Manager Skehan proud of the players

So near and yet so far. As we see time and again the margins between success and failure in sport - and life - can be fine indeed. Wafer thin.

For a nanosecond towards the end of last Saturday's National Camogie League Div 2 game in Inniskeen Maire Kirby looked odds on to be a superhero for the second successive week.

The scorer of the match-winning goal against Kilkenny seven days previously, the Na Fianna player caused Antrim plenty of problems when she came on the pitch in the second-half, almost scoring a goal near the end when the chance was ever so fleetingly there for her to find the net.

Instead, under intense pressure, she shot and the sliotar rolled inches wide.

One week those shots end up with in the net, the next they don't don't, they trickle, agonisingly wide. C'est la vie. That's life.

Kirby was one of the players Brendan Skehan picked out after Saturday's game for the quality of her performance.

For her skill and maturity and the way she caused consternation in the Antrim defence every time she got the ball - and even when she didn't. Just her presence was enough.

"She looks lethal everytime she gets the ball in there, she's one for the future, without a doubt," stated manager Brendan Skehan.

He spoke specifically too of how Megan Thynne is an immense asset to any team and how she shouldn't have been put in a position where she had to dash from the football game involving Meath to the camogie match.

"She's a warrior, she came in and did a really good job for us. It was terrible that she was put in that position this week, it shouldn't have happened," he said opting to leave it at that.

There were others too he spoke about as he reflected on a game that - for a time - looked like his team was going to win.

A remarkable scenario considering that for much of the opening half Meath were off the pace. Way off.

"At half-time the girls hadn't even got into the game, they hadn't started playing and yet, at the break, there was only a puck of a ball in it," he said.

"The players knew themselves that they could play a lot better and they did in the second-half.

"Unfortunately when you are up against teams like Antrim, quality teams, you can't afford to give them a head start.

"Even if you haul yourself level, as we did, we knew they were going to come back at us, as they did to get those two late points at the end.

"They had the quality, I knew that, to snatch it at the end with one ball into their full forward line, so it proved with the late points they got."

Skehan felt that if the game went to extra-time the fitness and conditioning of his troops would see them through the hard, extra yards but extra-time never arrived.

The high level of fitness among the players is one of the reasons why they defeated Kilkenny the previous week - and it nearly saw them through again in the sumptuous home of Inniskeen Grattans GAA club.

At times Meath's defending was top class, the covering back, the blocking exemplary and brave.

There were times when the passing was accurate and incisive too.

Meath got plenty of dividends from the crossfield passes that helped to stretch the Antrim defence this way and that.

At other times, particularly in the forgettable opening half, passes went astray, balls were played into forwards who had no chance of gaining possession. The team seemed to lack direction.

Skehan deserves credit for reshuffling the pack, making changes such as pushing Grace Coleman into a more forward position where her height caused plenty of headaches for the Antrim defence.

Coleman's ability to pluck the ball out of the sky offered an added dimension to the attack.

Young players like Leah Devine, Nadine Doyle and Sophie Healy continue to pick up valuable experience and make their mark.

It was also impossible after Saturday's clash not to be impressed with the manner in which Meath got their act together especially in the opening 20 minutes of so of the second-half when they produced quality and sustained hurling.

They upped their workrate too ensuring Antrim had a far from easy march to victory which looked to be the most likely outcome, especially during the lopsided opening half.

Meath's second-half display softened the bitter taste of defeat.

"In one sense we were lucky, but you make your luck, that's what the good teams do," added Skehan.

"Antrim made their luck, they got ball into the space and caused us plenty or problems, that's part of the learning process for our players."

They went close to victory on Saturday, but Meath ultimately fell short - and no doubt the manager hoped the lessons learned by the players will be stored away to help on another day.

Joyful victory one week, agonising defeat the next.

That's life - and sport - and there's usually a next time to put things right.