It says a great deal for the character and resolve of the Meath senior camogie panel that they were able to bounce back so emphatically this year and claim All-Ireland and league trophies. The Royal County contested three finals last year, losing them all, but with John Davis again coaching the side this year and Anton O'Neill, Valerie Curtis, Christy Mangan and Darina Smith completing the management team, there was a determination to be successful. And that's how it turned out as they won both the National League Div. 4 and Nancy Murray Cup competitions. Preparations had commenced in October of last year and with the panel containing a lot of talented new players they commenced their competitive programme with a National League game against Louth at Ashbourne in early February when a runaway 11-17 to 0-2 victory was recorded. Scoring sensation Jane Dolan tallied an amazing 4-6 in this match and she also rowed in with a highly impressive 3-5 in the second round of the league when Meath defeated Kildare by 4-8 to 0-3 at St Laurence's where the absence of nets caused some confusion. A third successive victory on a 2-12 to 0-5 score line against Carlow at Ashbourne meant Meath were assured of their place in the final. Dolan again top scored, this time with 1-5, and Elizabeth Lynch rowed in with 1-2. Both Meath and Roscommon were unbeaten ahead of their meeting in the last round of group games and that's the way it remained as the match in the west finished level (Meath 1-11, Roscommon 3-5). Davis used the occasion to experiment and Meath looked to be in danger of a first league defeat when Roscommon pushed into a 3-2 to 0-5 interval lead. However, Meath got moving in the second period and eventually secured a share of the spoils when Dolan, who notched 1-3 overall, slotted over a late equalising point. Naomh Peregrine's in Blakestown was the venue when the sides met again, this time in the final, and this was a great day for Meath as they put all the disappointments of the previous year behind them by recording a comprehensive 5-7 to 1-5 victory. They led all the way against a very decent Roscommon team and the foundations for victory were built around a solid defence in which Aoife Thompson starred at full-back, ably assisted by Maura Keogh and Karen Ward. Goalkeeper Emily Mangan was very assured and the half-back line of Mags Stephens, last year's All-Star nominee Aileen Donnelly and Louise Donoghue was highly influential. Dolan again headed the scoring charts with 2-2, closely followed by Elizabeth Lynch on 2-1, but this victory was the result of a great team effort. Dolan gave Meath a great start with a goal after three minutes following a Lynch pass, but Roscommon got a goal of their own late in the first half from a penalty. Meath opened up a 2-3 to 1-2 interval lead when Lynch found the net after a Hackett cross, but nine second half minutes had elapsed before Donnelly added to their tally from a free. Lynch goaled again two minutes late after Ann Marie Fagan and Elizabeth Oakes had done the spade work and with substitute Stephanie Horan and Dolan also goaling subsequently they were well clear at the end. After so much disappointment in finals in 2007, it was great to see captain Donnelly raising the cup. Meath - E Mangan; M Keogh, A Thompson, K Ward; M Stephens, A Donnelly (0-1), L Donoghue; E Oakes, L Flynn; S Hackett (0-3), F Lynch, AM Fagan; A Keogh, J Dolan (2-2), E Lynch (2-1). Subs - E Guy for A Keogh, S Horan (1-0) for Flynn, H Geraghty for Ward, E Doherty for Oakes. Meath were quickly back in action, this time in the Leinster Junior Championship, and they opened the competition with a 1-16 to 1-10 victory over Kildare at Cappagh where they moved clear in the closing stages. Kildare played with the strong wind in the first half and scored two early points, but after they had missed a couple of frees Meath got off the mark in the 10th minute when Lynch goaled. They then lost Laura Flynn with a cut hand and the home county pushed ahead, but the Royal County finished the opening period positively with points from Dolan (free) and Oakes to trail by 1-4 to 1-7 at the break. Kildare extended their advantage with a point early in the second half, but Meath responded well when Donnelly and Dolan split the uprights. Further points from Dolan (two) and Fagan left them ahead 11 minutes after the restart and it was then that the brilliant Donnelly really started to shine. She fired over a '45' and four superbly struck frees and with substitute Ann Marie Dennehy and Dolan completing the scoring Meath were safely through to the semi-finals against Laois. However, that's where their title hopes ended as the midlanders won by 2-8 to 0-5 thanks to a dominant second half performance. Meath fared well in the first half, but conceded two goals which enabled Laois to lead by 2-1 to 0-4 at the interval. Dolan's point after the change of ends was their only score of the second half and Laois were well ahead at the final whistle. The Nancy Murray Cup was the other big ambition on Meath's agenda and they opened the round robin series with a 3-13 to 2-5 victory over Roscommon at Ashbourne where a late scoring blitz did the trick. A brilliant run by Hackett led to Dolan scoring a Meath goal and that helped them to a 1-3 to 0-2 lead at the end of the first quarter. They didn't score again in the opening half and the interval advantage stood at 1-3 to 0-4. Claire Curley netted for Roscommon early in the second period as they moved ahead, before a contribution of 1-1 from Hackett helped Meath to go back in front at 2-4 to 1-4. Annette McGeeney also goaled for the visitors and the teams were level (2-5 each) early in the last quarter. That's when Meath took command and with Horan scoring their third goal they were comfortably ahead at the end. Meath received a walk over from London in the second round, but resumed with a hard earned 1-7 to 0-8 win over Kildare at Clane. The hosts led by 0-4 to 0-3 at the interval and the second half remained close, with Kildare edging ahead and looking likely to win. However, a late goal from Mags Stephens following a Flynn pass secure victory. Carlow provided the semi-final opposition at Naomh Peregrine's and Meath reached the final for the second successive year thanks to a 4-14 to 1-12 victory. The contest was closer than the score line suggests and the performances of goalkeeper Mangan, who made a number of vital saves, and Dolan, who contributed 2-7, were highly significant. Dolan and Donnelly scored first half goals and Meath led by 2-4 to 0-7 at the break. The exchanges were close in the early stages of the second period, but further goals from Elizabeth Lynch and Dolan pointed the Royal County firmly in the direction of the winning post and the final. And there to meet them at Drumlane, Co Cavan, were Roscommon who they had already beaten twice in 2008 - in the National League final and in the opening round of the Nancy Murray Cup. A third win over the Connacht county would mean a second title of the year for Meath and that's how it turned out as they secured a narrow 0-10 to 1-6 success. It was a joyful and emotional moment for captain Aileen Donnelly as she accepted the cup. Her late mother Brigid had led Meath to a Leinster junior triumph approximately four decades earlier and this clearly meant a great deal to Aileen. The victory made up for losing the final to Laois a year earlier, but it was touch and go, with Roscommon leading by 1-3 to 0-5 at the break after Fiona Connell had punished slack defending to score their goal in the 22nd minute. Dolan and Hackett (two each) and Elizabeth Lynch got Meath's first half points. Roscommon took a long time about reappearing for the second half and it was Meath who levelled when they eventually did as Donnelly converted a long range free. Frances Lynch edged them ahead, but the sides were level going into the last 10 minutes which were hugely exciting. Points from Dolan and Elizabeth Lynch edged Meath two clear and after Curley replied at the other end, the Royal County held out during six minutes of injury time as Mangan starred and they defended well. It was an extra special win for Trim's Edel Guy as she also collected the 'player of the match' award. This success, as well as the league triumph, was richly deserved by a generally young team and with so much dedicated work being done at under-age level in the county (including with the under-14s who reached the Leinster semi-finals this year) the future looks very bright. Meath - E Mangan; M Stephens, L Donegan, K Ward; E Guy, A Donnelly (0-1), L Donoghue; AM Fagan, L Flynn; E Oakes, F Lynch (0-1), S Hackett (0-2); E Lynch (0-2), J Dolan (0-4), S Horan. Sub - A Keogh for Hackett. Tweet

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