Hurling & Camogie

Derry ended up comfortable winners over visiting Meath

Aine McAllister scored 0-10 in Derry's win over Meath in the Glen Dimplex All-Ireland Intermediate Championship Group Two match in Swatragh
Aine McAllister scored 0-10 in Derry's win over Meath in the Glen Dimplex All-Ireland Intermediate Championship Group Two match in Swatragh Aine McAllister scored 0-10 in Derry's win over Meath in the Glen Dimplex All-Ireland Intermediate Championship Group Two match in Swatragh

Glen Dimplex All-Ireland Intermediate Championship Group Two: Derry 2-14 Meath 0-11

DESPITE going four points down in the opening 10 minutes of their opening Glen Dimplex All-Ireland Intermediate championship tie in Swatragh on Saturday, Derry ended up comfortable winners over visiting Meath.

Free-taker Áine McAllister hit the target on seven occasions and added three more points from play for good measure. But it was the two goals from Aoife Shaw that made the real difference while Gráinne McNicholl dominated particularly during the second half from centre half-back with Maria Mooney sound behind her and Aoife Ní Chaiside and Megan Kerr others to catch the eye.

Meath provided a scoring threat in Jane Dolan and Aoife Minogue and this pair helped them off to a quick start. Dolan pointed twice in the opening ten minutes as the visitors went four up before Áine McAllister got Derry’s opening score from a 45.

Derry had crept up to a point behind Meath when Aoife Shaw’s first goal in the 19th minute and put the Oak Leaf ahead for the first time (1-4 to 0-5). Amy Gaffney responded with a point for Meath and they were just a point adrift at the break on 1-6 to 0-8.

There was just a point to each side from frees over the opening ten minutes of the second half, before Shaw found the net for the second time.

The home side now had the bit between their teeth and they pressed on to out score their opponents by seven points to two over the final 20 minutes with McAllister scoring five of those points, the other scores coming from Slaughtneil pair Aoife Ní Chaiside and Therese Mellon.

Elsewhere in the group there were easy victories for Cork over Wexford and Kilkenny against Kildare suggesting that Derry should expect a second victory when they visit Kildare this coming Saturday.

In Group One, Westmeath and Galway got off to the expected easy victories while Kerry surprised Laois in Lixnaw to record a 2-15 to 1-13 victory.

Derry: N Gribben; R Kirkpatrick, M Mooney, M Kerr; S O'Doherty, G McNicholl, R Bradley; D O'Kane, C Ní Mhianáin; A Ní Chaiside (0-1), M McNicholl (0-1), Á McAllister (0-10, 0-7 frees); S O'Connor, A Shaw (2-1), T Mellon (0-1)

Subs: C Glass for R Kirkpatrick, Á Magill for S O’Connor, R Downey for C Ní Mhianáin.

Meath: M Randle; S Payne, M Clince, S Leonard; T King, E Burke, Á Keogh; K Troy, A Minogue (0-3); A Maguire, J Dolan (0-3), A Gaffney (0-2); O O’Halloran, S Hackett (0-2 frees), A Slattery

Sub : L Devine 0-1 for Á Keogh

Glen Dimplex All-Ireland Intermediate championship results

Group One

Kerry 2-15 Laois 1-13

Galway 5-22 Carlow 0-7

Westmeath 4-13 Dublin 1-9

Group Two

Derry 2-14 Meath 0-11

Wexford 0-7 Cork 3-15

Kilkenny 1-22 Kildare 0-11