Camogie title for Kilmessan

Hunger proved to be a great sauce for Kilmessan as they regained the Meath Senior Camogie Championship with a convincing final victory over Trim at Ashbourne on Saturday evening. Just 12 months ago Kilmessan squandered a five-point lead with 10 minutes remaining to hand the senior title to Blackhall Gaels, but on Saturday they claimed the honours from a disappointing game. Kilmessan had a greater hunger for success while Trim showed the effects of the previous week's tough semi-final victory over Killyon. After marching through their 10-game group unbeaten and then negotiating their way past Killyon in the last four, Trim struggled to recapture their top form. Kilmessan were the better team and fully merited their victory. They bossed the midfield exchanges and their defence managed to hold the vaunted Trim attack scoreless from play. A game that promised so much from the undisputed two best teams in the championship was a dire affair. There were very few flowing passages of play with referee Peter Dowd from Ratoath not helping the contest by stopping the game for many baffling decisions. Only three players, Aileen Donnelly, Katie Ni Choileann and Frances Lynch, managed to score from play and much of the defending was of the last ditch variety with Trim needing great displays from Emma McNally, Alma Walsh and Niamh Guy to restrict Kilmessan. Kilmessan too lacked potency, but Ni Choileann, Frances Lynch and Donnelly kept the team ticking over with their constant pressing, faster stick work and excellent closing down and harrying. Kilmessan did more of the pressing with eight wides to Trim's two in the first-half and they also hit five efforts off target in the second period to Trim's four. Trim rarely looked like troubling Noreen Sheridan as Caoimhe O'Leary, Nicola Lynch, Alison Lynch and especially Sarah Ross were solid at the back. They successfully restricted the impact of Lynn Winters, Aisling Fagan, Katie Hackett and Dearbhla O'Carroll. It was obvious from an early stage that the final was never going to be a classic. It took 25 minutes for the first score from play, a superb Donnelly point, and it took Trim until a minute into first-half injury-time to get their second score. Donnelly gave Kilmessan a fourth minute lead from a free, but another 11 minutes elapsed before Trim got back on terms through the ever-industrious Edel Guy. A foul by Brid Guy on Lisa Tyrrell earned the Trim girl a yellow card and allowed Donnelly edge Kilmessan ahead again. Donnelly made it 0-3 to 0-1 with the only score of the half from play before Edel Guy pointed a 55-metre free to close the gap to 0-2 to 0-3 at the break. Within eight minutes of the restart Kilmessan had the game in the bag. Another Donnelly free, after McNally had fouled Ni Choileann, stretched Kilmessan's lead and they looked the more dangerous side as both Ann Marie Dennehy and Orla Doyle had goal chances. That goal wasn't long in coming as Ni Choileann picked up a breaking ball, side-stepped Walsh and Darina Smyth before blasting an unstoppable shot past Ann Cole to make it 1-4 to 0-2. It was difficult to see a way back for Trim, but they refused to give up. Another Edel Guy free kept their hopes alive, but Donnelly was equal to the task three minutes later and then made it 1-6 to 0-3 with an exquisite pointed free from a very difficult angle. Player-of-the-match Frances Lynch came into her own in the closing stages with a great point. Trim threatened a recovery when Edel Guy arrowed a low '45'to the roof of the net with four minutes remaining, but with Frances Lynch excelling Kilmessan were always in control as she notched the last score of the game to put the icing on the celebratory cake. Kilmessan - N Sheridan; N Lynch, C O'Leary, E Doyle; S Ross, A Lynch, M E Sheridan; F Lynch (0-2), A Donnelly (0-6, five frees); S Horan, L Tyrell, M Horan; O Doyle, K Ni Choileann (1-0), A M Dennehy. Subs - A McLoughlin for M Horan 36 mins, C Ni Choileann for McLoughlin 57m, E Fitzgerald for Sheridan 62m. Trim - A Cole; D Smyth, E McNally, S Campbell; N Guy, B Guy, A Walsh; C Ashe, E Guy (1-3, 0-3 frees, 1-0 '45'); A Fagan, A M Fagan, K Hackett; D O'Carroll, L Winters, L Telford. Subs - C O'Brien for Winters 43 mins, B Seoighe for Ashe 45m. Referee - Peter Dowd (Ratoath).