Meath 1-12 Kerry 1-5

A strong start and finish were the difference as Meath took the spoils in their All Ireland Intermediate Camogie Championship opener on Saturday afternoon.  

The seven point difference in the score line does not tell the whole story from a highly competitive game in Lixnaw, but Meath will be happy heading back up the M7 on Saturday evening knowing they will face Antrim next weekend after coming through a stern examination from the last years Junior Champions.  

The opening minutes of this Liberty Insurance Intermediate Championship game were scrappy as both teams struggled to adjust to the difficult conditions. Meath, playing against a strong wind, settled first when Amy Gaffney found the net on five minutes. Meath would be further ahead soon after with a Leah Dennehy point. A pair of Patrice Diggin frees got Kerry on the scoreboard as the first water break approached.  

With water on board Meath went about stretching their lead with Megan Thynne and Jane Dolan pointing for the Royals before Kerry sharpshooter Diggin pointed again. Meath might have had a second goal on the twenty minute mark but for some tenacious defending by Kerry, denying both Gaffney and Dolan from finishing. Minutes later the same pair would tag on points for the visitors as half time approached.  Dunboyne’s Sinead Hackett added a third in a row for Meath before a Jackie Horgan free at the stroke of half time to leave the score 1-6 to 0-4 at the break.  

On the resumption it was indeed Meath’s momentum well and truly stopped as Kerry went about reeling in the Royals. Jessica Fitzell's important flick on a long free ended up in the Meath net. Meath would counter at the other end but another free from Diggin would now have the Kingdom within two of the Royals. Amy Gaffney and Sinead Hackett made sure that’s as close as Kerry got as they settled things for the Royals ahead of the second water break with two more points to keep Meath 1-9 to 1-5 ahead.  

Kerry would throw everything at Meath in the finish with Maggie Randle needed to pull off an important save from a dropping 45. Meath would turn the screw again with a strong finish as Thynne, Minogue and Hackett all added to their tallies before referee Conor Quinlan called for the ball to end proceedings with the scoreboard reading 1-12 to 1-5 in favour of the 2017 Intermediate Champions.  

Meath manager Brendan Skehan will be very happy with the defensive effort by Meath who, bar the goal, limited Kerry’s scores to placed balls.  While 1-2 from Ratoath’s Amy Gaffney and a trio of points from Sinead Hackett rounded out a fine team performance for the Royals who now take on Antrim next weekend. 

Meath: Maggie Randle, Louise Donoghue, Claire Coffey, Sophia Payne, Cheyenne O’Brien, Meave Clince, Tracy King, Megan Thynne 0-2, Kristina Troy, Jane Dolan 0-2 (0-1f), Aoife Maguire, Aoife Minogue 0-2(0-1f) Leah Dennehy 0-1, Sinead Hackett 0-3, Amy Gaffney 1-2 

Subs: Ellen Burke for Tracy King, Grace Coleman for Aoife Maguire, Megan Collins for Leah Dennehy, Erin Leddy for Kristina Troy 

Kerry: Aoife Fitzgerald, Norette Casey, Sara Murphy, Michelle Costello, Rachel McCarthy, Niamh Leen, Kate Lynch, Ann Marie Leen, Patrice Diggin 0-4 (0-3f, 0-1 ‘65’) Aoife Behan, Laura Collins, Jessica Fitzell 1-0, Saidhbhe Horgan, Jackie Horgan (0-1f), Caoimhe Spillane 

Subs: Liz Houlihan for Ann Marie Leen, Brid Horan for Saidhbhe Horgan, Edel Slattery for Jessica Fitzell, Brid Horan for Saidhbhe Horgan 

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