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Armagh 3-5
Meath 1-10
Two evenly matched units produced a thrilling All-Ireland minor C camogie final in Drogheda that ended in a welter of excitement before Armagh snatched victory with an Eadaoin Murphy goal five minutes from time.
This was a game that ebbed and flowed throughout the hour with each side having a period of ascendancy before Murphy’s telling late contribution.
In the end it was the goals that proved the difference between two good teams. Ironically, it was Meath that hit the net first through the excellent Maggie Randle, who was a constant threat to the winners’ full-back line.
That gave Meath the upper hand and though Joanne Mullen struck for the first of her two goals with a low shot, it was the Royals that led at half time, 1-5 to 1-3.
Mullen found the Meath net once again four minutes after the resumption but points from Christina Troy and Randle restored the Leinster side’s advantage with time running out.
There was another kick in Armagh though and Eadaoin Murphy’s delivery from distance deceived Meath goalkeeper Aoife Flynn to go all the way to the net. That pushed the Orchard County representatives into a one-point lead.
Meath deserve tremendous credit though as they battled back once again and created one last opportunity but team captain, Cheyanne O’Brien’s shot drifted just wide of the posts.
Mullen and Kirsty Sheridan were amongst the stars for the new champions, while Randle and Troy tried everything they knew to claim the silverware for Meath.
Scorers – Armagh: Joanne Mullen 2-1; Eadaoin Murphy 1-0; Rachael Merry 0-2; Kirsty Sheridan, Laura Smyth 0-1 each
Meath: Maggie Randle 1-3; Kristina Troy 0-5(3fs); Cheyanne O’Brien 0-1, Lauren McCann 0-1 each
Armagh: R¾isÝn Hughes; Claire Garvey, Emer Hayes, Orla Fox; Catherine McCooey, Hannah McGeown, Aoife Murphy; Laura Smyth, Caoimhe Smith; Kirsty Sheridan, Eadaoin Murphy, Michelle Morgan; Joanne Mullen, Nicole Nugent, Rachael Merry
Meath: Aoife Flynn; Susie Gartland, Hazel Coleman, Ellen Burke; Ailbhe Lynch, Adrienne McCann, Lisa Carroll; Kristina Troy, Cheyanne O’Brien; Anna Fagan, Stacey Duignan, Tara Murphy; Lauren McCann, Niamh Kirby, Maggie Randle
Referee: Justin Heffernan (Wexford)
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