Elation for Royals as late goal earns Camogs quarter-final spot

Ciara Foley's late strike in Dr Cullen Park on Saturday qualified Meath for the quarter-final of the All-Ireland Intermediate Camogie Championship

Meath 4-15

Carlow 1-12

TOM GANNON

Meath put Carlow to the sword in Dr Cullen Park on Saturday afternoon and in doing so came out on top of a tight exciting battle for a quarter-final spot in the All-Ireland Intemediate Camogie Championship. Ahead of this contest, Westmeath held a 20-point advantage over Meath on score difference so in the latter stages the Royal supporters and managment team in attendence were scrambling to get updates from Laois’ clash with Meath’s neighbours in Kinnegad.

The O’Moore county generally held Westmeath at arms length for the majority and ended up winning by nine points which gave hope to the Royals. However with 10 minutes remaining, Meath only led by three and were at that stage a fair bit off the target required.

Emma Regan’s second goal inspired her side and when Abbie Donnelly scored three points on the spin, the Royals began to believe that a quarter-final was very possible. Word filtered through of the Laois Westmeath result just before injury time. Points from Ellen Burke and Leah Devine brought Meath to within two points on score difference with Westmeath before substitute Ciara Foley secured Meath’s quarter final spot with a goal in the 63rd minute.

With the knowledge of knowing that their only chance of qualification would be a comfortable victory, the Royals started with real intent. Within the first minute, Meath scored two points in quick succession through Aoife Carey and Regan.

A good ball into the danger zone by Carey was well knocked down by Burke into the path of Ella O’Brien who rattled the back of the Carlow net. Donnolly settled quickly into her new more advanced role with a nice point in the seventh minute.

Eleanor Treacy got Carlow of the mark but after Rachel O’Neill set up Roisin Heaney for a nice score, Regan broke through the Carlow defence and scored Meath’s second goal and the first of her brace. At the end of the first quarter, Meath were totally in control and led 2-4 to 0-1.

The second quarter was Carlow’s brightest patch as Meath started to falter particularly with their discipline. Treacy split the post with six frees while a long ball from Ciara Kavanagh caught Maggie Randle off guard and Leah Ryan tucked the sliotar away to the net.

Two important points from Heaney and Carey ensured that Meath still led at the break by 2-6 to 1-7. Soon after the restart, Abhainn Coady reduced the gap back to the minimum but Meath responded well. A lovely move that had some fantastic link-up play between Burke and Erin Leddy was polished off nicely when Heaney played a 1-2 with Regan before she split the posts.

Two fantastic individual runs from Aoife Minogue yielded two points in quick succession for the Royals. In almost identical fashion, Minogue firstly set up Donnolly after the Dunderry native burst through the middle and two minutes later she repeated the trick before she assisted Carey.

However, those two fine scores were cancelled out as points from Coady and Treacy reduced the gap back to two at the end of the third quarter.

Laois were well in control in the other game of the group however Meath still faced an uphill battle if they were going to qualify for the knockout stages. The tide began to turn when Devine set up Regan for her second goal in the 53rd minute. Meath had another goal opportunity two minutes later when Foley forced a good save out of Emily O’Hara.

Donnolly was massive for the Royals during this crucial period and the Kilmessan star struck three fantatsic points in the space of two minutes. Sarah Sheehan pulled one back for the home side before Burke slotted over at the start of injury time.

Meath captain Devine reduced the gap to Westmeath on score difference back to two before Foley made no mistake with a late strike to send Meath into the quarter-final of the All-Ireland Intermediate Camogie championship.

Meath - Maggie Randle; Sophia Payne, Maeve Clince, Rachel Moran; Rachel O’Neill, Leah Devine (0-1), Blaithnaid Hughes; Olivia O’Halloran,Aoife Minogue; Aoife Carey (0-3), Abbye Donnolly (0-5), Roisin Heaney (0-3 one free); Emma Regan (2-2), Ellen Burke (0-1), Ella O’Brien (1-0). Subs - Erin Leddy for Hughes half-time, Ciara Foley (1-0) for Heaney 46m.

Carlow - Emily O’Hara; Kate Doyle, Michelle Nolan, Gillian Doyle; Caoimhe Coady, Rachel Breen, Rebecca Kelly; Eleanor Treacy (0-8 frees), Sarah Sheehan (0-2 one free); Eve Sinnott, Ciara Kavanagh, Niamh Canavan; Holly Wall, Abhainn Coady (0-2), Leah Ryan (1-1). Subs - Aimee Nolan for M Nolan 38m, Roisin Joyce for Wall 44m, Niamh Minchin for Ryan 56m

Referee - Philip McDonald (Cavan).