CAOIMHE O’CONNOR AND and Jodi Egan were in fine scoring form as defending champions Dublin secured a convincing win against Meath to set up a final meeting with Kildare in the TG4 Leinster senior football championship.
Searching for their 13th consecutive Leinster SFC title, Dublin were on top of possession during the early exchanges and broke the deadlock when Niamh Hetherton kicked a right-footed effort between the posts in the eighth minute.
Orlagh Nolan was subsequently denied a goal at the end of an intricate move, but the two-time TG4 All Star doubled the home side’s cushion with a fine point from play at a tight angle.
Although the Meath defence made them work for their scores throughout the opening period, Dublin created further daylight courtesy of quickfire points from marauding wing-back Sophie McIntyre and Egan.
While the Royals, who needed a win in order to seal a provincial final spot, breathed a sigh of relief when O’Connor rattled the woodwork off a goal chance in the 26th minute, Wayne Freeman’s visitors finally opened their account 60 seconds later with a superbly struck free from Orlaith Mallon.
Although the Navan O’Mahonys player added a second point to leave Meath just two in arrears (0-4 to 0-2) at the interval, Hetherton had Dublin back up and running within 30 seconds of the resumption.
She was later joined on two points by Egan after the Foxrock/Cabinteely attacker knocked over a routine free and the increasingly-dangerous O’Connor went on to match their personal hauls with a quickfire brace that had Dublin firmly in the driving seat.
Meath were now struggling to contain their well-drilled opponents and a two-salvo from the impressive Egan left them 0-10 to 0-2 adrift moving into the final-quarter.
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The Royals were hoping the introduction of Emma Duggan and Ali Sherlock as double substitutes might spark them back into life, but instead Dublin stretched further in front with an outstanding O’Connor goal on 47 minutes.
Meath's Orla Finnegan and Rachel Casserly dejected after the game. Grace Halton / INPHO
Grace Halton / INPHO / INPHO
Meath finally enhanced their tally when Rachel Casserly kicked a point from play in the 54th minute, but even though Kate Bermingham and Duggan (free) also found the range, Caitlin Coffey was on target at the opposite end to ease Dublin into next week’s provincial showdown against Kildare in Croke Park.
Scorers for Dublin: C O’Connor 1-2, J Egan 0-4 (2f), N Hetherton 0-2, S McIntyre, O Nolan, C Coffey 0-1 each.
Scorers for Meath: O Mallon 0-2 (2f), E Duggan (f), K Bermingham, R Casserly 0-1 each.
Tyrone 1-10
Armagh 0-8
Kieran Lynch reports from O’Neill’s Healy Park
TYRONE DEFEATED ARMAGH by five points to secure top spot in the TG4 Ulster Senior Championship round-robin before the same two counties meet in the final in a couple of weeks.
Armagh were first on the board, with Kelly Mallon pointing seconds after the throw-in, but the first half belonged to Tyrone.
They hit back by raising a green flag at the other end, as Maeve Maxwell drilled the ball into the back of the net after fielding Aoife Horisk’s delivery.
Niamh O’Neill and Niamh Reel traded points, before Tyrone’s Aoife Quinn paid off a slick handpassing move by fisting over.
The Red Hand County had another goal chance when Katie Rose Muldoon got in one on one, but she was denied by Orchard goalkeeper Cailin Traynor.
Emma Conroy and Mallon (free) traded the next two scores, before a Elle McNamee point for the hosts was answered by a Sarah Quigley two-pointer for Armagh.
Tyrone responded immediately however, with O’Neill driving forward, playing a one-two with Maxwell and slotting over. A pointed free from Horisk had them 1-7 to 0-5 to the good at half-time.
It took 12 minutes until the first score of the second half, with both sides struggling with accuracy in front of the posts. Armagh hit two wides and dropped a shot short during this period, whilst Tyrone hit three wides, saw a Horisk shot pushed onto the bar by Traynor and Maxwell’s rebound blocked on the line by Maeve Ferguson.
Red Hand midfielder Meabh Mallon broke the scoreless spell with a superb point from distance. The game was in its fourth quarter before Armagh finally opened their second half tally, with Reel knocking over a close range free.
Tyrone managed their lead very well in the closing stages by patiently probing on the attack and finishing off a prolonged period of possession with a Maxwell point.
Armagh kept fighting and got late scores from Maeve Lennon and Eimear McConaghy, but it was not enough and Tyrone put the icing on the cake with one final point from Horisk.
The two sides will lock horns once more in the TG4 Ulster Senior Football Championship final in two weeks’ time.
Scorers for Tyrone: M Maxwell 1-1, N O’Neill, A Horisk (1f) 0-2 each, A Quinn, E Conroy, E McNamee, C McNamee, M Mallon 0-1 each.
Scorers for Armagh: K Mallon (1f), S Quigley (1tp), N Reel (1f) 0-2 each, M Lennon, E McConaghy 0-1 each.
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Dublin brush Meath aside as Tyrone draw first blood with Armagh
Dublin 1-11
Meath 0-5
Daire Walsh reports from Parnell Park
CAOIMHE O’CONNOR AND and Jodi Egan were in fine scoring form as defending champions Dublin secured a convincing win against Meath to set up a final meeting with Kildare in the TG4 Leinster senior football championship.
Searching for their 13th consecutive Leinster SFC title, Dublin were on top of possession during the early exchanges and broke the deadlock when Niamh Hetherton kicked a right-footed effort between the posts in the eighth minute.
Orlagh Nolan was subsequently denied a goal at the end of an intricate move, but the two-time TG4 All Star doubled the home side’s cushion with a fine point from play at a tight angle.
Although the Meath defence made them work for their scores throughout the opening period, Dublin created further daylight courtesy of quickfire points from marauding wing-back Sophie McIntyre and Egan.
While the Royals, who needed a win in order to seal a provincial final spot, breathed a sigh of relief when O’Connor rattled the woodwork off a goal chance in the 26th minute, Wayne Freeman’s visitors finally opened their account 60 seconds later with a superbly struck free from Orlaith Mallon.
Although the Navan O’Mahonys player added a second point to leave Meath just two in arrears (0-4 to 0-2) at the interval, Hetherton had Dublin back up and running within 30 seconds of the resumption.
She was later joined on two points by Egan after the Foxrock/Cabinteely attacker knocked over a routine free and the increasingly-dangerous O’Connor went on to match their personal hauls with a quickfire brace that had Dublin firmly in the driving seat.
Meath were now struggling to contain their well-drilled opponents and a two-salvo from the impressive Egan left them 0-10 to 0-2 adrift moving into the final-quarter.
The Royals were hoping the introduction of Emma Duggan and Ali Sherlock as double substitutes might spark them back into life, but instead Dublin stretched further in front with an outstanding O’Connor goal on 47 minutes.
Meath finally enhanced their tally when Rachel Casserly kicked a point from play in the 54th minute, but even though Kate Bermingham and Duggan (free) also found the range, Caitlin Coffey was on target at the opposite end to ease Dublin into next week’s provincial showdown against Kildare in Croke Park.
Scorers for Dublin: C O’Connor 1-2, J Egan 0-4 (2f), N Hetherton 0-2, S McIntyre, O Nolan, C Coffey 0-1 each.
Scorers for Meath: O Mallon 0-2 (2f), E Duggan (f), K Bermingham, R Casserly 0-1 each.
Tyrone 1-10
Armagh 0-8
Kieran Lynch reports from O’Neill’s Healy Park
TYRONE DEFEATED ARMAGH by five points to secure top spot in the TG4 Ulster Senior Championship round-robin before the same two counties meet in the final in a couple of weeks.
Armagh were first on the board, with Kelly Mallon pointing seconds after the throw-in, but the first half belonged to Tyrone.
They hit back by raising a green flag at the other end, as Maeve Maxwell drilled the ball into the back of the net after fielding Aoife Horisk’s delivery.
Niamh O’Neill and Niamh Reel traded points, before Tyrone’s Aoife Quinn paid off a slick handpassing move by fisting over.
The Red Hand County had another goal chance when Katie Rose Muldoon got in one on one, but she was denied by Orchard goalkeeper Cailin Traynor.
Emma Conroy and Mallon (free) traded the next two scores, before a Elle McNamee point for the hosts was answered by a Sarah Quigley two-pointer for Armagh.
Tyrone responded immediately however, with O’Neill driving forward, playing a one-two with Maxwell and slotting over. A pointed free from Horisk had them 1-7 to 0-5 to the good at half-time.
It took 12 minutes until the first score of the second half, with both sides struggling with accuracy in front of the posts. Armagh hit two wides and dropped a shot short during this period, whilst Tyrone hit three wides, saw a Horisk shot pushed onto the bar by Traynor and Maxwell’s rebound blocked on the line by Maeve Ferguson.
Red Hand midfielder Meabh Mallon broke the scoreless spell with a superb point from distance. The game was in its fourth quarter before Armagh finally opened their second half tally, with Reel knocking over a close range free.
Tyrone managed their lead very well in the closing stages by patiently probing on the attack and finishing off a prolonged period of possession with a Maxwell point.
Armagh kept fighting and got late scores from Maeve Lennon and Eimear McConaghy, but it was not enough and Tyrone put the icing on the cake with one final point from Horisk.
The two sides will lock horns once more in the TG4 Ulster Senior Football Championship final in two weeks’ time.
Scorers for Tyrone: M Maxwell 1-1, N O’Neill, A Horisk (1f) 0-2 each, A Quinn, E Conroy, E McNamee, C McNamee, M Mallon 0-1 each.
Scorers for Armagh: K Mallon (1f), S Quigley (1tp), N Reel (1f) 0-2 each, M Lennon, E McConaghy 0-1 each.
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