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GALA ALL
Meath Camogie will hope to take one big step next Saturday 8th August in
Offaly will be favourites going into this game having experienced Croke Park last year as beaten All Ireland Junior Championship finalists and with that defeat at the back of their minds they will make for tough opposition.
Having played Joachim Kelly’s side earlier in the National League John Davis will be looking at his team and their recent performances and he will hope that all the hard work that they girls have put in during the past year will help them go that extra step on Saturday.
This is a new experience for Meath Camogie.
Waterford & Laois in
Meath 2-7
Laois 1-9
Meath also played Laois last night (Friday) in the Leinster Championship, (which is run separately to the Gala All Ireland Championship).
Laois have dominated this competition for the past number of years. Meath were finalist in the 2007 Leinster Final against Laois but they found it had to break down the swift play of Laois’s central players.
However, on this occasion Meath turned the table and gained a well earned victory. The teams were level at full time and a well timed pass from Debra Wigglesworth sent Kristina Troy on her way to secure the winner as she put her team into the Leinster Final with a well taken point.
Laois made all the play in the first half of this semi-final encounter. Corner forward Aine Mahony was a danger throughout while their centre field pairing of Louise Mahony & Sharon Moylan worked well. Laois had four points ( Aine Mahony 0-2 Louise Mahony 0-2 ) to their credit before Meath’s Captain Jane Dolan pointed from a free in the 18th minute. This gave Meath the start they were looking for, but not for long as Aine Mahony Laois put another point on the board before Meath’s Laura Flynn added a second point.
There was some good play from Louise Donoghue, Aileen donnelly & Emily Mangan for Meath in the first half. Laois had a number of wides, but this did not stop the danger girl No 13 Aine Mahony from shooting by Emily Mangan in the Meath goal to put Laois 1-5 to 0-2 points ahead.
The first half clock was ticking down when Kristina Troy delivery to Elizabeth Lynch who finished the ball to the Laois net and as the referee went into injury time Lynch sent over the last score of the opening half to leave the teams on Laois 1-5 Meath 1-3 .
The second half Meath changed things around, and more ball was delivered into the Meath forward line which caused a few problems for the Laois defence. While at the other end the Mahony girls for Laois were doing all the harm. Aine pointed from a free in the 34th minute. Elaine & Louise working hard up and down the field.
After this point it was Meath who upped the tempo and there was some nice combination play Jane Dolan & Troy. Laura Flynn gave a crucial pass to Sinead Hackett who pointed from the left wing. Debra Wigglesworth who seemed to be fading out of the game changed her direction and gave two vital passes that set Meath’s Elizabeth Lynch in for a point and the third goal of the game in the 9th & 10th minutes to put Meath ahead 2-5 to Laois 1-6.
Meath held Laois well with some solid performances from Aoife Thompson, Aine Keogh, Aileen Donnelly & Emily Mangan in the Meath goal made some important clearances. Laois failed to score for 20 minutes of the second before Louise Mahony put over two points in quick succession to draw the teams level.
With only three minutes remaining Jane Dolan pointed from a Meath free & Mahony drew the sides level on the stroke of full time. But it was the quick thinking of Debra Wigglesworth who delivered the ball to Kristina Troy who ran in on the Laois defence and her well taken point gave Meath a well earned win.
Meath: Emily Mangan, Edel Guy, Lorna Donegan, Emma McNally, Holly Gereghty, Aileen Donnelly, Louise Donohue, Anne Marie Fagan, Aine Keogh, Sinead Hackett, Laura Flynn 0-1, Kristina Troy 0-2, Elizabeth Lynch 2-2, Jane Dolan 0-2, Debra wigglesworth.
Subs: Stephnaie Horan for Emma Mc Nally, Aoife Thompson for Holly Gereghty, Frances Lynch for Lorna Donegan, Jenny Rispin for Sinead Hackett 0-1, Aoife Maguire for Anne Marie Fagan.
Laois: Laura Dunne, Brigie Cuddy, Emear Moynan, Denise Quigley, Maggie Hogan, Caitriona Phelan, Rosemaire Birmingham, Louise Mahony 0-6,Sharon Moyhan, Sarah anne Fitzpatrick,Sinead Lanham,Elaine Mahony,Aine Mahony 1-3, Eimear Delaney, Amy O’Callaghan.
Subs: Trish Cuddy for Sinead Lanham, Elaine Downey for Maggie Hogan, Claire Walsh for Rosemarie Birmingham
During the past week Meath Camogie Summer Camps got under way, with the first taking place in Trim GAA Grounds. Numbers are down on last year but this did not take away for the enthusiasm of all the girls that took part. Kilmessan, Ashbourne will take place in the next two weeks.
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