Women’s NFL Division One: Meath 2-14 Dublin 1-4
Goals in either half from Emma Duggan and Ciara Smyth helped Meath to a comprehensive win over Dublin in their Lidl NFL Division One tie played at the St Patrick’s GAA club grounds in Stamullen.
Meath registered the first score of the game when Duggan pointed and Katie Bermingham followed with a neat point in the seventh minute.
The Royals then created two goal opportunities in the space of a minute but both were hit wide as they continued to control proceedings and Dublin struggled to gain possession.
Wayne Freeman’s side opened up a five-point lead in the 17th minute when Duggan landed a free for her third point of the game. One minute later the lead was stretched to eight points when Duggan flicked the ball to the back of the net.
RM Block
After 23 minutes of play Dublin got their first score on the board with a point from Kate Donaghy. Jodi Egan followed up with two points to cut the gap to five points. Just before the break Marion Farrelly hit an excellent point to leave the score 1-6 to 0-3 in favour of Meath.
Meath started the second half extremely well and were 11 points ahead after 35 minutes of play with Duggan, Smyth and Farrelly all kicking points. Dublin had a chance to get their opening point of the second half in the 37th minute but Meath goalkeeper Robyn Murray was able to touch away Orla Nolan’s free.
Niamh Gallogly put 12 between the sides in the 40th minute but one minute later Rachel Harnett grabbed a goal for Dublin. Meath replied with a fine score from Smyth before Farrelly was sinbinned in the 50th minute. Substitute Rachel Cassley fired over a nice point in the 52nd minute to keep the scoreboard ticking over for Meath.
Things got a lot better for Meath in the 58th minute when Smyth grabbed their second goal to put 14 points between the sides. Substitute Laura Grendon hit a late point for Dublin right at the end.
MEATH: R Murray; Á Sheridan, MK Lynch, A Gaffney; Ó Smith, S Wall, K Bermingham (0-0-1); O Sheehy, N Gallogly (0-0-2); M Thynne, C Smyth (1-0-4), M Farrelly (0-0-2); E Duggan (1-0-4, 2f), O Finnegan, M Byrne.
Subs: R Casserly (0-0-1) for Finnegan (40 mins); L Woods for C Lawlor Smith (48); A Farrell for Thynne (60).
DUBLIN: K Moran Tighe; N Crowley, A Nyhan, K Kenehan; G Connolly, H Leahy, E Gribben; R Hartnett (1-0-0), H McGinnis; S McIntyre, O Nolan, K Donaghy (0-0-1); A Timothy, J Egan (0-0-2), E Kearney.
Subs: N Byrne for Kearney, L Grendon (0-0-1) for Connolly (both h-t); S Birnie for Kenehan (44 mins); S Russell for Egan, C Murphy for K Donaghy (both 53); J Kane for Nolan, N Hetherton for McIntrye (both 55); A Doyle for McGinnis (58); C Almeida for Leahy (59); N Smith for Gribben (60+2); E Leddy Doyle for Harnett (60+3).
Referee: Shane Curley (Galway).
Kerry 1-11 Waterford 2-12
Bríd McMaugh struck 1-4 as Waterford made it two wins on the bounce after a deserved four-point victory against reigning champions Kerry at a windswept and bitterly cold Fitzgerald Stadium in Killarney.
Kerry played with a strong wind in the first half and raced into a two-point lead thanks to efforts from Niamh Ní Chonchúir and Danielle O’Leary.
Waterford struck back in devastating fashion in the fifth minute when a flowing move involving Bríd McMaugh and Katie Murray saw Lauren McGregor round Eilis Lynch and finish brilliantly past Mary Ellen Bolger in the Kerry goal.
Chloe Fennell slotted a free before Siofra O’Shea replied in kind for Kerry and Rachel Dwyer pushed the home side into a one-point lead in the 14th minute.
Waterford were full of running into the breeze and McMaugh for Waterford and Jadyn Lucey for the home side traded points before Fennell slotted another free when the ball was brought forward after Kerry interference on a solo and go.
The game ebbed and flowed for the remainder of the first half with O’Shea adding a brace for Kerry and Dwyer kicking her second while Waterford’s Fennell (free) and Kellyanne Hogan, on as a temporary sub for the injured McMaugh, scored to see the sides go in level at half-time, 0-8 to 1-5.
Dwyer slotted her third point at the start of the second half but a minute later McMaugh scored a brilliant lobbed goal after excellent approach work from Aine O’Neill and Clare Walsh.
The superb McMaugh added another fine individual point nine minutes in, but Kerry replied brilliantly when Leah McMahon, just on, fed Dwyer who finished superbly past Katelyn Gardner.
Player of the Match McMaugh scored two points, separated by a superb two-pointer from Fennell, to push the visitors 2-10 to 1-9 ahead.
Dwyer responded with a free but although there was time for O’Shea to slot a placed ball and agonisingly rattle the crossbar, 14-player Waterford, with Hannah McGrath in the sin bin for the final five minutes, added points from Murray and a Fennell free to seal victory for the Déise.
KERRY: ME Bolger; E Lynch, C Lynch, A Doherty; J Lynch, A Dillane, K Brosnan; M O’Connell, C Evans; L Boyle, N Ní Chonchúir (0-0-1), R Dwyer (1-0-4, 1f); J Lucey (0-0-1), S O’Shea (0-0-4, 3f), D O’Leary (0-0-1).
Subs: A Galvin for J Lynch (20 mins); M O’Connor for L Boyle, L McMahon for N Ní Chonchúir (both 41); K Ryan for K Brosnan, M Mulvihill for J Lucey (both 47); N Quinn for R Dwyer (55).
WATERFORD: K Gardner; C Murray, L Mulcahy, R Casey; Á O’Neill, K McGrath, R Browne; E Power, E Murray; K Murray (0-0-1), C Walsh, B McMaugh (1-0-4); C Fennell (0-1-4, 4f), L McGregor (1-0-0), M Daly.
Subs: K Hogan (0-0-1) for B McMaugh (20 mins); B McMaugh for K Hogan, K Hogan for C Walsh (both 41); H McGrath for L McGregor 53; O Kennedy for R Browne 57.
Referee: Barry Redmond (Wexford).
