Leinster Under 14 Championship Final

Half time score: Meath 0-04 – Dublin 3-01
Full time score: Meath 0-06 – Dublin 7-05
The score-line of the Leinster under 14 Championship Final, played last Friday in Kildare between Meath and Dublin would suggest that Dublin had an easy run over the sixty minutes. However, this was not the case, Meath dominated in possession at times, but couldn’t find a way past the Dublin rearguard. Two goals in a minute of the start of the second half did enough to kill off the threat of the Royal County, but this didn’t stop Meath from trying.

Meath began the game brightly with good defending from Emma Troy, and Dublin spurned two chances before the first score of the game. The score came from a free for the Royal County on four minutes, converted by Áine Bennett who terrorised the Dublin defence from the throw in. Dublin showed their class by scoring a goal on five minutes, but three minutes later Meath were just a point behind, thanks to Bennett’s free-taking once more. Dublin added a point on nine minutes but this was cancelled out by a well worked point by Roseanna Irwin on thirteen minutes. However, the writing was on the wall after nineteen minutes when a penalty was awarded for the Jackies, and the resulting kick went under the legs of Meath keeper. On the resumption, Meath failed to win the kickout and Dublin seized the initiative and put the ball back in the back of the net for a third goal. A string of wides by both teams demonstrated that the warmth of the evening was taking its toll. Not so to Maeve Scanlon who won every ball given to her and on twenty-six minutes did superbly well to add a fourth point for the Royals. It finished at half time, Meath 0-04, Dublin 3-01.

Before some of the supporters had returned for the second half, Dublin had scored three goals one after the other, the first of the three, a blistering shot from Dublin midfielder Stephanie Adams. Despite their best efforts, most notably of Laura Dempsey, Irwin and corner-forward Ellen O’Hare, Meath couldn’t claw back the lead of the Jackies. Dublin added three further points on thirty-four, forty-three and forty-nine minutes. Bennett continued to cause problems for the Dublin defence and added a point on forty-six minutes. The Jackies added a goal and a point on fifty-four and fifty-eight minutes respectively, but the issue was beyond all. A late consolation point for Laura Dempsey in injury time was credit for the work she had put in. Meath continued to exert pressure on the Dublin goals but the full back and the goal keeper prevented Meath from finding the back of the net. It finished in Johnstownbridge with Dublin taking the under 14 Leinster Championship title away from Meath on a scoreline of 7-05 to Meath 0-06.

Meath will look to regroup ahead of the new All Ireland Shield Competition that beaten provincial finalists are entered into. An All Ireland semi final spot has been booked by Dublin, but so too by Meath who will more than likely face Kerry in the Shield semi final in two weeks time. Best for Meath in the Final were Emma Troy, Laura Murray, Áine Bennett, Maeve Scanlon, Rosanna Irwin, Laura Dempsey and Ellen O’Hare.
Meath Team & Scorers: S. Powderly, M. Peel, S. Barr, E. Hennelly, E. Troy, L. Murray (capt.), C. Brothwood, L. Patterson, Á. Bennett (0-03), M. Scanlon (0-01), L. Dempsey (0-01), R. Irwin (0-01), S. Leahy, N. Foy, E. O’Hare.
Subs: S. Clery for Brothwood, A. Flynn for Peel, C. Delaney for Barr, T. Little for Patterson, A. Philips, A. Moriarty, R. Moore, A. Dunne, H. Regan, J. McKenna, K. Lawless, L. Buchanan, E. Lane, L. Griffin, N. Dalton, G. O’Sullivan.
Meath Seniors were well represented on the Leinster Team at the Inter-Provincials held on Saturday. Louise McKeever, Gráinne Nulty, Aedin Murray and Claire Coffey all pulled on Leinster jerseys and Brendan Dardis, Meath manager was selector on the Leinster team that lost to Munster by two points in a tight Cup Final.