Galway 1-12 
Meath 0-7 

by Darren Kelly 

Galway picked up their first win in this season’s Lidl Ladies National Football League following an eight point victory over Meath in Duggan Park in Ballinasloe. 

Shauna Hynes, who finished with 1-5, got the only goal of the match in between two missed Meath chances that allowed the Tribeswomen build a 10-point interval advantage. 

Galway opened with a Hynes point on five minutes. And they stretched that lead to four by the 10th minute with Róisín Leonard scoring from play in between two frees. 

Meath’s first score came on 12 minutes from Emma Duggan but it was a two minute passage that swung this contest in favour of the hosts. 

First, Duggan was put through for a Meath chance only to miss the target on 14 minutes. Galway countered with Ailbhe Davoren racing down the left to force a save from Monica McGuirk but the rebound fell perfectly for Hynes to hit the net. 

Another chance for the visitors saw Marion Farrelly’s ball from the left pulled off the line by Nicola Ward. And the Tribeswomen replied with Hynes getting another white flag and it was 1-5 to 0-1 entering the second quarter. 

Eventually, Meath’s drought ended when Farrelly did find the target on 19 minutes but they didn’t score again against the wind. Galway finished with four more points through Nicola Ward, Hynes, Leanne Coen and a Leonard free to lead 1-9 to 0-2 at half-time. 

Meath had the elements in their favour for the second period with Duggan converting before going low with another 13 metre free that sliced wide. 

Olivia Divilly replied with a Galway point but Shane McCormack’s charges started closing the gap as Farrelly and a Duggan brace left them 1-10 to 0-6 down with 10 minutes remaining. 

But the Royals couldn’t get the goal they needed to get back in the game and Galway responded with two more points through Hynes, both supplied by Davoren to get their first victory of 2024 and give them a fighting chance of avoiding relegation. 

Meath concluded with a Duggan free and despite two consecutive defeats, home games against Kerry and Cork still give the 2022 champions hope of making this year’s final. 

Scorers – Galway: S Hynes 1-5, R Leonard 0-4 (3f), L Coen 0-1, N Ward 0-1, O Divilly 0-1. 

Meath: E Duggan 0-5 (2f), M Farrelly 0-2. 

GALWAY: D Gower; E Gavin, S Ni Loingsigh, K Geraghty; M Jordan, N Ward, A Ni Cheallaigh; M Glynn, A Davoren; O Divilly, S Hynes, M Walsh; L Coen, A O’Rourke, R Leonard. Subs: M Banek for Ni Cheallaigh (41), E Reaney for Walsh (59), L Booth for O’Rourke (59), C Cleary for Leonard (60). 

MEATH: M McGuirk; N Troy, A Sheridan, S Ennis; N Gallogly, MK Lynch, A Cleary; M O’Shaughnessy, S Melia; M Thynne, E Moyles, C Smith; E Duggan, M Farrelly, S Lynch. Subs: M Byrne for Lynch (37), K Newe for Ennis (44), T Foster for Melia (44), O Gore for Cleary (53), O Mallon for Smith (53), A Leahy for Farrelly (59). 

REFEREE: Kevin Corcoran (Mayo). 

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