Meath advance after stern Tipperary test

Meath booked their place in the quarter-finals of the All-Ireland SFC when an impressive display at Páirc Tailteann in Navan was enough to see off Tipperary’s challenge.

Marion Farrelly, Emma Duggan and Meadhbh Byrne led the way as Meath did enough to advance to the last eight and send Tipperary crashing out.

Ashling Moloney did most to keep Tipperary in contention, shooting 0-9, half a dozen points from play.

Meath led by 1-11 to 1-4 at the end of an entertaining opening half in which five players found the target for them.

Moloney got Tipperary off the mark, but Meath responded with two efforts from Duggan and one from Farrelly.

Anna Rose Kennedy got the game’s opening goal after 10 minutes when she finished a rebound to the net after Meath goalkeeper Monica McGuirk saved her initial effort.

But the Meath response was good, reeling off four points without reply and they built a healthy interval lead when Farrelly finished to the net after being set up by Byrne.

Emma Morrissey and Kennedy cut the gap to five points two minutes after the restart but their comeback suffered a massive blow when a high delivery from Farrelly fell for Byrne and she tapped home to the net to lead by 2-11 to 1-6 after 33 minutes.

Moloney and Duggan swapped points but Meath took their lead out to nine points with 13 minutes remaining before Neassa Towey found the net for Tipperary.

Both sides finished with 14 players as first Tipperary’s Cliona O’Dwyer and later Meath’s Mary Kate Lynch picked up yellow cards.

Three late points from Moloney brought Tipperary within striking distance but Meath held on to book their place in the last eight and will now face Kerry in the quarter-finals.

Meath: M McGuirk; S Wall, M.K. Lynch, N Troy; N Gallogly 0-1, K Cole 0-2, K Newe; M O’Shaughnessy, A Cleary; M Thynne, S Melia, C Smyth; M Byrne 1-02, M Farrelly 1-03, E Duggan 0-6 (1f).

Subs: A Sheridan for Newe (43), R Casserly 0-1 for Cole (43), A McCabe for Smyth (47), C Lawlor for Melia (54).

Tipperary: L Fitzpatrick; E Kelly, L Spillane, E Cronin; C O’Dwyer, M Curley, S English; L Morrissey, A.R. Kennedy 1-01; C English, A Moloney 0-9 (3fs), E Morrissey 0-2; M Creedon, A McGuigan, E McCarthy.

Subs: N Towey 1-00 for McCarthy (36), K Downey for Morrissey (45), C O’Hora for Creedon (45), K Delaney for English (51), L Dillon for Morrissey (51)