Defiant Kerry withstand second-half storm to dethrone Meath

Kingdom exact revenge for last year's All Ireland Final defeat by building large half-time lead and defending bravely against Royal fightback

HAIR-RAISING: Niamh O'Sullivan of Meath in action against Eilís Lynch of Kerry during the TG4 Ladies Football All-Ireland Senior Championship quarter-final match between Kerry and Meath at Austin Stack Park in Tralee, Kerry. Pic: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile

TG4 All-Ireland SFC quarterfinal: Kerry 2-8 Meath 0-10 

To repeat the well known cliché, this was a game of two halves but a resilient Kerry did the damage in the opening half and, leading by ten at the interval, then weathered a Meath storm in the second half. The Royals found seven points but not the goal they craved.

A repeat of the 2022 TG4 All-Ireland Senior Final drew a big crowd to Austin Stack Park with a strong wind and driving rain not conductive to flowing football.

Kerry wanted to exact some revenge for last year’s Croke Park disappointment and in the process end the Royal County’s three-in-a-row bid. Their success will be a huge boost to this Kerry side when they face Mayo in the semi-final.

Kerry played with the wind in the opening half and dominated with their high press causing Meath great difficulty, especially on their own kick-outs. While the Kingdom were slow to turn possession into scores early on, they were solid at the back with Kayleigh Cronin, Ciara Murphy and Cait Lynch keeping Vicki Wall and the marauding Aoife Minogue in check. Louise Ni Muircheartaigh kicked the opening point and Siofra O’Shea added another. But Meath kept in touch thanks to two Emma Duggan frees. The holders, however, were being turned over too easily in diabolical weather conditions.

Kerry were rewarded for their pressure with a fortuitous goal in the 14th minute when Lynch found O’Shea whose effort for a point deceived Meath keeper Monica McGuirk and dropped into the net.

Kerry added three unanswered points, two from Ni Mhuircheartaigh and one from Niamh Ni Conchúir as they moved 1-5 to 0-2 in front. Disaster followed for Meath in the 16th minute when O’Shea found Niamh Carmody inside the Meath cover and she slipped the ball into the net for a second goal. 

Emma Duggan converted her third free but that was it as Kerry added points from Lorraine Scanlon and Ni Conchúir to retire 2-7 to 0-3 in front.

It was all Meath in the second half with Duggan adding four points while Wall kicked three from play but the Kerry defence never looked like conceding a potentially pivotal goal with Ciara Butler denying O’Sullivan with a kicked clearance while player of the game Cait Lynch denied Wall another goal chance. 

Kerry only managed one point in the second half from Hannah O’Donoghue but they controlled possession for long periods against the wind with a huger and work rate that was admirable. Niamh Gallogly, Duggan, Wall and Aoife Minogue were outstanding for Meath who were carried out on their shields.

Scorers for Kerry: S O’Shea (1-1), N Carmody (1-0), L Ní Mhuircheartaigh (0-3, 1f), N Ní Chonchúir (0-2), L Scanlon and H O’Donoghue (0-1 each).

Scorers for Meath: E Duggan (0-7, 5 f’s), V Wall (0-3) 

KERRY: C Butler; E Lynch, K Cronin, C Murphy; A O’Connell, E Costello, C Lynch; L Scanlon, L Galvin; N Carmody, N Ní Chonchúir, A Galvin; H O’Donoghue, S O’Shea (capt.), L Ní Mhuircheartaigh. Subs: D O’Leary for L Galvin (38), A Harrington for N Ní Chonchúir (49), M O’Connell for N Carmody (51), N Broderick for H O’Donoghue (56)

MEATH: M McGuirk; Á Sheridan, M.K. Lynch, K Newe; N Gallogly, S Ennis (capt.), E Duggan; M O’Shaughnessy, A Minogue; M Thynne, V Wall, O Lally; A Cleary, S Grimes, N O’Sullivan. Subs: M Byrne for a Cleary (36), O Mallon for S Grimes (40), S Melia for M O’Shaughnessy (58) 

Referee: S Curley (Galway)