Six of the best from Meath as Royals cruise in Trim

It was all one-way traffic in Trim today as Meath set about making amends for their league final loss by opening their All-Ireland Intermediate Camogie campaign with a convincing 6-19 to 2-3 victory over Laois.

Meath were dominant from the off and even had the first of their six first-half wides registered before Ciara Foley found the net after 57 seconds.

Laois responded with two points from Aimee Collier (one '45'), but Meath regained control with a sensational move involving Grace Coleman and Foley that ended with Emma O'Connell firing to the net in the seventh minute.

Foley made it 2-1 to 0-2 to the hosts after Aedin Lowry brilliantly deflected her shot over the bar after also saving well from Aoife Minogue in the same passage of play.

Alice Walsh took inspiration from Lowry's heroics to register Laois's third point in the 14th minute and after Meath hit their fifth wide Laois were handed a further lifeline when Meath failed to deal with Collier's sideline cut and Andrea Scully was alert to bat to the net from close range - game on, 1-3 to 2-1.

However, Meath settled again quickly.

Coleman converted a free before Meath finished the half with a flurry.

Outstanding skills from Olivia O'Halloran created space for her to shoot for a point, but her effort dropped short. However as everyone else gave up Minogue kept going, got under the dropping ball and tapped easily to the net to make it 3-2 to 1-2.

Two excellent points from Foley sandwiched another Coleman free as Meath extended their lead to eight points and just before the break Minogue appled all the pressure on Lowry and blocked down her clearance before pulling the loose ball to the net for a 4-5 to 1-3 interval lead for the Royals.

Things didn't get any better for Laois after the break. They managed just one further score, a 37th minute goal from Scully, after Meath had opened the half with points from Coleman (free), Abbye Donnelly and Amy Gaffney.

Meath dominated the remainder. Laois could barely muster an attack and indeed were it not for Lowry who prevented several other Meath goals with alert saves, it would have been a lot worse.

Meath hit 13 wides over the hour and that will be a source of concern, but they also scored at will with Minogue completing her hat-trick of goals when Lowry was blinded by the sun and allowed her effort from distance drop to the net in the 39th minute.

Meath followed that fifth goal with points from Donnelly, O'Connell, a superb effort from Tracy King and Foley before Donnelly cut in brilliantly from the right and blasted a sixth goal to make it 6-12 to 2-3.

Meath still created goal chances, but Lowry and her replacement Katie Gaughan made saves to deny them.

In the closing quarter the excellent O'Halloran added three points, Coleman landed two '45s' and one from play and Donnelly was also on target as Meath ran out easy winners.

SCORERS

Meath - Aoife Minogue 3-0; Ciara Foley 1-4; Grace Coleman 0-6 three frees, two '45s'; Abbye Donnelly 1-3; Emma O'Connell 1-1; Olivia O'Halloran 0-3; Tracy King 0-1; Amy Gaffney 0-1.

Laois - Andrea Scully 1-0; Aimee Collier 0-2 one '45'; Alice Walsh 0-1.

TEAMS

Meath - Tara Murphy; Sophie Payne, Claire Coffey, Rachel O'Neill; Tracy King, Ellen Burke, Leah Devine; Grace Coleman, Aoife Minogue; Amy Gaffney, Aoibhin Lally, Olivia O'Halloran; Emma O'Connell, Aoife Carey, Ciara Foley. Subs - Abbye Donnelly for Lally, Niamh Daly for Carey both half-time, Maeve Clince for O'Neill 46mins, Rachel Moran for King 49m, Cliodhna O'Riordan for Minogue 50m,

Laois - Aedin Lowry; Emily Carroll, Fiona Scully, Aisling McAuley; Karla Whelan, Mary Hyland, Luisne Delaney; Alice Walsh, Aimee Collier; Aileen O'Neill, Andrea Scully, Grainne O'Reilly; Evelyn Aylward, Eimear Hassett, Gemma Hoare. Subs - Shauna Phelan for Aylward 46 mins, Katie Gaughan for Lowry, Hannah O'Mahony for O'Neill both 51m.

Referee - Eamon Cassidy.