LYNCH GETS VITAL GOAL
(left)
MARY KATE Lynch was the unlikely match-winner for Meath as the Lidl NFL Division 1 champions beat Donegal in Letterkenny.
The full-back got forward to score the crucial goal in a 1-7 to 0-5 success.
It was 0-3 to 0-3 at half-time and Donegal struggled on the resumption, Meath picked off their scores and then Lynch’s long range shot evaded Donegal goalkeeper Aoife McColgan.
“Nothing beats winning and we got the good fortune with the goal,” said manager Davy Nelson.
“Fitness levels aren’t anywhere near what they’re going to be come May.
“It’s hard going and you have to earn crumbs in every contact, every possession just to move forward.”
Last year’s Division 2 champions, Kerry, continued their perfect start with a 3-5 to 0-13 victory away to Mayo at the Connacht GAA Centre of Excellence in Bekan.
Kerry dominated large periods of the first half but only took a 0-5 to 0-4 lead into the break.
Three second half goals turned things for the Kingdom, with
Síofra O’Shea, Lorraine Scanlon and Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh all finding the net.
“We got a great onepoint win last week in Waterford and another one this week so we’re very happy,” said Kerry joint-manager Declan Quill.
“We got three goals early in the second half and we badly needed them.
“The goals came from putting direct ball into the forward line and they were probably the only times we did it.”
Galway made one of the biggest statements of the weekend when they beat Dublin 1-13 to 0-7 at Tuam Stadium.
“We made a couple of changes and that made a difference, it really helped in terms of retaining possession and holding on to the ball,” said Galway jointmanager Fiona Wynne.
“Our work-rate was phenomenal in the second half.
We’ve put a lot of emphasis on working as a team, everyone has a role to play within the team, and I was really impressed with how they gelled together as a team as opposed to individuals.”
For Cork, they needed a last gasp free from the boot of Katie Quirke to earn a 2-9 to 2-9 draw against Munster rivals Waterford in Piltown.
It was 2-4 to 1-3 at half-time in favour of the hosts, with goals from Annie Fitzgerald and Lauren McGregor putting them in charge before Daire Kiely replied.
However, Erika O’Shea scored another Cork goal and despite Emma Murray’s late point, Quirke kept her composure in the 66th minute.
“She didn’t even need the extra ten yards the ref gave her,” said Cork manager Shane Ronayne.
“She’s after coming back from injury, she broke a bone in her foot before Christmas. She played very well last week, she scored 1-1 when she went on.
“We had no doubts about starting her.
She’s an excellent freetaker, works hard at it.
“We’re delighted with her.”
Sarah Dillon (two), Anna Jones (two), Rachel Dillon, Ciara Blundell and Kelly
Boyce Jordan all found the net as Westmeath had a 7-8 to 0-11 Division 2 win over Laois.
Elsewhere, Monaghan beat Ulster rivals Tyrone 1-12 to 2-4. Armagh secured a 2-13 to 0-12 win against Roscommon, and Tipperary beat Cavan 3-13 to 0-10.
In Division 3, there were victories for Wexford, Down, Louth and Kildare. And in Division 4B, Wicklow and Leitrim were both successful.
BOTH managers may have been satisfied with the draw, but Kevin McStay still looked that bit happier on Saturday night.
And well he might. In his first League game at the helm, the Mayo boss fielded a less experienced side than his Galway counterpart Padraic Joyce did.
Most of Mayo’s emerging players acquitted themselves well in an encounter that was as good as could be reasonably expected for a League opener on the last weekend of January.
And, of course, the manager whose side hit the last score is always more likely to view the glass as being half full, with Ryan O’Donoghue kicking the leveller in the sixth minute of injury time.
Mistakes
“We’d a lot of young lads out there against quite an experienced opposition, and they all stood up to their full height,” said
McStay.
“No one went hiding. Everyone looking for the ball; everyone trying hard to do the right thing.
“We made plenty of mistakes, no question, and we’ve lots of weekends ahead of us to tidy things up. But no doubt we will make mistakes over those weekends as well.
“So it’s just a continuing process of finding out what’s our best team, where are the areas we need to tidy up, and I have to say, I’m happy right to the end that we were in that game.
“There was never a sense that Galway were home and out the gap. Our team never walked away from it.”
They were chasing the game for the most part and only held the lead twice, briefly on both occasions in either half and with a Galway goal wiping out their advantage each time.
James Carr struck for a superb Mayo goal in the 10th minute but Matthew Tierney palmed to the net shortly afterwards and though Galway lost Eoghan Kelly to a black card, they controlled the game and held a 1-5 to 1-3 half-time lead.
With Matthew Ruane increasingly influential, Mayo kicked the first three points of the second half to go back in front but Cillian McDaid placed Sean Kelly for a second Galway goal.
Black
But another Mayo rally came and further black cards for Ruane and McDaid added to the drama as the game reached an exciting climax with Mayo rolling in the veterans from the bench.
While Galway looked the more likely, there weren’t too many in the healthy crowd of 13,654 going away cranky after a first draw between the counties in League or Championship since 1992.
“Sure this is Mayo, this is what we do, this is what we love doing, and we’re up and at it again,” said McStay of the turnout.
“There’s a young group of men out there that they should be