Plenty to work on as Meath cruise to victory over Laois

It's not too often Meath camogie managers get to reflect on comfortable victories in championship games, so for Brendan Skehan Saturday's post-match media briefing was a moment to be humble, yet proud.

Skehan admitted that his team have a lot to work on despite their 28-point drubbing of Laois in the opening round of the All-Ireland Intermediate Championship in Trim and he knows that tougher challenges lie ahead.

A hat-trick of goals from Aoife Minogue, a solid, sound defensive display particularly from Claire Coffey, Ellen Burke and Sophia Payne and a lively attacking showing from the superb Olivia O'Halloran, Emma O'Connell and Ciara Foley were the ingredients for Meath victory.

However, Skehan was frustrated by the 13 wides, the squandered goal chances and some of the decision making when in strong attacking positions. He knows his side can do better and he is confident they will.

"We take the positives from today without a doubt, but we will work on the stuff that we know we could have done better. In the first-half in particular we could have done better," reflected the Meath manager.

"We were up by a good bit at half-time, but we had so much possession in the middle of the pitch that we should have been up by a lot more, but at the end of the day you can't complain.

"The scoreline speaks for itself, we were totally dominant. In fairness to Laois they took the game to us in the first-half, but when we got on top and started moving the ball the way we did and were clinical in our passing it is hard for a team that is chasing shadows to keep going.

"We knew that they were under pressure and that was when we put the foot on the throat and kept it there.

"I'm very pleased with the outcome in the end. There are a lot of improvements needed on the first-half performance. We knew we were coming up against a weakened Laois team here too, but we still didn't take anything for granted.

"It is unfortunate at this level that you can beat a team like that, but girls showed what they can do when they are given that little bit of space.

"We have to work on that because things will tighten up for the next game against Kerry and then again after that against Westmeath when it will be tighter than today for sure."

Some of the most impressive aspects of Meath's performance was their superior fitness and that enabled them to pull away in the closing quarter.

Meath also moved the ball with precision and pace and that left Laois trailing in their wake. The impact of young players like O'Halloran, Foley, O'Connell and half-time sub Abbye Donnelly was telling and Skehan insists the injection of youth is crucial.

"When we run with the ball we offload to each other, we work hard on that in training," recalled Skehan on one aspect of his team's play that worked really well.

"When that is happening you are depending on that clinical pass because if the ball breaks down to the ground at all you get into dogged one-on-one situations and for a long time, in other games, we found ourselves in those type of situations.

"They are now moving the ball around nicely, they are getting it into positions where they can score.

"In the first-half I wasn't too happy, they were trying to score from too far out, they were getting a little too sure of themselves going for scores, so we left a few scores out there.

"In the second-half we ran into our scoring zone a lot more and I'm happy with that. One or two of the goals were a little fortuitous, but the right player was in the right position when it counted.

"The young players that have come into the team, and we are bringing in some more minors, have really injected that bit of pace. You could see that in the second-half when other teams are slowing down.

"I'm hoping that will give us that little bit of humph in the second-half of games that we were missing throughout the year when we were letting other teams back into games in the second-half, when we weren't finishing games out."

Skehan was determined not to get carried away with the victory. He is well aware of the failings of the past and he is convinced that tougher challenges lie ahead.

The manager knows his side have plenty to work on, but he is delighted to have that opportunity.

"It is good to have stuff to work on. The girls know themselves that we wouldn't be happy with those kind of strikes we had at the 'keeper today," reflected Skehan.

"The Laois 'keeper is a good 'keeper, a good shot stopper, but they made her look good at times by hitting shots at the perfect height for her. They need to hit them shots into the ground or pop them over the bar.

"I said it to Ciara Foley there. It is great to get the scores she did and to get the goals, but we also have to take our points when we need them. They know we have to work on that.

"There was one of Aoife's (Minogue) goals that she had no business getting to it, only she could get a goal like that.

"She was a little bit off her radar from frees and long strioking, but then Grace Coleman stepped in and did a good job on the frees, but she missed a few herself, so we have a bit to work on without a doubt.

"We lost a big game in Croke Park by one point, so firing that amount of wides is not acceptable really, we have to work on it," warned the Meath manager.