Stunning blitzkrieg not enough to sustain Meath

LADIES NFL DIV 1 Royal promotion bid ends in Tralee

Kerry 0-13

Meath 1-8

JOHN O’DOWD

Saturday might have produced a third successive defeat for Meath in Ladies NFL Div 1, ending their outside hopes of advancing to the final, but this was a much improved display from the Royals against All-Ireland champions Kerry at Austin Stack Park in Tralee.

Indeed, after digging in diligently against the strong wind in the first half, Shane McCormack’s charges struck for an unanswered 1-5 blitzkrieg in an exhilarating third quarter burst to hit the front, before a yellow card for Meadhbh Byrne put paid to their growing momentum.

Leading by two points (1-7 to 0-8) in the 40th minute, after Vikki Wall and Katie Newe combined to set up corner-forward Byrne for a clinical right-footed finish to the Kingdom net, and with the elements in their favour, the visitors looked set to drive on.

However, with Byrne sin-binned shortly after, the Meath juggernaut was stopped in its tracks, with Kerry storming back into the contest. The numerical disadvantage certainly shook the Royals, and the home team notched five of the last six points to edge home.

Overall though, this was a marked improvement from Meath, on their recent displays against Kildare and, especially, Dublin, where they were on the receiving end of a 16-point drubbing. Pushing Kerry all the way should lead to a renewed self-belief heading towards the championship.

Against the wind in the first half, Meath were resolute. Indeed, points from the hard-working Niamh Gallogly and Emma Duggan gave them an early lead (0-2 to 0-1), even though they were slightly fortunate not to concede three goals.

Goalkeeper Robyn Murray was inspirational, making stunning stops to deny Kerry’s Jadyn Lucey and Niamh Carmody in the seventh and 16th minutes. In between, Danielle O’Leary did beat Murray with a fisted finish, but the goal was disallowed due to a square ball offence.

Trailing by four points at the interval (0-2 to 0-6), Meath would have hoped to hit the ground running on the changeover. A brace of Kerry white flags, however, increased the deficit to six, before the Royals’ purple patch arrived, but only after another great save from Murray, this time from Síofra O’Shea.

Duggan (three), Ciara Smyth and Byrne were all on the mark in a blistering five-minute spell, before the latter slotted to the net. Then came the yellow card, the resultant pendulum swing, with another Duggan free the only Meath score in an underwhelming last 20 minutes.

Kerry - Mary Ellen Bolger; Eilís Lynch, Deirdre Kearney, Roisín Rahilly; Kayleigh Cronin, Aishling O’Connell (0-1), Aoife Dillane; Mary O’Connell, Anna Galvin (0-1); Caoimhe Evans, Niamh Ní Chonchúir, Niamh Carmody (0-2); Jadyn Lucey, Síofra O’Shea (0-6 five frees), Danielle O’Leary (0-1). Sub - Rachel Dwyer (0-2) for Lucey 44m, Ciara McCarthy for Dillane 55m, Leah Boyle for Evans 59m, Julia Curtin for Carmody 60m.

Meath - Robyn Murray; Aine Sheridan, Sarah Wall, Amy Gaffney; Katie Newe, Mary Kate Lynch, Clodagh Millington; Niamh Gallogly (0-1), Ella Moyles; Megan Thynne, Orlaith Sheehy, Ciara Smyth (0-1); Meadhbh Byrne (1-1), Vikki Wall, Emma Duggan (0-5 two frees). Subs - Marion Farrelly for Moyles 21m, Karla Kealy for Millington 34m, Nicole Troy for Gaffney 49m, Megan Collins for Newe 56m.

Referee - Shane Curley (Galway).