Royal camogs come up short against the Kingdom

There were plenty of positives for Meath Camogie to take away from their defeat on Saturday.

Kerry 2-10

Meath 1-11

Two first-half goals proved crucial to the Kingdom as Meath came up just short against Kerry in the National Camogie League Div 2 at Dunganny.

For the second week in a row, Meath were forced to play on an all-weather surface in tough weather conditions but despite the result, Stephen Shiel can be pleased by the way his side performed on Saturday.

Throughout the spine of the team, Meath were excellent. Full-back Maeve Clince had a brilliant game and just like last week in Mullingar, Meath benefited from Abbye Donnelly’s physical presence at centre-back. Isabel O’Connor was very energetic in the middle of the park while Ciara Foley and Emma Regan were superb in the full-forward line. Meath’s best performer was without a doubt Aoife Carey. The Na Fianna woman was phenomenal at wing-forward.

A Ciara Foley goal helped Meath get off to a flying start and they led by six points after only 10 minutes. Kerry were handed a stroke of luck when they benefited from a dubious decision in the build-up to their first goal. Shortly after that Kerry found the net again. Meath were well on top in the first-half but Kerry’s two goals ensured that there was nothing to split the sides at the break.

The second-half was nip and tuck but crucially Patrice Diggin chipped away at frees which kept Kerry’s noses in front. Kerry managed to see out the contest as the Royal camogs suffered their first defeat of the league campaign.

Leah Devine set up Abbye Donnelly for a brilliant long-range point early on. Last week against Westmeath, Meath made the most of a couple of long-range efforts that fell short and they employed the same tactic this week. Aoife Carey’s shot from distance fell short of the posts but Ciara Foley was quickest to react and she finished well to the back of the Kerry net.

A free from Carey and a well-taken Emma Regan score handed Meath a 1-3 to 0-0 lead after 10 minutes. Abbye Donnelly competed in a tussle for possession close to the Meath dugout and was stunned when the linesman wrongly awarded Kerry a line ball. That decision transpired to be crucial as Kerry quickly worked the ball forward and Kate Lynch finished to the back of the Meath net.

Once again, Foley benefited from a Carey shot that fell short. This time, the Killyon full-forward raised a white flag. Kerry got their second major in the 21st minute through Amy Sullivan before Diggin scored three frees in a row to edge Kerry ahead. A Roisin Heaney ‘45’ sent the sides in at the interval level on a scoreline of 1-6 to 2-3.

Soon after the restart, Emma Regan slotted her second-point and Kilmessan’s Rachel O’Neill also contributed with a lovely score. Kerry largely seized momentum as Diggin scored another three frees and half-time substitute Shannon Collins also chipped in with a point.

The Royals struggled to register scores in the third quarter and several opportunities particularly from the right-hand side of the pitch went the wrong side of the posts. After 45 minutes Kerry led 2-7 to 1-8.

Heaney settled Meath again with a well-taken free before Carey brought the sides back level. A superb long-range free from Diggin edged Kerry ahead in the 52nd minute before Sullivan regained the Kingdom’s two-point advantage.

Heaney’s free in the 55th minute brought Meath back to within one but Kerry quickly responded through a Jackie Horgan point and Meath failed to register another score. Shiel’s side did have a half-opportunity late on when they were awarded a free.

The instruction was given to Heaney by Shiel to drop the ball into the danger zone but the Clann na nGael sharpshooter put a little bit too much weight on the delivery and the sliotar tailed to the left and wide.

Meath will be disappointed with the result but pleased with their performance against a side that competed in an All-Ireland Intermediate Camogie final last year.

Kerry - Aoife Fitzgerald; Michelle Costello, Sara Murphy, Rachel McCarthy; Roisin Quinn, Niamh Leen, Ellen O’Donoghue; Patrice Diggin (0-7 seven frees), Caoimhe Spillane; Laura Collins, Ruth O’Connor, Kate Lynch (1-0); Amy Sullivan (1-1), Jackie Horgan (0-1), Danielle O’Leary. Subs - Shannon Collins (0-1) for O’Leary half-time, Tara Burke for Lynch 49m.

Meath - Maggie Randle; Sophia Payne, Maeve Clince, Blathnaid Hughes; Leah Devine, Abby Donnelly (0-1), Rachel O’Neill (0-1); Isabel O’Connor (0-1), Erin Leddy; Aoife Carey (0-2 one free), Ellen Burke, Roisin Heaney (0-3 two frees, one ‘45’); Ella O’Brien, Ciara Foley (1-1), Emma Regan (0-2). Subs - Olivia O’Halloran for Burke 28m, Aoibhinn Lally for Devine, Rachel Moran for Hughes, Brodie Kelly for Foley all 53m.