Camogs power past Meath to set up glory bid

Camogs power past Meath to set up glory bid

25 November 2020

DOWN’S camogs are one game away from All-Ireland glory.

The Red and Blacks will face Antrim in the All-Ireland Intermediate final at Kingspan Breffni Park on December 5.

Down set up the showdown with a superb victory over 2017 champions Meath in Clones on Saturday.

Down, beaten finalists two years ago and semi-finalists last year were determined that they would not be the nearly team once more.

It was a cagey affair for the most part in truth, as both teams at times looked tentative.

Certainly it was not a game where the attacks flowed freely, with both sides aware of the prize at stake, and the price of playing their game too openly and expansively.

However, manager Derek Dunne’s charges did enough to break free from the nervous shackles enough at key points in the contest to ensure they would emerge with a comfortable enough six-point winning margin.

The Mourne county always looked like they had another gear they could slip into, if needed, and indeed they confirmed that as Niamh Mallon fired a brace of points early on in the early stages of the second half.

It was in this key period that Down accelerated away. The excellent Saoirse McCartan added another score to confirm their qualification late on, when Meath were trying to build up one last head of steam. 

McCartan and Mallon were a constant threat to the Meath defence throughout. They interchanged positions sharply, confusing their markers along the way.

Down did have the chances in the first half to have come away from the opening period with more scores than they did.

They always looked in strong hands under the guidance of Fionnuala Carr, who swept everything up that came towards her full-back line when Meath did come on the hunt. 

Down led by 0-6 to 0-2 at half-time. In truth though, they could have been forgiven for chastising themselves that the advantage was not a little more commanding. 

In the second half, the Mourne county hit some poorly-executed wides from promising positions, and failed to capitalise on a couple of inviting goal opportunities. Mallon adopted a deeper role than many have been accustomed to seeing her in, but she performed admirably in it, getting plenty of possession.

Fionnuala Carr was extremely effective picking up breaking ball in front of her full-back line, ensuring the dangerous Jane Dolan in the Meath ranks was starved of possession. Paula O’Hagan gathered a clearance quickly and returned it from 50 metres over the bar for another key score, followed by a pointed free. 

Moments later, Mallon flashed a shot just over, when a goal seemed on. Sinéad Hackett and Aidín Slattery then got on the scoresheet for Meath, but another converted free from O’Hagan, and a splendid strike by McCartan, after winning possession herself and exchanging passes with the industrious Lauren Clarke, put Down four ahead at the water break. 

Down’s grip only tightened after the resumption. They employed some effective game management tactics against a Meath side which tired as the second half wore on. 

O’Hagan continued to punish the indiscretions of the Meath defence. Sara-Louise Graffin and McCartan added to the tally from play, and though the Royals were determined, they ultimately fell short, and Down could celebrate at the referee’s final whistle.

The final at Kingspan Breffni Park on December 3 throws in at 3.45pm.

Down: C McGourty, C Caldwell, D Magee, D Harrison, B Fitzpatrick, F Carr, K McMullan, A Keown, P O’Hagan (0-7), S McCartan (0-2), SL Graffin (0-3), A McAleenan, S Sands, L Clarke, N Mallon (0-2). Subs: C Cowan for S Sands (23), C Rocks for B Fitzpatrick (58), I O’Hare for A McAleenan (60).

Meath: M Randle, S Payne, C Coffey, L Donoghue, T King, M Clince, C O’Brien, A Slattery (0-1), K Troy, A Minogue (0-5), L Dennehy, M Thynne, S Hackett (0-1), J Dolan, A Keogh. Subs: A Maguire (0-1) for L Dennehy (H/T). 

Referee: P McDonnell (Cavan).

Down 0-14

Meath 0-8

ALL-IRELAND SEMI-FINAL