Meath LGFA pulled off a comeback for the ages on Sunday when they championed victory over stalwarts Cork in Croke Park.
The final score 2-12 to 2-10 in their favour after extra time, The Royals set hope alight in the sport that what is seemingly impossible can in fact be achieved.
Here's how.
1. Never say die attitude
35 seconds left in the All Ireland semi-final and Meath were losing by 3 points. Emma Duggan and her club mate Vikki Wall turn the ball over and she finds the back of the net. 25 seconds left in extra time and she does this. Ice in her veins! https://t.co/Dgwf44DhjW
— MeathLadiesFootball (@meathladiesMLGF) August 15, 2021
Emma Duggan put on a masterclass of skill and patience in the fixture and dragged her side to success in the semi-final with her steely last minute scores.
With just three minutes to go 2020’s Intermediate title holders had a seven point deficit to dissipate if they wanted to progress beyond the momentous Rebels, which is exactly what they did with both style and determination.
Many would have struck Meath as down and out when Eimear Scally hit the back of the net for The Leesiders with five minutes remaining, but Duggan, Stacey Grimes, Máire O’Shaughnessy and Vikki Wall were to confirm otherwise in what will go down in the books as an infamous occasion for their outfit.
Meath players celebrate beating Cork in today’s TG4 All-Ireland Senior Ladies Football Championship Semi-Final!
📸 @SportsfileSteve https://t.co/3QENY1chd9 pic.twitter.com/tuEZQ38Fkx— sportsfile (@sportsfile) August 15, 2021
2. Goals, Goals, Goals.
The famous saying that goals win matches has never rung more true than in this exciting contest that came down to the wire.
Grimes’s penalty conversion set the play in motion and gave the team the momentum needed to believe they were still in it.
Demonstrated beyond believe when Duggan bagged their second in less than a minute they came up trumps to undertake a miracle and bring the game to extra time.
This wasn’t an isolated occurrence for Eamon Murray’s group who are somewhat accustomed to obliterating clean sheets.
Putting three past Armagh in the Quarters at St Tiernach’s Park and sending the green flag waving twice on Sunday who know’s how many they will add to their tally come finals day.
#MTHvCOR 60 nóim
An Mhí 2-08 (14)
Corcaigh 2-08 (14))
😱😱😱😱 CÚL ag Emma Duggan gan ach 30 soicind fágtha!
Emma Duggan's goal means we will have extra time 😱😵@LadiesFootball
#ProperFan #PeilnamBan
BEO/LIVE AR @TG4TV pic.twitter.com/vPNpaA7MLX— Spórt TG4 (@SportTG4) August 15, 2021
3. Attitude to pressure
I fancy Emma Duggan. @meathladiesMLGF pic.twitter.com/nqaQblMj42
— vikki wall (@vikki_wall) August 15, 2021
No one expected them to challenge after just being promoted from the lower division- they did.
No one expected them to stun Armagh to make it to the semis-they did.
No one expected them to surpass Cork and reach their first ever senior final- they did.
In 2015 Meath suffered a 40 point defeat at the hands of the very opposition they faced on Sunday.
Who knows what odds they are to overcome against Dublin in what is a free shot at glory.
What a win that is for Meath women’s football team!
In 2018 & 2019 they lost All Ireland intermediate finals
In 2020 they won All Ireland intermediate final
In June 2021 they won Division 2 League final + promotion
Today they book place in first ever All Ireland senior final 👏🏼— Sinéad Kissane (@sineadkissane) August 15, 2021
4. Conditioning
Vikki Wall is some woman to run.
— Valerie Wheeler (@ValerieWheeler_) August 15, 2021
Beyond their sheer and utter confidence in themselves what many credit the Royals’ win to is their fitness.
While Cork appeared to run out of steam approaching the dying embers Meath kicked into another gear and embraced the spirit of running for every ball like it was the last.
Orla Finn was ruled out for the Munster side ahead of the opening whistle, but The Girls in Red suffered another blow when Ciara O’Sullivan had to go off with a shoulder injury, something which the Midlands’ faction were lucky enough to avoid during the fixture.
The “Big Smoke” have too endured the loss of crucial team members to injury throughout the course of the campaign and if Meath can keep their key players fresh it will only add to their possibilities when they come to blows.
Incredible by @MeathGAA ladies. Turnover at the end of normal time was huge. What a story #gaa pic.twitter.com/bdJGV51NBx
— Kieran Donaghy (@starryboy14) August 15, 2021
5. Support of the underdogs on their side
Emma Duggan (1-5) and Vikki Wall (0-2) helped Meath to a dramatic win over Cork yesterday to reach their first ever All Ireland senior final.
Both players coming up on @VirginMediaNews at 5.30.
Here's Emma on coming up against the 5-in-a-row chasing Dublin in next month's final pic.twitter.com/aUYP0JXZk2— Sinéad Kissane (@sineadkissane) August 16, 2021
“Maybe no one else was expecting this but we were” Vikki Wall told TG4 in a post-match interview, giving light to the altruist self-belief in the squad, even against the 11 time Brendan Martin Cup accomplished Rebels.
With the will of the nation behind them (minus that of County Cork) the Royals may have emerged triumphant, but the result was also a massive win for Women’s Gaelic Football as an entity and the support which has surfaced will surely drive them on in the next round.
Only 17 teams have reached the senior All Ireland Final in the history of the LGFA, with that number set to clock 18 on September 5th when the Girls in Green and Gold grace their first one ever.
Having proved it is possible for other teams to break the mould, last year’s Intermediate Player of the Year revealed just how much it meant on Sunday.
“I can't put into words how happy we are. We knew today how hard it was going to be - it's a great team. I can't put it into words” she said.
“We were prepared for this the whole time in training...two points down and five minutes to go...I'm so proud of the whole team. We're in the final!”
“We've a panel of 40 this year, there's plenty of people injured…This win is for those girls and for the whole team."
“We don't care who we're going to be playing, and we've shown that today.”
Precisely that mindset is what they are going to need in abundance come the first weekend of September in their bid to stop Dublin’s drive for 5 in a row.
🏆 2021 @TG4TV All-Ireland Senior Championship Final
👕@dublinladiesg v @meathladiesMLGF 🟢🟡
🗓️Sunday September 5
🏟️@CrokePark
📺Live on TG4@SportTG4 @LeinsterLGFA
#ProperFan pic.twitter.com/vG50uNrEgf— Ladies Football (@LadiesFootball) August 15, 2021
Here’s five reasons why Dublin beat Mayo in the semi-finals and how THEY can overcome Meath.
