Wall boosts Meath to second successive win
The returning Vikki Wall bagged 2-1 at Pairc Tailteann, Navan on Monday as Meath made it two wins from two in Division 1 of the Lidl National Football League with an impressive 4-9 to 2-6 triumph over Mayo, writes Daire Walsh.
Whereas Saoirse Delaney and Bree Hession were late inclusions on the Mayo team, former TG4 Senior Players’ Player of the Year Wall was added to the Meath side for her first start since a TG4 All-Ireland senior football championship quarter-final defeat to Kerry in July 2023.
The multi-sport exponent made her presence felt in the early moments and with Ciara Smyth (two), Kerrie Cole and Meadhbh Byrne all finding the target, the Royals were four points clear at the end of the opening quarter.
Even though Sinead Walsh cancelled out a free from Smyth to finally get Mayo up and running in the 21st minute, Meath reinforced their authority when Wall drilled the ball to the opposition net moments later.
Yet Mayo were back in contention when Walsh claimed a superb solo goal of her own on 26 minutes and despite temporarily losing the MacHale Rovers attacker to injury arising from an incident that led to Wall being yellow-carded, Maria Cannon converted a close-in free to leave the westerners just three points adrift (1-5 to 1-2) at the interval.
Walsh was back in time to narrow the gap at the start of the second half with a place-ball strike from distance, before Meath regained a firm stranglehold when a Smyth point was supplemented by a green flag finish from Cole – who had bagged a brace of goals in her county’s opening round win over Tyrone.
However, Walsh was proving to be a real thorn in the side of the Meath defence and she rattled the net for a second time on 38 minutes via a neat one-two with Hession. This meant the Royals were three in front upon Wall’s return to the field of play and this cushion remained intact after Mayo midfielder Erin Murray and Smyth traded points.
This advantage was then doubled when Wall hammered home from a tight angle in the wake of Mayo defender Ella Brennan being sin-binned for a foul on the Dunboyne ace, and even though Walsh continued to lead the way for the visitors, a fourth goal off a counter-attack by raiding wing-back Niamh Gallogly helped Meath to ease over the line.
SCORERS
Meath: V Wall 2-1 (0-1f), C Smyth 0-6 (3f), K Cole 1-1, N Gallogly 1-0, M Byrne 0-1.
Mayo: S Walsh 2-4 (0-4f), M Cannon 0-1 (f), E Murray 0-1.
MEATH: R Murray; A Sheridan, S Wall, N Troy; N Gallogly, MK Lynch, C Millington; A Cleary, V Wall; M Thynne, O Sheehy, C Smyth; M Byrne, M Farrelly, K Cole. Subs: K Bermingham for Sheehy, E Moyles for Thynne (both 41), K Newe for Troy (46), O Callan for Farrelly (53), C Lawlor for Byrne (58), M Collins for Cole (59).
MAYO: R Dyar; E Brennan, S Lally, D Caldwell; S Delaney, S El Massry, H Reape; E Murray, A Geraghty; L Wallace, A Gough, C Durkin; M Cannon, S Walsh, B Hession. Subs: K Doherty for Walsh (30-h/t), K Doherty for Wallace (36), K Sullivan for El Massry (46), C Whyte for Hession (47), A Fitzpatrick for Gough (48), M Sheridan for Delaney (53), S McNulty for Sullivan (55), J Mortimer for Murray (58).
Referee: Kevin Phelan (Laois).