THE RETURNING VIKKI Wall bagged 2-1 at Pairc Tailteann, Navan on Monday as Meath made it two wins from two in Division 1 of the Lidl National Football League with an impressive triumph over Mayo.
Whereas Saoirse Delaney and Bree Hession were late inclusions on the Mayo team, former TG4 Senior Players’ Player of the Year Wall was added to the Meath side for her first start since a TG4 All-Ireland senior quarter-final defeat to Kerry in July 2023.
The multi-sport exponent made her presence felt in the early moments and with Ciara Smyth (two), Kerrie Cole and Meadhbh Byrne all finding the target, the Royals were four points clear at the end of the opening quarter.
Even though Sinead Walsh cancelled out a free from Smyth to finally get Mayo up and running in the 21st minute, Meath reinforced their authority when Wall drilled the ball to the opposition net moments later.
Yet Mayo were back in contention when Walsh claimed a superb solo goal of her own on 26 minutes and despite temporarily losing the MacHale Rovers attacker to injury arising from an incident that led to Wall being yellow-carded, Maria Cannon converted a close-in free to leave the westerners just three points adrift (1-5 to 1-2) at the interval.
Walsh was back in time to narrow the gap at the start of the second half with a place-ball strike from distance, before Meath regained a firm stranglehold when a Smyth point was supplemented by a green flag finish from Cole – who had bagged a brace of goals in her county’s opening round win over Tyrone.
Mayo's Sinead Walsh shoots to score her side's first goal of the match. Tom Maher / INPHO
Tom Maher / INPHO / INPHO
However, Walsh was proving to be a real thorn in the side of the Meath defence and she rattled the net for a second time on 38 minutes via a neat one-two with Hession. This meant the Royals were three in front upon Wall’s return to the field of play and this cushion remained intact after Mayo midfielder Erin Murray and Smyth traded points.
This advantage was then doubled when Wall hammered home from a tight angle in the wake of Mayo defender Ella Brennan being sin-binned for a foul on the Dunboyne ace.
Even though Walsh continued to lead the way for the visitors, a fourth goal off a counter-attack by raiding wing-back Niamh Gallogly helped Meath to ease over the line.
Meath’s Niamh Gallogly celebrates after scoring her side's fourth goal of the match. Tom Maher / INPHO
Tom Maher / INPHO / INPHO
Scorers for Meath: V Wall 2-1 (0-1f), C Smyth 0-6 (3f), K Cole 1-1, N Gallogly 1-0, M Byrne 0-1.
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Scorers for Mayo: S Walsh 2-4 (0-4f), M Cannon 0-1 (f), E Murray 0-1.
Meath
R Murray; A Sheridan, S Wall, N Troy; N Gallogly, MK Lynch, C Millington; A Cleary, V Wall; M Thynne, O Sheehy, C Smyth; M Byrne, M Farrelly, K Cole.
Subs:
K Bermingham for Sheehy, E Moyles for Thynne (both 41), K Newe for Troy (46), O Callan for Farrelly (53), C Lawlor for Byrne (58), M Collins for Cole (59).
Mayo
R Dyar; E Brennan, S Lally, D Caldwell; S Delaney, S El Massry, H Reape; E Murray, A Geraghty; L Wallace, A Gough, C Durkin; M Cannon, S Walsh, B Hession.
Subs:
K Doherty for Walsh (30-h/t), K Doherty for Wallace (36), K Sullivan for El Massry (46), C Whyte for Hession (47), A Fitzpatrick for Gough (48), M Sheridan for Delaney (53), S McNulty for Sullivan (55), J Mortimer for Murray (58).
Referee: Kevin Phelan (Laois).
*************
Kerry 2-6
Waterford 0-9
Tomás McCarthy reports from SETU Arena, Waterford
GOALS IN EITHER half from Niamh Ní Chonchúir and Siofra O’Shea gave TG4 All-Ireland champions Kerry their first win in Division 1 of the Lidl National Football League at a windswept SETU Arena on Bank Holiday Monday.
These Munster rivals were level on four occasions before O’Shea’s punched effort ten minutes into the second half put the Kingdom clear. Captain Anna Galvin came up with two massive points. Two goal saving blocks from sub Mary O’Connell just before the break also proved crucial. Déise captain Emma Murray drove her team forward all evening and struck two points from play.
Sixteen year old Gemma Corcoran made her debut between the sticks for the home side, the first Ballysaggart player to line out for the Waterford seniors. She produced two fantastic second half saves. Kerry took the field with eight of the team that defeated Galway in the All Ireland final last August.
Bríd McMaugh struck the opening point for Waterford after just 25 seconds. After pressure on the Kerry kickout, McMaugh set up Clare Walsh for another white flag.
In the sixth minute, a point attempt from Niamh Ní Chonchúir dropped into the corner of the Déise net to make 1-0 to 0-2. The hosts replied immediately. A super solo run from Katie Murray resulted in a free which Lauren McGregor tapped over. The home team kept hold of possession against the elements and a Kellyann Hogan free edged them back in front. Kerry midfielder Anna Galvin levelled matters on the quarter hour.
Emma Murray and O’Shea (free) traded points before Hogan’s second dead ball sent the Déise 0-6 to 1-2 ahead at the half time hooter. Two brilliant blocks from Kerry sub Mary O’Connell denied Waterford a goal just before the break.
The Kingdom made a triple substitution during the interval. One of those new arrivals Danielle O’Leary kicked them into the lead four minutes into the second period after Rachel Dwyer got the leveller. Kerry netminder Mary Ellen Bolger palmed away a point attempt from McMaugh.
On 40 minutes, O’Shea bravely punched the ball to the net just ahead of advancing Déise goalkeeper Corcoran to make it 2-4 to 0-6. Ciara McCarthy added a point.
Emma Murray, Lauren McGregor and McMaugh reduced the deficit to two. Debutant shot-stopper Corcoran made two stunning saves from O’Leary to keep her team in the contest. A late Anna Galvin point sealed a hard earned victory for Kerry.
Scorers for Kerry: S O’Shea 1-1, N Ní Chonchúir 1-0, A Galvin 0-2, C McCarthy, D O’Leary, R Dwyer 0-1 each.
Scorers for Waterford: B McMaugh, L McGregor (2fs), E Murray, K Hogan (2fs) 0-2 each, C Walsh 0-1.
Kerry
ME Bolger; R Smith, D Kearney, R Rahilly; A O’Connell, K Cronin, A Galvin; K Sugrue; A Dillane; N Carmody, C Evans, N Ní Chonchúir; S O’Shea, R Dwyer, K Brosnan.i
Subs:
M O’Connell for Ní Chonchúir (23), C McCarthy for Sugrue (HT), E Lynch for Rahilly (HT), D O’Leary for Brosnan (HT), J Lucey for Dwyer (40), L Boyle for Carmody (47), M Higgins for A O’Connell (57), N Quinn for Evans (58).
Waterford
G Corcoran; C Murray, R Casey, M Ryan; K McGrath, E Murray, Á O’Neill; E Power, H Power; B McMaugh, K Hogan, K Murray; L McGregor, C Walsh, C Fennell.
Subs:
A Power for Fennell (44), L Ni Arta for Walsh (57).
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Wall marks Meath comeback with two goals in win over Mayo, Kerry defeat Waterford
LAST UPDATE | 3 Feb 2025
Meath 4-9
Mayo 2-6
Daire Walsh reports from Navan
THE RETURNING VIKKI Wall bagged 2-1 at Pairc Tailteann, Navan on Monday as Meath made it two wins from two in Division 1 of the Lidl National Football League with an impressive triumph over Mayo.
Whereas Saoirse Delaney and Bree Hession were late inclusions on the Mayo team, former TG4 Senior Players’ Player of the Year Wall was added to the Meath side for her first start since a TG4 All-Ireland senior quarter-final defeat to Kerry in July 2023.
The multi-sport exponent made her presence felt in the early moments and with Ciara Smyth (two), Kerrie Cole and Meadhbh Byrne all finding the target, the Royals were four points clear at the end of the opening quarter.
Even though Sinead Walsh cancelled out a free from Smyth to finally get Mayo up and running in the 21st minute, Meath reinforced their authority when Wall drilled the ball to the opposition net moments later.
Yet Mayo were back in contention when Walsh claimed a superb solo goal of her own on 26 minutes and despite temporarily losing the MacHale Rovers attacker to injury arising from an incident that led to Wall being yellow-carded, Maria Cannon converted a close-in free to leave the westerners just three points adrift (1-5 to 1-2) at the interval.
Walsh was back in time to narrow the gap at the start of the second half with a place-ball strike from distance, before Meath regained a firm stranglehold when a Smyth point was supplemented by a green flag finish from Cole – who had bagged a brace of goals in her county’s opening round win over Tyrone.
However, Walsh was proving to be a real thorn in the side of the Meath defence and she rattled the net for a second time on 38 minutes via a neat one-two with Hession. This meant the Royals were three in front upon Wall’s return to the field of play and this cushion remained intact after Mayo midfielder Erin Murray and Smyth traded points.
This advantage was then doubled when Wall hammered home from a tight angle in the wake of Mayo defender Ella Brennan being sin-binned for a foul on the Dunboyne ace.
Even though Walsh continued to lead the way for the visitors, a fourth goal off a counter-attack by raiding wing-back Niamh Gallogly helped Meath to ease over the line.
Scorers for Meath: V Wall 2-1 (0-1f), C Smyth 0-6 (3f), K Cole 1-1, N Gallogly 1-0, M Byrne 0-1.
Scorers for Mayo: S Walsh 2-4 (0-4f), M Cannon 0-1 (f), E Murray 0-1.
Meath
R Murray; A Sheridan, S Wall, N Troy; N Gallogly, MK Lynch, C Millington; A Cleary, V Wall; M Thynne, O Sheehy, C Smyth; M Byrne, M Farrelly, K Cole.
Subs:
K Bermingham for Sheehy, E Moyles for Thynne (both 41), K Newe for Troy (46), O Callan for Farrelly (53), C Lawlor for Byrne (58), M Collins for Cole (59).
Mayo
R Dyar; E Brennan, S Lally, D Caldwell; S Delaney, S El Massry, H Reape; E Murray, A Geraghty; L Wallace, A Gough, C Durkin; M Cannon, S Walsh, B Hession.
Subs:
K Doherty for Walsh (30-h/t), K Doherty for Wallace (36), K Sullivan for El Massry (46), C Whyte for Hession (47), A Fitzpatrick for Gough (48), M Sheridan for Delaney (53), S McNulty for Sullivan (55), J Mortimer for Murray (58).
Referee: Kevin Phelan (Laois).
*************
Kerry 2-6
Waterford 0-9
Tomás McCarthy reports from SETU Arena, Waterford
GOALS IN EITHER half from Niamh Ní Chonchúir and Siofra O’Shea gave TG4 All-Ireland champions Kerry their first win in Division 1 of the Lidl National Football League at a windswept SETU Arena on Bank Holiday Monday.
These Munster rivals were level on four occasions before O’Shea’s punched effort ten minutes into the second half put the Kingdom clear. Captain Anna Galvin came up with two massive points. Two goal saving blocks from sub Mary O’Connell just before the break also proved crucial. Déise captain Emma Murray drove her team forward all evening and struck two points from play.
Sixteen year old Gemma Corcoran made her debut between the sticks for the home side, the first Ballysaggart player to line out for the Waterford seniors. She produced two fantastic second half saves. Kerry took the field with eight of the team that defeated Galway in the All Ireland final last August.
Bríd McMaugh struck the opening point for Waterford after just 25 seconds. After pressure on the Kerry kickout, McMaugh set up Clare Walsh for another white flag.
In the sixth minute, a point attempt from Niamh Ní Chonchúir dropped into the corner of the Déise net to make 1-0 to 0-2. The hosts replied immediately. A super solo run from Katie Murray resulted in a free which Lauren McGregor tapped over. The home team kept hold of possession against the elements and a Kellyann Hogan free edged them back in front. Kerry midfielder Anna Galvin levelled matters on the quarter hour.
Emma Murray and O’Shea (free) traded points before Hogan’s second dead ball sent the Déise 0-6 to 1-2 ahead at the half time hooter. Two brilliant blocks from Kerry sub Mary O’Connell denied Waterford a goal just before the break.
The Kingdom made a triple substitution during the interval. One of those new arrivals Danielle O’Leary kicked them into the lead four minutes into the second period after Rachel Dwyer got the leveller. Kerry netminder Mary Ellen Bolger palmed away a point attempt from McMaugh.
On 40 minutes, O’Shea bravely punched the ball to the net just ahead of advancing Déise goalkeeper Corcoran to make it 2-4 to 0-6. Ciara McCarthy added a point.
Emma Murray, Lauren McGregor and McMaugh reduced the deficit to two. Debutant shot-stopper Corcoran made two stunning saves from O’Leary to keep her team in the contest. A late Anna Galvin point sealed a hard earned victory for Kerry.
Scorers for Kerry: S O’Shea 1-1, N Ní Chonchúir 1-0, A Galvin 0-2, C McCarthy, D O’Leary, R Dwyer 0-1 each.
Scorers for Waterford: B McMaugh, L McGregor (2fs), E Murray, K Hogan (2fs) 0-2 each, C Walsh 0-1.
Kerry
ME Bolger; R Smith, D Kearney, R Rahilly; A O’Connell, K Cronin, A Galvin; K Sugrue; A Dillane; N Carmody, C Evans, N Ní Chonchúir; S O’Shea, R Dwyer, K Brosnan.i
Subs:
M O’Connell for Ní Chonchúir (23), C McCarthy for Sugrue (HT), E Lynch for Rahilly (HT), D O’Leary for Brosnan (HT), J Lucey for Dwyer (40), L Boyle for Carmody (47), M Higgins for A O’Connell (57), N Quinn for Evans (58).
Waterford
G Corcoran; C Murray, R Casey, M Ryan; K McGrath, E Murray, Á O’Neill; E Power, H Power; B McMaugh, K Hogan, K Murray; L McGregor, C Walsh, C Fennell.
Subs:
A Power for Fennell (44), L Ni Arta for Walsh (57).
Referee: B Redmond (Wexford).
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Ladies Football Mayo Meath Royal Rule