Women's NFL Division One final/Cork 0-14 Meath 0-12: Cork ensured Meath's first appearance in the women's Division One final ended in disappointment at Parnell Park on Saturday night.
Cork, who were appearing in their third consecutive final, began promisingly and opened up an early five-point lead after Meath had shot two bad wides early on.
Deirdre O'Reilly opened the scoring for Cork with a point and they then added further scores from Sinead O'Reilly, Rena Buckley, Caoimhe Creedon and Aisling O'Connor.
This prompted a change in the Meath midfield which saw Caitríona O'Shaughnessy replace Lisa Keenan. O'Shaughnessy herself only lasted 15 minutes after a hamstring strain prompted her early retirement.
But her introduction had had the desired effect with player of the match, Grainne Nulty, levelling the match for Meath in the 20th minute.
Cork regained the initiative, through back-to-back frees from Gillian Bennett.
However, Meath battled back to be on level terms at the interval, 0-7 to 0-7.
The two teams were neck and neck in a gripping second half before the influential Nulty sent over her third point to put Meath ahead with seven minutes to go.
But Cork's greater experience in these games proved decisive in the closing stages and they sealed victory with two frees from Valerie Mulcahy coupled with a Geraldine O'Flynn point.
CORK: E Harte; B Stack, A Walsh, L Power; B Corkery, R Buckley (0-1), S O'Reilly (0-1); J Murphy, N Kelly; N Cleary , D O'Reilly (0-1), A O' Connor (0-2); V Mulcahy (0-5, four frees), A Murphy, C Creedon(0-3). Subs: M O'Connor for Buckley (half time), M Kelly for Cleary (44 mins), G O'Flynn (0-1) for A O'Connor (45 mins).
MEATH: I Munnelly; S Dooley, J Burke, S Mc Cormack; J Rispin, L McKeever, E McGrane; E Lynch, L Keenan; M Sheridan, K O'Brien, G Nulty (0-3); G Doherty (0-1), G Bennett (0-7, 5 frees), E Duffy (0-1). Subs: C O'Shaughnessy for L Keenan (15 mins), C McAuley for O'Shaughnessy (30 mins), A Thomspon for Duffy (40 mins).
Referee: L Mc Donagh (Sligo)
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