Meath dethroned in the Kingdom

Niamh Carmody scored 1-4 as Kerry powered their way to 1-18 to 0-9 victory and ended Meath’s chances of retaining NFL Div 1 title with a superb performance in Brosna this afternoon, writes Dan Kearney.

Carmody was the star while Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh also scored seven points for the Kingdom in a win that nudges Kerry closer to a place in the final for the first time since 2008.

The sides swapped scores early in the game with Meath’s debutant Amy O’Leary getting her side off the mark with a sweet point in the second minute, but Erica McGlynn punched over for Kerry two minutes later after Siofra O’Shea initially hit the post.

Kerry, playing with the aid of a swirling breeze, put a lot of heat on the Meath kick out and Louise Galvin got on the end of Monica McGuirk’s kick to punish the Royals and push Kerry 0-2 to 0-1 ahead.

Kerry’s goal came in the fifth minute. Ní Mhuircheartaigh put pressure on the Meath kick out again and she found wing forward Carmody off the shoulder. She had work to do but drove to the net from an acute angle.

Kerry were in control now, and O’Shea hit a fine effort off the crossbar but Ní Mhuircheartaigh made no mistake in the 10th minute with a lovely point to push Kerry 1-3 to 0-1 ahead.

Niamh O’Sullivan and McGlynn traded scores, but a Ní Mhuircheartaigh free pushed Kerry 1-5 to 0-2 ahead although Aoibhin Cleary got one back for the visitors.

Ní Mhuircheartaigh responded once more with a free after a foul on Anna Galvin but Meath struck with two points on the bounce from Niamh Gallogly and Ciara Smyth to put them just four behind, 0-5 to 1-6.

The last act of the first half fell to Lorraine Scanlon who scored a point on the stroke of half time following fine work from Aoife Dillane to see the home side take a 1-7 to 0-5 lead in at the break.

The second half belonged to Kerry completely as they outscored Meath by 0-11 to 0-4. Carmody popped over four superb efforts for the winners with Ní Mhuircheartaigh adding four more (two frees). Meath's replies came from Stacey Grimes (two), while Ciara Smyth and Aine Sheridan added one each.

In the finish it was Kerry who held all the aces and with five wins from five Croke Park should beckon as Meath's woes continue.

SCORERS

Kerry - L Ní Mhuircheartaigh 0-7 four frees; N Carmody 1-4; E McGlynn 0-2; L Scanlon 0-2; L Galvin 0-1; R Dwyer 0-1 free; S O’Shea 0-1.

Meath - C Smyth 0-2; S Grimes 0-2 frees; N Gallogly 0-1; A Cleary 0-1; N O’Sullivan 0-1; A O’Leary 0-1; A Sheridan 0-1.

TEAMS

Kerry - C Butler; E Lynch, K Cronin, A Dillane; A O’Connell, C Lynch, L Galvin; L Scanlon, M O’Connell; N Carmody, N Ní Chonchúir, A Galvin; S O’Shea, E McGlynn, L Ní Mhuircheartaigh. Subs - E Costello for M O’Connell 40 mins, C Murphy for L Galvin 44m, R Dwyer for McGlynn 51m, F Tangney for Ní Mhuircheartaigh 53m, C Evans for Ni Conchúir 55m, C O’Brien for E Lynch, K Brosnan for O’Shea both 57m, C Dillon for Carmody, E Riordan for A O’Connell both 58m, C McCarthy for Scanlon, K A Hanrahan for A Galvin, M Collins for A Dillane all 60m.

Meath - M McGuirk; A Sheridan, MK Lynch, K Newe; N Gallogly, S Melia, A Cleary; M O’Shaughnessy, A O’Leary; M Thynne, M Byrne, C Smyth; A Leahy, S Grimes, N O’Sullivan. Subs O Gore for Melia 38 mins, R Casserly for Byrne 44m, A Sherlock for O’Leary 46m, O Mallon for Smyth 48m, Melia for O’Shaughnessy 53m.

Referee – Shane Curley (Galway).