Meath cruise to league title

Is there any end to what this outstandingly talent Meath team can achieve.

In 2019 they were playing Div 3 football and stuck in the IFC with huge stumbling blocks in their way.

However, in less than two years they find themselves back in senior football after a four-year hiatus and following today's mesmerising 2-16 to 1-9 NFL Div 2 final victory over Kerry they will operate in the top flight in 2022.

When Meath faced Kerry earlier in this league campaign they were comprehensively beaten. It looked to be a huge ask to expect them to overturn that six point deficit, but overturn it they did - and in some style.

Today's victory was a 16-point turn around in performance in such a short space of time and they looked every inch full value for the victory as they pinned a Kerry side, who are considered serious contenders for senior honours, to their collars.

Kicking 2-16 against such high quality opposition is a phenomenal return, but to have 11 different scorers and never trail in an absorbing contest that produced the highest level of football proves that Meath are on the rise.

Unlike the league clash a couple of months ago, Meath got off to a flier with Niamh O'Sullivan causing countless problems for the Kerry rearguard as she kicked a superb point to open the scoring in the second minute and then won two of the next three frees which were converted by the flawless Stacey Grimes to boost Meath to a 0-4 to 0-0 lead inside six minutes.

As well as O'Sullivan doing untold damage, the rampaging of Emma Troy punched constant holes in the Kerry defence which caused panic at the back and was punished in style.

While their huge return of 2-16 was mightily impressive a significant portion of the credit for this victory has to go to the diligent defensive structure which crowds Kerry and hassled and harried them into error after error.

Louise Ni Mhuircheartaigh was Kerry's main danger, but Mary Kate Lynch did an outstanding job in snuffing out that threat and with Troy, Katie Newe, Shauna Ennis and Orlagh Lally also excelling Kerry struggled to get out of first gear.

After Anna Galvin finally found a rare gap in the Meath defence to open her side's account in the seventh minute, Meath responded with Troy clipping over a brilliant score on the run.

Ni Mhuircheartaigh punished Troy for a rare error when she fouled Lorraine Scanlon, but then Meath were handed another boost when Emma Dineen was sin-binned for a high tackle on Troy.

Meath looked set to capitalise on that numerical advantage when Maire O'Shaughnessy and Bridgetta Lynch made it 0-7 to 0-2 in the 15th minute, but Ni Mhuircheartaigh proved her threat with a fine score to close the gap to four points at the water break.

When play resumed Ni Mhuircheartaigh added two more frees as Meath lost their way despite their numerical supremacy and things took a turn for the worse when O'Sullivan was forced off with a broken thumb.

After being out scored 0-3 to 0-2 by 14 player Kerry, Meath ended their 16 minute barren spell in the best way possible as Grimes picked out Lally with a clever pass and she quickly released Emma Duggan who finished to the net to make it 1-7 to 0-5 - Meath were back up and running.

Lally added a point quick smart and before the half-time hooter Aoibheann Leahy tagged on another score to make it 1-9 to 0-5 at the break.

When play resumed Meath continued to dominate as Grimes took her point from a goal chance inside 90 seconds and after Scanlon responded with a fisted point Kerry rang the changes as they introduced Andrea Murphy and Danielle O'Leary in an effort to find a more direct route to goals.

However Meath stood strong and in a blistering five minute spell they put the issue beyond doubt with Grimes converting a penalty after Duggan was fouled by Ciara Murphy and also adding points from a free and from play to make it 2-12 to 0-6.

Hannah O'Donoghue pulled a point back for Kerry, but Meath weren't coughing up goal chances.

Duggan hit the upright and after Kerry's poor clearance Vikki Wall shot wide from close range. Bridgetta Lynch scrambled a shot goalwards which was cleared off the line by Aishling O'Connell before Megan Thynne capped a fine move with a point.

Wall did eventually find her range with a point as all Kerry could muster was a Ni Mhuircheartaigh point to trail 0-8 to 2-14 at the second water break.

The final quarter was a foregone conclusion. Meath defended confidently and were unfortunate to concede a 60th minute goal after Monica McGuirk made two stunning saves to deny Ni Mhuircheartaigh and Megan O'Connell before Rachel Dwyer tapped to an empty net.

That goal was sandwiched by points from Bridgetta Lynch and Niamh Gallogly as Meath saw out the closing minutes with ease to mark their return to the top flight in some style.

SCORERS

Meath - Stacey Grimes 1-5 1-0 penalty, four frees; Emma Duggan 1-0; Bridgetta Lynch 0-3; Niamh O'Sullivan 0-1; Vikki Wall 0-1; Emma Troy 0-1; Maire O'Shaughnessy 0-1; Orlagh Lally 0-1; Aoibheann Leahy 0-1; Megan Thynne 0-1; Niamh Gallogly 0-1.

Kerry - Louise Ni Mhuircheartaigh 0-5 three frees; Rachel Dwyer 1-0; Hannah O'Donoghue 0-2; Anna Galvin 0-1; Lorraine Scanlon 0-1.

TEAMS

Meath - Monica McGuirk; Emma Troy, Mary Kate Lynch, Katie Newe; Aoibheann Leahy, Aoibhin Cleary, Orla Byrne; Vikki Wall, Maire O'Shaughnessy; Shauna Ennis, Stacey Grimes, Niamh O'Sullivan; Orlagh Lally, Emma Duggan, Bridgetta Lynch. Subs - Megan Thynne for O'Sullivan 21 mins, Niamh Gallogly for Leahy 41m, Shelly Melia for O'Shaughnessy 60m, Ali O'Sullivan for McGuirk, Emma White for B Lynch both 67m.

Kerry - Ciara Butler; Julie O'Sullivan, Aislinn Desmond, Ciara Murphy; Aishling O'Connell, Kayleigh Cronin, Cait Lynch; Lorraine Scanlon, Niamh Carmody; Lpuise Galvin, Emma Dineen, Anna Galvin; Niamh Ni Chonchuir, Hannah O'Donoghue, Louise Ni Mhuircheartaigh. Subs - Andrea Murphy for Dineen, Danielle O'Leary for Ni Chonchuir both 34 mins, Mary O'Connell for O'Sullivan, Rachel Dwyer for A Galvin both 43m, Megan O'Connell for L Galvin 53m.

Referee - Barry Redmond (Wexford).