Royals struggle to scale Derry's defensive wall
John Davis, one of the great figures in Meath camogie of recent times, was in the attendance at Pairc Tailteann for the National Camogie League Div 2A game today between the Royal County and Derry.
It's not clear what the inspirational coach, who guided the Royal County from the doldrums to an All-Ireland Intermediate title in 2017, thought of the home team's performance but it's surely fair to say he would have been disappointed with the final result.
Although he would understand too that Meath are rebuilding and the league is about trying new players and different strategies.
The Royal County never quite found the intensity they showed against Offaly in their previous outing and deservedly lost out (by 1-16 to 0-10) to a defensively strong Derry side, who were also more incisive, more ruthless in attack, and led from start to finish.
Meath just couldn't find their way through the very solid, defensive wall constructed by the Ulster side to get a goal or two that would have really boosted their cause. More worrying perhaps for the current manager Anton O'Neill they never really looked like finding the net.
The nearest they came to getting a major was in the second-half when Aoife Carey fired a shot in from distance. The sliotar cannoned off the bar and was cleared. The Meath markswoman was aiming for a point but the ball almost ended in the net. Almost.
Another aspect of this display that may cause the Meath management some concern is the team only managed four points from play all afternoon. Carey got one of those, to add to the other five points she garnered from placed balls, with Isobel O'Connor, Aedin Slattery and Grace Coleman others to raise white flags over the hour.
It also took Meath 24 minutes to fashion their opening point from play, superbly scored by O'Connor, after the O'Mahonys player took a pass from the ever-busy Rachel O'Neill who marked her high-calibre display with some visionary passing.
The only goal underlined another issue that caused Meath problems in this game - a certain vulnerability in defence. A vulnerability the pacy Derry attack weren't slow in exploiting.
The score arrived in the 23rd minute. The ball was delivered from distance into the Meath goalmouth. The home side had an opportunity to clear. They were unable to do so and in the resulting scramble Eabha McElhinney knocked the ball to the net from close range. It wasn't a classic strike by any means but it gave the visitors a commanding 0-3 to 1-6 lead.
The second-half was full of inventive moves the breeze-assisted home side put together but promising attacks frequently floundered on Derry's defensive fortitude.
Leah Devine had a first-rate, high-quality second-half performance while Erin Leddy, Aoibhin Lally and Emma Regan were others who showed plenty of fire and determination but Meath just couldn't push on.
With players like Sinead McGill, Aimee Lennon, Jackie Donnelly and Lauren McKenna, Derry were always capable of breaking from their defensive mode, converting chances into scores and steadily adding to their account.
Meath did fashion what was arguably the most spectacular score of the game when Coleman pointed with a clever overhead puck of the ball.
It was one of the few highlights from a very mixed display by the Royals who now face Carlow in their last game of the campaign.
With only one team facing relegation from the division (and that looks destined to be Armagh) Meath have some breathing space but they will want to finish with a flourish.
Meath - Tara Murphy; Aishling Byrne, Maeve Clince, Sophia Payne; Roisin Heaney, Erin Leddy, Leah Devine; Rachel O'Neill, Aoibhinn Lally; Isabel O'Connor (0-1), Aoife Carey (0-7, five frees, one '45'), Aedin Slattery (0-1); Ciara Foley, Cliodhna O'Riordan, Grace Coleman (0-1). Subs - Emma Regan for O'Riordan 14m, Eimear Fagan for Byrne 18m, Grace Connolly for Heaney, Ella O'Brien for Foley both half-time, Ciara Flanagan for Coleman 44m, Katie Connolly for Slattery 52m, Alannah Brady for Payne 61m.
Derry - Niamh Gribben' Eimear Doherty, Roisin Cassidy, Leah Lennon; Cliodhna Ni Mhianain, Niamh Quinn, Rebecca Bradly; Aine McGill, Rachel McAllister; Sinead McGill (0-3), Lauren McKenna (0-1), Eabha McElhinney (1-4); Jackie Donnelly (0-3), Aimee Lennon (0-4), Orlagh Hull. Subs - Anna McDaid (0-1) for Bradley half-time, Rachel Keenan for Hull 49m, Caoimhe McCloskey for A McGill 56m, Caoimhe Higgins for S McGill 60m.