Meath retain Leinster title in fine style

Meath 1-16, Kildare 1-6 Meath retained the Leinster Junior Camogie title in fine style with a merited victory against Kildare at Monasterevin on Sunday. This was another encouraging performance by the Royal ladies ahead of the All-Ireland championship that is scheduled to start against Laois at the end of June. Victories over Carlow in the semi-final and Westmeath in the quarter-final set Meath up nicely for this game against the team they defeated in the decider 12 months ago at Ashbourne. Kildare won the National Camogie League Div 3 last month, but the experience Meath gained from playing in the Div 2 grade this year stood to them as they were much more proficient in all areas. The absence of Elizabeth Oakes who was unavailable paved the way for Claire Coffey to start at midfield as manager John Davis made one change from last week's victory over Carlow. Meath stood up to some early Kildare pressure and gradually wrestled the initiative from the hosts and were fairly comfortable throughout the second-half. Susie O'Kelly had wind-assisted Kildare in front from a pointed third minute free and Angela Lyons opened thier account from play in the eighth minute. Meath were under sustained pressure as Lyons and Siobhan Hurley ran at the Royal reraguard and Emily Mangan had to make a couple of good saves, but Meath gradually asserted their superiority and were ahead by 0-4 to 0-2 at the end of the opening quarter. Jane Dolan's point from a free got Meath on the scoreboard, Aileen Donnelly drew the sides level from a '45' with Sinead Hackett opening the account from play in the 13th minute. Meath continued in the ascendancy with Katie Hackett adding an opportunist score from Lizzie Lynch's centre 10 minutes before the break while a goal from Aoife Maguire added a nice cushion before Dolan closed her side's first-half account from a free. However, Kildare finished the half on the front foot with a brace of O'Carroll points that left them adrift by 0-4 to 1-6 at the interval. Dolan got Meath motoring again a minute into the second-half from a pointed '45' and that set the trend for the third-quarter and a 1-11 to 0-4 advantage. Sinead Hackett (two), Dolan and Donnelly claimed the points from play. There was never any doubt about the outcome subsequently although Kildare kept battling and added some respectability to the scoreboard with a goal from Roisin O'Connell. Meath - Emily Mangan (Blackhall Gaels); Niamh Guy (Trim), Aoife Thompson (Dunboyne), Fiona O'Neill (Dunboyne); Aine Keogh (Kildalkey), Kristina Troy (Blackhall Gaels),Holly Geraghty (Blackhall Gaels); Aileen Donnelly (Kilmessan 0-4 one '45'), Claire Coffey (Na Fiana); Jane Dolan (Blackhaell Gaels 0-6 three frees), Aoife Maguire (Killyon 1-0), Edel Guy (Trim); Elizabeth Lynch (Donaghmore/ Ashbourne), Sinead Hackett (Dunboyne 0-3), Katie Hackett (Trim 0-2). Subs - Maggie Randle (Donaghmore/Ashbourne 0-1) for Lynch 45 mins, Rachel Brown (Kildalkey) for Niamh Guy 55m. Kildare - B Byrnes; N Breen, A Trant, N Concannon; G O'Hurley, C Nolan, C Flanagan; L Walsh, O Bambury; L Keatley, A Lyons (0-1), S O'Carroll (0-5 one free); F Trant, S Hurley, R O'Connell (1-0). Subs - C Farrell for Walsh and C McSweeney for F Trant both 34 mins, J O'Donoghue for Breen 45m, E McNamara for A Trant 56m. Referee - Aidan O'Brien (Wexford).