Royals rumbled in Leinster title bid

That 23-year wait for a Ladies Leinster SFC title will have to continue for Meath as they were comprehensively beaten by Dublin in today's provincial final at O'Moore Park Portlaoise.

The 0-9 to 2-9 loss might not seem like much of gap between the sides, but in reality Meath rarely looked in contention and were allowed stay in the game by some very wayward Dublin shooting.

Dublin kicked five wides when playing against the strong breeze in the opening half, but were still on level terms at the break. After the resumption they added another six wides to their wayward tally and ensured Meath stayed in the game until the 58th minute.

After closing the gap to four points late in the game Meath needed a goal to give themselves a chance. However as another chance sailed wide Dublin restarted quickly and transitioned the ball into attack with Jennifer Dunne picking out Hannah Tyrrell who was hiding in the shadows of the stand. Tyrrell laid the ball off to Kate Sullivan and the Dublin corner forward executed a brilliant finish to put the game beyond doubt, 2-8 to 0-7.

The excellent Emma Duggan did respond with a couple of points for Meath, but there was no way back for the tired looking All-Ireland champions as Dublin squeezed the Meath kickout and won pulling up.

Despite falling behind to a third minute point from Jodi Egan it did look promising for Meath in the early stages as they pressurised the Dublin kickout which resulted in points from Duggan and Vikki Wall.

In the eighth minute Duggan was once again the instigator and finisher as she stretched Meath's lead to 0-3 to 0-1 after linking up well with Stacey Grimes.

However, then disaster struck. Dublin were patient with their build up against the wind and when they did launch a high ball into the square it was Sullivan who got on the end of Caoimhe O'Connor's delivery to flick to the net beyond the despairing and best efforts of Monica McGuirk.

Dublin should have been temporarily reduced to 14 players when Ellen Gribben committed her second cynical foul in the space of a couple of minute, but referee Kevin Phelan bizarrely took a lenient approach.

Duggan did convert another free after Gribben's second foul on Niamh O'Sullivan and in the 14th minute Aoife Minogue almost made the net dance but her flicked effort from Duggan's 46 metre free was cleared off the line.

Dublin restored their lead with a Tyrrell free, but Meath ensured parity at the break, 0-5 to 1-2, when O'Sullivan pointed well after more excellent work by Duggan.

Dunne restored Dublin's lead right from the throw-in, but again Duggan levelled it up with another free. However, that was as good as it got for Meath as they failed to score for 23 minutes, were pinned back by Dublin and saw their kickout malfunction.

Dublin applied ferocious pressure on the Meath kickout and benefited directly from turnovers with Egan and Carla Rowe making it 1-5 to 0-6.

Rowe, Tyrrell and Egan all squandered relatively easy scoring chances while Sinead Wylde blazed a goal chance wide before Egan added her third point to make it a three-point game at the three-quarters stage.

O'Connor and Wylde stretched Dublin's lead to five points before Duggan finally ended Meath's barren spell with a converted free in the 56th minute.

With the gap down to four Meath still had a chance, but Dublin quickly quelled that optimism with Sullivan's second goal and despite Duggan's brace it was the defending champions Dublin who retained their title with Martha Byrne closing her sides account on a miserable afternoon for Meath.

SCORERS

Dublin - Kate Sullivan 2-0; Jodi Egan 0-3; Hannah Tyrell 0-1 frees; Jennifer Dunne 0-1; Carla Rowe 0-1; Caoimhe O'Connor 0-1; Sinead Wylde 0-1; Martha Byrne 0-1.

Meath - Emma Duggan 0-7 four frees; Vikki Wall 0-1; Niamh O'Sullivan 0-1.

TEAMS

Dublin - Abby Shiels; Niamh Crowley, Leah Caffrey, Martha Byrne; Orlagh Nolan, Faye O'Connell-Bell, Ellen Gribben; Jennifer Dunne, Lauren Magee; Caoimhe O’Connor, Jodi Egan, Eilish O’Dowd; Hannah Tyrrell, Carla Rowe, Kate Sullivan. Subs - Sinead Wylde for Gribben half-time, Niamh Hetherton for Egan 49 mins, Danielle Lawless for Nolan 59m, Orla Martin for Sullivan, Chloe Darby for O'Connor both 61m.

Meath - Monica McGuirk; Áine Sheridan, Mary Kate Lynch, Katie Newe; Niamh Gallogly, Shauna Ennis, Aoibhin Cleary; Maire O’Shaughnessy, Aoife Minogue; Megan Thynne, Vikki Wall, Emma Duggan; Orlagh Lally, Stacey Grimes, Niamh O’Sullivan. Subs - Meadhbh Byrne for Grimes 47 mins, Ciara Smyth for Thynne, Shelly Melia for Lally both 53m, Ali Sherlock for Gallogly 57m, Olivia Callen for O'Sullivan, Ellie Brodigan for O'Shaughnessy both 61m.

Referee - Kevin Phelan (Laois).