MEATH HAVE REACHED another Croke Park decider, where they’ll look to replicate their recent stunning championship rise in the 2022 Lidl National Football League Division 1 final.
Eamonn Murray’s side were crowned All-Ireland senior champions for the very first time in their first year back in the top-flight in 2021, and now find themselves in the final two in their first season back in Division 1.
The Royals will face Donegal at HQ on 10 April, returning to their first top-tier league final in 16 years after Saturday’s 2-12 to 1-9 victory over Mayo in Clones.
“I was at the league final in 2006, it broke my heart,” Murray said afterwards. “We were robbed that day, it was a game we should have won. We all know what happened after that game, Cork went on to win and we went to the bottom.”
But Meath are back at the top table in ladies football after their simply incredible journey in recent years.
They’ll play in a Croke Park final for the fifth consecutive year (2018 and 2019 All-Ireland intermediate final defeats, 2020 All-Ireland intermediate final win, 2021 All-Ireland senior final and Division 2 league final wins) after an impressive victory over the Green and Red.
Orlagh Lally and Kelsey Nesbitt – who agonisingly missed the 2021 campaign through injury – scored the goals as Meath’s second-half comeback, in which they clocked 2-8, saw them through.
Murray labelled the first 10 minutes of the second half as “magic,” adding, “That’s the best football we’ve played ever really. We showed what we can do.”
“We won’t take this for granted at all, far from it,” the All-Ireland winning boss continued. “A national final, we are really looking forward to it. I didn’t think we’d get back to Croke Park just as quick as this.
“I’m so proud of Kelsey that she’s back and in Croke Park. This is for her.”
Their opponents, Donegal, reached their first Division 1 decider since 2017 after a dramatic, last-gasp 2-8 to 1-10 win over reigning champions Dublin in the first game at Clones on Saturday.
The Sky Blues looked to be cruising into another final and held a 1-10 to 1-8 lead in the 57th minute, but quick-fire goals from substitute Emma McCrory and Player of the Match Yvonne Bonner saw Donegal stun the holders.
“Heart-stopping stuff,” manager Maxi Curran said afterwards. “We left it late and we definitely got the rub of the green but look we’ll take that.
28 nóim #DUBvDON@dublinladiesg 1-10 (13)@DonegalLGFA 2-08 (14)
— Spórt TG4 (@SportTG4) March 19, 2022
Níl an cluiche seo thart go fóill!!!
2 Goals for Donegal 😱😵
BEO/LIVE ar @TG4TV #SeriousSupport #GAABEO@GAA_BEO @LadiesFootball pic.twitter.com/tKpmxmgKmL
“We are just very happy and proud of the girls for the effort they put into it.
“It’s a day out in Croke Park now, it’ll really sharpen us up for the next few weeks at training as well which is lovely and it’s something for the girls to look forward to. It’s great for us.”
For the first time since 2005, neither Dublin or Cork will contest the Division 1 final, and there’ll be different champions for the first time since 2012 when Monaghan reigned supreme. Before that, you’d have to go back to Mayo in 2007 and 2004.
Armagh and Kerry go head-to-head in the Division 2 showpiece, which will act as a double-header in Croker on 10 April, after their semi-final wins over Laois and the Farney county respectively.
It’s Roscommon and Wexford in the Division 3 decider, and Limerick and Offaly in Division 4, with both to be played on 3 April.
- with reporting by Daragh Small for the LGFA.
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