Meath will face Dublin in next weekend’s TG4 Leinster Senior Football Championship final at Croke Park after holding off a dramatic fightback from Kildare in their gripping round three meeting at Cedral St Conleth’s Park in Newbridge on Sunday afternoon.

 

After trading early scores with Meath’s Kerrie Cole, Kildare attacker Roisin Byrne added her second point of the game in the seventh minute of the action. While the Royals subsequently found the target through the talismanic Vikki Wall and Orlaith Sheehy, the Lilies – who lost to Dublin in the same venue last weekend - responded to these efforts with contributions from Neasa Dooley and dead-ball specialist Alannah Prizeman.

 

Another free courtesy of Naas’ Prizeman moved Kildare two points in front, before Meath eventually hit a purple patch inside the second-quarter. After Cole doubled her account, Megan Thynne seized upon a short opposition kick-out and proceeded to release Emma Duggan for a simple 17th minute goal.

 

Duggan and Niamh Gallogly also split the posts from distance as the opening period wore on and Meath were very much in the driving seat when the raiding Sarah Wall rattled the net on the half-hour mark.

 

While a late Prizeman point reduced Kildare’s deficit to six (2-6 to 0-6) in time for the interval, Meath reinforced their authority on the resumption with unanswered scores from Duggan and Ciara Smyth. The excellent Duggan went on to bolster her tally with a two-point salvo and the hard-working Prizeman did likewise at the opposite end as the Lilies gallantly sought their way back into contention.

 

Kildare substitute Ellen Dowling also found the range to cancel out a Marion Farrelly point for Meath and this was quickly supplemented by Prizeman’s sixth of the contest. Duggan added another white flag score to move the Royals eight clear (2-12 to 0-10) on the stroke of 50 minutes, but it was at this stage that the Lilies challenge kicked back into gear.

 

Complimenting Prizeman’s second point from play, Ciara Wheeler fired home a 53rd minute goal at the second time of asking. Dowling and Prizeman then brought the gap down to two with quickfire scores, before Meath regained their composure with much-needed efforts from Smyth and Duggan.

 

However, Kildare refused to throw in the towel and with Mia Doherty, Byrne and Dooley all kicking points during six minutes of stoppage-time, the bare minimum separated the sides in the end.

 

Scorers – Meath: E Duggan 1-6 (0-2f), S Wall 1-0, C Smyth, K Cole 0-2 each, O Sheehy, M Farrelly, N Gallogly, V Wall 0-1 each.

 

Kildare: A Prizeman 0-8 (6f), C Wheeler 1-0, R Byrne 0-3, N Dooley, E Dowling 0-2 each, M Doherty 0-1.

 

MEATH: R Murray; A Sheridan, MK Lynch, K Newe; A Cleary, S Wall, K Kealy; O Sheehy, M Farrelly; M Thynne, N Gallogly, C Smyth; E Duggan, V Wall, K Cole. Subs: K Birmingham for Sheehy (44), A Gaffney for Thynne (51), M Collins for Cole (52), C Lawlor for Farrelly (61).

 

KILDARE: M Hulgraine; R Sargent, L Lenehan, M Doherty; L Shaw, L Dunlea, M Aspel; L Murtagh, S Galvin; C Moran, C Wheeler, N Dooley; A Rattigan, A Prizeman, R Byrne. Subs: L Gilbert for Sargent (27), L Reilly for Moran (41), G Wheeler for Rattigan (42), E Dowling for Galvin (45), L Curran for Shaw (53), C Price for Murtagh (62), 

 

Referee: Barry Redmond (Wexford).