Bright start by Meath as the Breffni Blues are conquered

Cole's team build on interval lead to win

Meath ...1-13

Cavan...0-4

"Once more onto the breach," said one observer in Trim on Saturday seconds after this this National Camogie League Div 2A game started.

Another year, another campaign was underway. Once more the battle for league honours had commenced.

Last year Meath went close to claiming a league title in Croke Park (only to be narrowly denied by Kerry). How will they go this time around?

There were certainly plenty of encouraging, positive pointers to be taken from this engaging encounter from a Royal County perspective.

Apart from the comprehensive victory there was the fact that Meath played with a vibrancy and a certain freedom that augurs well for the season ahead. They looked fresh and eager.

The team is composed of a nice blend of youth and experience and has plenty of players with that most precious commodity in modern sport - pace.

There was the fact also, that apart from a very brief spell in the opening half they led all the way building on a 1-9 to 0-3 interval advantage to push on and win with Ciara Foley netting the only goal.

There was also the fact that despite only mustering four second-half points their lead was never seriously threatened. Not really, although Cavan did have two efforts in the second-half rebound off the bar, while substitute Rachel Moran came on and made a sharp, quick-reaction goal-line clearance.

Meath won well but that's not to suggest this was a stroll or that the performance didn't contain some concerning dimensions that will need to be sorted out as the season unfolds and the quest for the big prizes picks up pace.

The Royals spurned a series of decent scoring opportunities over the course of the game.

They racked up nine wides and also had a number of efforts that fell short but it's early in the year and this was, after all, only the team's first competitive outing.

The most important aspect of today's game from a Meath perspective is that they won. They lost some of the wind out of their sails in the second-half but that was, perhaps to be expected, as they made eight substitutions, the full quota allowed.

Foley ended up as Meath's topscorer. The Killyon forward had a very productive afternoon that ended with a tally of 1-5, two frees. Her goal wasn't a classic but the score did highlight her goal-scoring instincts and ability to finish.

Her club-mate Grace Connolly, who had a super opening half, played the ball into the Cavan goalmouth.

There was a mother and father of a scramble with Foley pouncing to touch the ball to the net from close range. There was 14 minutes on the clock and Meath were 1-2 to 0-2 in front and on their way.

Foley was unlucky not to get a second goal in the lead up to the interval. This time another club colleague, Katie Connolly, supplied the pass. Foley looked destined to find the net but the ball was brilliantly saved by Cavan 'keeper Emma Kerrigan.

Meath's lively, inventive play regularly stretched the visitors' defence with Katie Connolly and Amy Gaffney steaming through from midfield to fire over four points between them, all from play. They made up an busy central combination and were the source of much of what was good about their team's display.

Aoife Carey also had an industrious, influential afternoon with her display topped off by three scores, two frees, with Grace Coleman, busy as ever, embellishing her display with a smartly-taken score.

Cavan play in camogie's junior ranks in the championship and some measure of their limited resources could be seen in the way they had relatively few substitutes in their digout. Certainly relative to the big number Meath had at their disposal.

This was a big test for Cavan and while they had some very talented players such as Hannah Fitzsimons, who ended up with two points, overall they lacked the cutting edge to make their hosts pay for any slackness in defence.

The Breffni County can take encouragement from the way they battled to the end and, indeed, they edged the closing stages with Niamh Keenaghan and Fitzsimons both seeing the ball rebound off the bar from their shots. Tara Murphy also had to make a smart save.

If those efforts had gone in it would certainly have made it nervy for Meath but they didn't and now Neil Cole's side is up and running and on their way.

What the season holds for them who knows but this was, at least, a very positive start.

SCORERS

Meath - Ciara Foley 1-5 two frees; Amy Gaffney 0-2; Aoife Carey 0-3 two frees; Katie Connolly 0-2; Grace Coleman 0-1.

Cavan - Hannah Fitzsimons 0-2; Shanise Fitzsimons, Niamh Keenaghan 0-1.

TEAMS

Meath - Maggie Randle; Tracy King, Maeve Clince, Sophia Payne; Leah Devine, Ellen Burke, Grace Connolly; Amy Gaffney, Katie Connolly; Grace Coleman, Aoife Carey, Erin Leddy; Aoibhin Lally, Ciara Foley, Olivia O'Halloran. Subs - Ella O'Brien for Carey, Jorja Keogh for Burke, Rachel Moran for O'Halloran all 42m, Tara Murphy for Randle, Roisin Heaney for G Connolly, Rachel O'Neill for Coleman, Cliodhna O'Riordan for K Connolly, Emma O'Connell for King all 54m.

Cavan - Emma Kerrigan; Sarah Clarke, Erinn Galligan, Rosie Crowe McKeever; Emer Tierney, Aideen Coyle, Rebecca Fitzsimons; Sophie Slowey, Hannah Fitzsimons; Debra Smith, Shanise Fitzsimons, Christina O'Reilly; Josephine Maguire, Niamh Keenaghan, Michelle Ellis. Subs - Clodagh Keenaghan for Smith, Lorraine O'Rourke for Ellis half-time.

Referee - Karol Collins (Galway).