Opportunity lost as Meath cruise past Carlow
Abhainn Coady keeps her eye on the ball as she scores a fine point despite the efforts of Meath's Maeve Clince and Olivia O'Halloran.
Carlow welcomed Meath to Netwatch Cullen Park on Saturday afternoon for the final game in Group 2 of the Glen Dimplex All-Ireland Intermediate Camogie Championship.
For Carlow to get out of the group they needed to win this game, or failing that, secure a draw if neighbours Laois could do them a favour in the other game against Westmeath.
Laois fulfilled their part of the bargain with a nine-point win in Portlaoise, but an electric start from Meath and a dominant final quarter meant the visitors not only won by an astonishing 12 points, but also managed to sneak into the knockout stages at Carlow and Westmeath's expense.
Paul Kelly's side were three-point winners on the opening weekend and despite losing by nine away to Laois last time out, Carlow were favourites to get the job done against a Meath side who had lost both their previous group games. But the Royals turned things on their head, winning 4-15 to 1-12 to condemn Carlow to a relegation playoff.
Aoife Carey and Emma Regan had the visitors two points up inside the opening 90 seconds with some good, direct play early on. Meath missed the chance to double their lead with two narrow wides, but they had the ball in the net in the sixth minute when Ellen O'Brien pounced on a loose ball and lobbed her shot over Emily O'Hara and into the net.
Abbey Donnelly added a further point to push Meath to 1-3 before a free from Eleanor Treacy got Carlow on the scoreboard with ten minutes gone in Cullen Park.
A brilliant score from Roisin Heaney restored Meath's six-point advantage followed by a charging run through the middle from Aoife Minogue set up Emma Regan who drilled the ball into the Carlow net to make it 2-4 to 0-1.
But Paul Kelly's side hit a purple patch midway through the half, scoring 1-4 without reply to reduce the deficit to two points after 20 minutes. Abhainn Coady got the ball rolling with a lovely score, followed by two frees from Treacy and a long-range free from Sarah Sheehan. Leah Ryan raised the green flag in the 17th minute with a super strike, low and hard into the bottom corner of the net.
Meath extended their lead through Aoife Carey and another Heaney free, but those scores were cancelled out courtesy of two more Tracey frees down the other end to leave Carlow two points adrift, down 2-6 to 1-7 at the interval.
Abhainn Coady cut the gap to the minimum right after the restart, but that was soon cancelled out by Carey before Donnelly made it a three-point game.
Carey and Coady then swapped scores as the clock ticked towards the final quarter. Meath were a goal to the good, but could have been further ahead had they not sent four shoes wide in a wasteful ten-minute period.
Treacy and Regan traded scores again - a theme of the second half - before another long-range free from Sheehan, this time from halfway, brought Carlow to within two points with ten minutes remaining.
But Meath struck the killer blow in the 53rd minute when Regan raised her second green flag of the afternoon to push the Royals five points in front. Three quick-fire scores on the bounce from Abbey Donnelly left her side eight points up heading into stoppage time.
Sheehan hit the target for Carlow, but Meath closed the game out with scores from Ellen Burke and Leah Devine before a fourth goal scored by Ciara Foley put the cherry on top of a wonderful performance from the visitors.
E Treacy 0-6 (6f), Leah Ryan 1-0, Sarah Sheehan (2f) and A Coady 0-3 each.
E Regan 2-2, A Donnelly 0-5, R Heaney 1-1, A Carey 0-4, C Foley and E O'Brien 1-0 each, E Burke and L Devine 0-1 each.
Emily O'Hara (Muinebheag); Kate Doyle (St Mullins), Michelle Nolan (Myshal), Gillian Doyle (Myshal); Caoimhe Coady (St Mullins), Rachel Breen (MLR), Rebecca Kelly (Muinebheag); Eleanor Treacy (Ballinkillen), Sarah Sheehan (Myshall); Eve Sinnott (Muinebheag), Ciara Kavanagh (MLR), Niamh Canavan (Ballinkillen); Holly Wall (Ballinkillen), Abhainn Coady (St Mullins), Leah Ryan (St Mullins).
Aimee Nolan (Myshal) for M Nolan (37, inj), Roisin Joyce (MLR) for Wall (44), Niamh Minchin (Muinebheag) for Ryan (56).
Maggie Randle; Sophia Payne, Malvern Clince, Rachel Moran; Blathnaid Hughes, Leah Devine, Rachel O'Neill; Emma Regan, Ellen Burke; Aoife Carey, Roisin Heaney, Aoife Minogue; Olivia O'Halloran, Ellen O'Brien, Abbey Donnelly.
Erin Leddy for Hughes (HT), Ciara Foley for Heaney (47).
Philip McDonald (Cavan).
