THE height and strength of Meteors proved to be an impenetrable barrier for Waterford side Wildcats in this one sided women's final.

Meteors peaked for the Cup at exactly the right time and their 13 point win over Naomh Mhuire in the semi final on Friday was only a foretaste of what they were capable of. Throughout the final yesterday they raised the intensity of their performance to new heights.

After a nervous start by both teams it was Meteors who settled first. They put together a 15 point unopposed streak of scores midway through the first half to put them 21-11 ahead. By halftime they stretched that lead to 31-16 and the result was never in serious doubt from thereon.

Meteors seized the initiative at a point in the game when Wildcats seemed to be vulnerable. With just seven minutes on the clock the Waterford side were 11-6 ahead having fared the better in a nervous opening, but it was at that point that Jillian Hayes picked up her third foul after a tussle with Meteors' six foot centre Orla Callan.

The Meteors captain Mary O'Mahony prospered in that period and raided frequently to score 11 of her 17 point match total by the change over. That contribution, added to six points each from Angela McNally and Karen Hennessy, gave the Dubliners the platform for their eventual victory.

The only danger came with six minutes to go when Callan left the game on five fouls. Wildcats rallied briefly but, with none of their outside shooters enjoying any luck against the tall robust Meteors zone defence, their scoring was curtailed in much the same manner as it had been in the first half.

Even when Hayes came back into the game for a lengthy spell in the second period her confidence seemed affected by her time spent sitting on the bench.