Ladies Football National League Division One Final

Meath 2-8 Donegal 1-9

By Paul Keane

Another Croke Park outing, another landmark triumph for Meath who are Lidl National Football League Division 1 champions for the very first time.

The Royals became one of the sporting stories of 2021 when they backed up their All-Ireland intermediate success of late 2020 with a maiden senior win. Now they have built on last year's Division 2 league title triumph with a breakthrough Division 1 success and are looking to the summer with confidence.

They lived dangerously at times admittedly, coughing up a seven-point lead to trail by one early in the second-half, but when the need was greatest they delivered and Niamh O'Sullivan's 40th minute goal proved to be significant.

That wrestled the lead back towards Meath and they remained in pole position from there on with Vikki Wall supplying an important late point to keep them two clear.

Kelsey Nesbitt also netted for Eamonn Murray's side while Emma Duggan and Emma Troy gave strong displays in what is their fifth consecutive win at Croke Park.

They will return to duty on May 7 for a Leinster championship clash with Dublin, a repeat of last September's All-Ireland final.

For a while it looked like Meath might actually wrap up a big win by half-time with the favourites 1-6 to 0-2 clear.

Just four minutes remained in the first-half at that stage and Meath had been entirely on top with their counter attacking game working nicely.

They led 0-5 to 0-2 at the first water break and then struck a terrific goal through Nesbitt.

It was a wonderful, direct move that began with Duggan securing possession from Monica McGuirk's kick-out before feeding clubmate Wall who raced clear and played in Nesbitt.

Orlagh Lally added a point and Meath weren't flattered by the seven-point advantage with Donegal in real danger of being routed.

But an Yvonne Bonner score for Donegal ignited Maxi Curran's side and from the kick-out they worked a move that ended with Bonner being tripped and felled by Mary Kate Lynch for a penalty.

Niamh McLauglin buried the spot kick and to compound Meath's difficulties, Lynch was shown yellow and sent to the sin-bin for the foul.

Karen Guthrie and Ger McLaughlin added scores as Donegal capitalised on their momentum and when the half-time hooter sounded they were just one behind, 1-6 to 1-5.

Guthrie and McLaughlin were on the mark again early in the second-half with points to put Donegal ahead for the first time in the game.

In all, Donegal hit an unanswered 1-5 with 1-4 of that coming in the period when Meath full-back Lynch was in the sin-bin.

Meath's response to adversity was typically impressive. Firstly, Lally tied it up at 1-07 apiece with a tidy levelling point. Then O'Sullivan struck a second goal for the Leinster outfit which left them in the clear again at 2-7 to 1-7.

O'Sullivan's finish for the major was superb as she pivoted in the danger area and struck to the corner of the net though Duggan's precise pass made it all possible.

Bonner and Ger McLauglin struck points in response for Donegal but they just couldn't claw back the deficit as Meath held on for another landmark triumph.

Scorers for Meath: Kelsey Nesbitt 1-1, Niamh O'Sullivan 1-0, Emma Duggan 0-2 (0-1f), Orlagh Lally 0-2, Stacey Grimes 0-1, Niamh O'Sullivan 0-1, V Wall 0-1.

Scorers for Donegal: Niamh McLaughlin 1-0 (1-0 pen), Geraldine McLauglin 0-4 (0-1f), Karen Guthrie 0-3 (0-2f), Yvonne Bonner 0-2.

Meath: Monica McGuirk; Katie Newe, Mary Kate Lynch, Shauna Ennis; Aoibhin Cleary, Emma Troy, Aoibheann Leahy; Maire O'Shaughnessy, Vikki Wall; Kelsey Nesbitt, Orlagh Lally, Megan Thynne; Niamh O'Sullivan, Emma Duggan, Stacey Grimes.

Subs: Bridgetta Lynch for Nesbitt 38, Niamh Gallogly for Leahy 52, Emma White for Thynne 52, Orla Byrne for Lally 56, Orlaith Duff for O'Sullivan 60.

Donegal: Roisin McCafferty; Niamh Carr, Evelyn McGinley, Niamh Boyle; Tara Hegarty, Nicole McLaughlin, Amy Boyle Carr; Katie Herron, Roisin Rodgers; Blathnaid McLaughlin, Niamh McLaughlin, Shelly Twohig; Yvonne Bonner, Karen Guthrie, Geraldine McLaughlin.

Subs: Niamh Hegarty for Tara Hegarty 40, Tanya Kennedy for Boyle 49, Emma McCrory for Twohig 56.

Referee: Garryowen McMahon (Mayo).