for A. Leahy (inj 26); B. Lynch for K. Nesbitt (43); A. Dillane for J. O’Sullivan (55); O. Duff for K. Newe, E. White for S. Grimes, S. Wall for M. Thynne (all 56).
C. Butler; E. Lynch, K. Cronin, J. O’Sullivan; A. O’Connell, E. Costello, C. Murphy; L. Scanlon, C. Lynch; A. Galvin (c), N. Carmody, P. McCarthy; D. O’Leary, S. O’Shea, L. Ní Mhuircheartaigh.
N. Ní Chonchúir for N. Carmody (44); E. McGlynn for P. McCarthy (45); C. Evans for D. O’Leary (56); M. O’Connell for A. O’Connell (58).
M. Farrelly (Cavan).
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
