Royals lose out on big day for local club
Kerry...4-10
Meath...2-12
This Ladies NFL Div 1 clash on Sunday turned out to be a momentous occasion for Meath Hill GFC. It was a day when the relatively small, rural, north Meath club got a taste of the big time.
When so many other clubs felt unable - or indeed were unwilling - to answer their county's call to host this fixture, Meath Hill laid out the welcome mat, provided the kind of warm welcome only to be found in that part of the county, and came to the rescue.
Founded in 1903 it is doubtful the club had experienced a day like this. They might be a small outfit but they have brilliant facilities and they were ready for the influx of cars and people for this game.
Unfortunatley for the Meath supporters in the big crowd - and there was quite a few from Kerry as well - the home team were unable to carve out a victory despite scoring goals through the busy, resourceful Orla Finnegan, who had another fine game, and the ever industrious Orlaith Sheehy.
Finnegan skilfully finished off a super Meath move on 15 minutes while Sheehy volleyed the ball to the net first time in a manner that Ireland's foremost female soccer star, Katie McCabe, would be have been delighted to execute herself. Sheehy's silky finish came after Marion Farrelly had sent the ball crashing against the bar.
Sheehy's goal, however, was scored in the last minute of normal time and proved a classic case of too little, too late in terms of helping her team salvage something from this game.
Kerry made the long, long journey up the country to the far north of Meath on Sunday and they only arrived at the venue at little over an hour before throw-in. Despite all that they looked fresh and alert from the start, scoring the opening goal after just 90 seconds with Leah McMahon giving Robyn Murray no chance with an emphatic close-range finish.
It was a sign of things to come - and an indication of Kerry's ability to slice through the home defence which they did several more times in this engaging contest with McMahon pushing on to get a second goal while Siofra O'Shea and Mary O'Connell where others who found the time and space to find the net.
That defensive fraility Meath exhibited throughout was to prove costly indeed. The Munster side were able to conjure up a goal just when they needed one and help put paid to any comeback Meath looked like they might be about to engineer.
Kerry led all the way including at the break when they were in front, 2-5 to 1-7. The home team always stayed within touching distance but they were never able to push on, the leaked goals hampering such ambitions. With the outstanding Siofra O'Shea in attack the Kingdom were always able to work a score when needed.
Just as she did against Galway and Dublin, Ciara Smyth produced a big performance for Meath, helping herself to four well-taken points and earning a large quota of frees as Kerry sought to halt her surging runs.
Several times Smyth combined brilliantly with Emma Duggan, who once again displayed her class by scoring five points from play to add to the two frees she converted. She proved a big headache for the Kerry defence. Meadbh Byrne also looked sharp and alert, slotting over a neat opening-half point.
Elsewhere on the pitch Katie Bermingham, Marion Farrelly and captain Gallogly worked ferociously hard without managing to sway the balance of the play on a day when they big time arrived in Meath Hill. Big time.
Kerry - Ciara Butler; Eilis Lynch, Ava Doherty, Aoife Dillane; Kathryn Ryan, Cait Lynch, Katie Brosnan; Mary O'Connell (1-1), Anna Galvin; Megan O'Connor, Niamh Ni Chonchuir (0-1), Caoimhe Evans; Siofra O'Shea (1-6 four frees), Danielle O'Leary (0-1), Leah McMahon (2-0). Subs - Niamh Carmody (0-1) for O'Connor, Kelli McGrath for Evans half-time, Eabha Ni Laighin for Dillane 44m, Rachel Dwyer for McMahon 47m, Niamh Quinn for C Lynch 55m.
Meath- Robyn Murray; Aine Sheridan, Mary Kate Lynch, Olivia Gore; Ciara Lawlor, Sarah Wall, Katie Bermingham; Orlaith Sheehy (1-0), Niamh Gallogly; Sinead Murphy, Ciara Smyth (0-4), Marion Farrelly; Emma Duggan (0-7 two frees), Orla Finnegan (1-0), Meadbh Byrne (0-1). Subs - Lara O'Neill for Murphy 26m, Karla Kealy for Gore, Rachel Cassidy for Byrne both 38m, Orla Smith for Lawlor 23m, Alannah Reilly for Bermingham 55m.
Referee - Maggie Farrelly (Cavan).