By Daragh Ó Conchúir
Kilmessan 5-14
Crosserlough 0-2
Kilmessan are back in the AIB All-Ireland Junior Club Camogie Final after an effortless victory over outgunned Crosserlough in Kinnegad.
The 2014 champions were much too strong for , with Megan Thynne carrying on the form that helped Meath win the All-Ireland Intermediate title and earned her a first Soaring Star award with 1-4 from play, while Katie Ní Choileáin helped herself to a hat-trick of goals and freetaker Aileen Donnelly registered eight points, all from placed balls.
Crosserlough were competitive early on, trailing by just 0-3 to 0-0 after 13 minutes. Kilmessan added two more points in the next four points but then bagged three goals before the interval to blow their opponents away.
It was Thynne that pounced for the first and the floodgates burst open, Leanne Dennehy and Ní Choileáin raising further green flags to make it 3-10 to 0-1 at half time.
Crosserlough’s sole score of that opening period came from a Niamh Reilly free and the Cavan crew’s second-half point also came from similar placed-ball opportunity, converted successfully by Sinéád McKenna.
They just couldn’t get enough supply into their forwards but anything that did make its way in was dealt with comfortably by the Kilmessan defence.
In contrast, the Royals’ attackers always looked menacing and Ní Choileáin’s goal hunger was only sated by completing a hat-trick.
Donnelly added a brace of frees to her six first-half points, and Thynne and substitute Kelly Gorman also found the target, by which stage thoughts were already turning to the All-Ireland Final on November 26.
SCORERS FOR KILMESSAN: K Ní Choileáin 3-0; A Donnelly 0-8 (6fs, 2 45s); M Thynne 1-4; L Dennehy 1-1; K Gorman 0-1
SCORERS FOR CROSSERLOUGH: N Reilly, S McKenna 0-1f each
KILMESSAN: AM Dennehy, M O’Leary, R Kelly, C O’Leary, L O’Neill, A Lynch, T King, M Thynne, A Walshe, S Horan, A Donnelly, N Doyle, L Dennehy, K Ní Choileáin, M Ní Choileáin.
Subs: K Gorman for O’Neill, A McLoughlin for M Ní Choileáin, S Tynne for O’Leary, M Horan for S Horan, A Donnelly for King
CROSSERLOUGH: A Smith, L Cahill, S Coyle, S O’Reilly, Angela O’Reilly, E Galligan, Aoishe O’Reilly, C Finnegan, A Finnegan, N Reilly, L Ellis, S McKenna, O Smith, E O’Reilly, E McVeety
Subs: J Sheridan for Ellis, H Boylan for E O’Reilly, Áine O’Reilly for Angela O’Reilly
REFEREE: C Quinlan (Galway)