By Michael Devlin

Meath ladies football captain Máire O’Shaughnessy says her team will be more focused going into Sunday’s All Ireland Intermediate Final, having been beaten in last year’s decider at Croke Park.

Like the Royals this weekend, winners that day Tyrone were coming into the tie having competed in the final the year before, and that big-game Croke Park experience is something that O’Shaughnessy says had a bearing on the match.

“Tyrone started off very strong, and they kind of had the experience of the year before as well. It was quite new to us, and emotions maybe distracted our focus a bit. Having been there last year, there’s a few things that are generally a surprise on the day that won’t be anymore. We are hoping to be a lot more focused going into this game.

“Croke Park is a big factor, and it’s something you don’t really get until you’re there. People tell you about it and what it’s like, but until you’re on that pitch with thousands and thousands of people and noise is distracting, you’ve that challenge that you wouldn’t have in other games.

“You go from the early stages at the competition where there could be a hundred at the game, then you go to having thousands there, so it is a big factor. But it’s important to remember it’s a big factor for both teams.”

A four-point quarter-final win over Wexford in Crettyard last month was revenge for defeat in the Leinster Intermediate Final to the Model County, the only blip in a season that has brought league promotion to Division Two.

“It’s more or less gone according to plan,” says O’Shaughnessy of Meath’s year so far. “Obviously we were disappointed in the Leinster final against Wexford, we probably weren’t as prepared going into that game for various reasons, but we’ve only actually lost two games this year between the league and the championship, so we are in a really position going into this game.

“The minute we came off the pitch we knew exactly where we went wrong. We were kind of hoping we’d get them in the quarter-final as we knew how to approach them this time. Wexford were probably a bit more up for it on the day and were rightful winners, but we knew if we met them again we could beat them, and we did.”

Qualification for the final was sealed after a strong 4-20 to 1-12 semi-final win over Roscommon, with Fiona O’Neill, Orla Byrne, Emma Duggan and Vikki Wall getting the goals in a performance that saw Meath stay in control from start to finish. However O’Shaughnessy expects Sunday’s game with Tipperary, Munster champions and playing in Division One this season, to be a much tighter affair.

“Roscommon were a team that we are quite familiar with. We’ve played them a good few times over the last few years. We were well-prepared going into it, and I suppose it was a convincing enough win in the end. The Tipp game will be completely different.

“We are well aware that we are underdogs and they are hot favourites going in, but look, on All-Ireland final day those tags don’t really make a difference. It’s the same factors for everyone out there, it’s a pitch with two teams on it, so it’s anyone’s game on the day.”