Meath 1-10  Dublin 3-4

This is what football is all about. The Meath and Dublin teams served up a brilliant game of football worthy of any occasion - and both sides came away with a share of the spoils after a dramatic encounter which could have gone either way right up to the final whistle.

But when Dublin broke away a minute into injury time for Ava Corcoran to score a goal which put them four points clear a draw seemed an unlikely result. This was Dublin's first score since the 24th minute of the first half.

Yet this is a Meath team with great heart and no shortage of fighting spirit and in the 33rd minute of an enthralling second half, Zoe Matthews pounced as a ball in the Dublin square was bobbling about in the air and she showed fantastic quick reflexes to slap the ball to the net.

Now, with only a point in it, it was clear to the great Meath support in the stand that the only thing which would beat the green and gold would be time. Several injury delays during the half, however, meant the clock was still ticking and remarkably Meath broke forward again in the fifth minute of added time and Eva McConnell found herself in front of goal and took the shot for the point. Time seemed to stop for a few seconds as the ball sailed through the air . . . and over the bar. It was the Castletown player's fourth point of the half.

And still there was time for more drama, as first Dublin broke looking for a winning score only to come against a wall of Meath players; then the visitors attacked, but came up against a blue wall . . . and then the whistle went to end a frantic, frenetic, fantastic game of football.

Meath set out their stall early, standing firm in defence but early chances went abegging on both sides before the visiting team struck twice in the sixth and eight minute through an Anna Wogan free, followed by a good effort from Nicole Smith.

The home team though had taken the lead by the mid-way stage of the half, when Katie O'Sullivan fired over two close-range frees followed by a well taken point by Aishling O'Neill. Wogan got Meath level with a free after 18 minutes, 0-3 apiece.

Leading by a point, Dublin then had their best spell of the game, scoring 2-1 in the space of five minutes. Ellie Young, who was excellent all through, had a speculative effort which drifted into the top corner of the net and then Emma Kane had a point. Dublin were awarded a penalty which looked a harsh call on the visitors but O'Sullivan was unerring with her kick, as impressive a penalty as you will see at this level.

Trailing by 2-4 to 0-3 with five minutes left until half-time this Meath team had to dig deep to make sure the game did not slip away from them. Incredibly, the penalty would prove to be Dublin's last score until that injury time goal at the end of the game. Two frees from Wogan and a fine point by the hard-working Grainne Aylward kept the Royals very much in the game at half-time, trailing by 2-4 to 0-6.

Meath had a lot of possession after the break but Dublin looked dangerous on the counter-attack too. More than once the full-back line of Catriona Flynn, Emma Regan, who had an outsanding game after missing the opening round win over Laois through injury, and Alanna McNulty showed great skill and courage to keep out Dublin's potent attack while Amy O'Leary was calm and consistent between the posts.

Meath chipped away at Dublin's lead with two points from McConnell but there were no scores between the 13th and the 27th minutes of the half as the game went from end to end. There were wides on both sides, and heroic last-ditch defending on both sides too.

With three minutes left, McConnell got another point to leave just one in it, setting up what was to be a fantastic finale with a flurry of scores in injury time.

Great credit to both teams for serving up such a sparkling game in the March sunlight. It was a good, clean, hard-fought encounter with both sides committed to good attacking football and a memorable game for all who saw it.

Meath scorers: Eva McConnell 0-4, Anna Wogan 0-4 (4f), Zoe Matthews 1-0, Nicole Smith 0-1, Grainne Aylward 0-1. Dublin: Katie O'Sullivan 1-2 (pen, 2f), Ava Corcoran 1-0, Aishling O'Neill 0-1, Emma Kane 0-1.

Meath: Amy O'Leary (Blackhall Gaels); Catriona Flynn (Moylagh), Emma Regan (Na Fianna), Alanna McNulty (Dee Rangers); Katie Cagney (Dunboyne), Karla Kealy (Royal Gaels), Zoe Matthews (Rathkenny); Siofra Murphy (St Colmcille's), Sarah Muldoon (Bective); Grainne Aylward (Dunboyne), Anna Wogan (Seneschalstown), Eva O'Hagan (Slane); Eva McConnell (Castletown), Nicole Smith (Oldcastle), Rachel Casserley (St Ultan's). Subs: Ella Thompson (Clann na Gael), Saoirse Quinn (Dunboyne), Aoife Keegan (Walterstown), Gemma Clarke (Gaeil Colmcille), Laura McEnery (Simonstown), Rachel Abu (Simonstown), Zoe Kirwan (Seneschalstown), Emma Jane McKeon (Gaeil Colmcille).

 

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