Meath win camogie by a big margin

Meath were too strong for Down in the All-Ireland Intermediate Camogie Championship first round curtainraiser at Croke Park today where they won with plenty to spare by 3-21 to 0-9.

Meath were smartly out of the traps with first minute points from Sinead Hackett and Amy Gaffney, but Down opened their account from a third minute Catherine McGourty pointed free.

However, there was a steely resolve about the Meath players and Jane Dolan finshed to the net soon after despite a late tackle that left the Blackhall Gaels player in need of some attention.

The Down rearguard found it almost impossible to cope with the threat that the Meath forwards posed although Dolan was targeted on a number of occasions and didn't receive any great amount of protection from Westmeath referee John Dermody.

However, Down's Nicola O'Gorman was yellow-carded in the 22nd minute for a crude swing on Meath's Máire Kirby and the referee also eventually noticed that the Down goalkeeper was taking her puck-outs from the 13-metre line instead of inside the small square close to the interval

A completely dominant Meath team was ahead by 3-14 to 0-3 at the interval with Dolan adding two more goals and five points while Hackett sent over four more points which included one from a penalty.

Meath's impressive first-half point-tally was completed by Aoife Minogue (two) and Maire Kirby with McGourty adding a brace for Down.

Meath did enough to win the second-half by 0-7 to 0-6 and complete a good day for the panel on what was an emotional day follwoing the funeral earlier today of the wife of manager John Davis. 

Meath - Emily Mangan (Blackhall Gaels); Aoife Thompson (Dunboyne), Claire Coffey (Na Fianna), Emma Coffey (Na Fianna); Louise Donoghue (Kiltale), Cheyenne O'Brien (Kiltale), Aine Keogh (Kildalkey); Kristina Troy (Blackhall Gaels 0-1), Maire Keogh (Kildalkey); Aoife Minogue (Dunderry 0-3 one free), Aoife Maguire (Killyon), Amy Gaffney (Ratoath 0-1); Sinead Hackett (Dunboyne 0-8 one penalty), Jane Dolan (Blackhall Gaels 3-7 four frees), Maire Kirby (Na Fianna 0-1). Subs – Grace Coleman (Killyon) for C O'Brien 42m, Megan Thynne (Kilmessan) for Gaffney 48m, Fia O'Bien (Kiltale) for Dolan 54m, Maggie Randle (Donaghmore/Ashbourne) for Kirby 58m, Fiona O'Neill (Dunboyne) for E Coffey 59m.