Meath will have it all to do against Armagh in All-Ireland Championship opener
It is to their credit however that they have remained competitive and managed to qualify for the knockout stages in both 2023 and 2024 considering the turn over of players in that short space of time and the number of All-Ireland winners who departed the scene for a variety of reasons since that last final win over Kerry.
The most recent meeting against the Orchard County was a final round NFL tie at the Athletic Grounds at the end of March where a late free converted by Emma Duggan gave Meath victory, 2-12 to 4-5.
Armagh had already booked their passage to the final at that stage where they lost out to reigning All-Ireland champions Kerry, 4-14 to 0-11.
They also clashed at this stage of the competition 12 months ago with Meath boss Shane McCormack coming up against the county he previously managed. There was late heartbreak for Meath in that match as they were on level terms until Niamh Coleman struck for an Armagh goal in the closing minutes. Meath hit back with a brace of points in added time but the hosts held on for a 3-9 to 1-14 win.
Armagh's most recent outing was their Ulster final win where they justified their tag of hot favourites with a 3-9 to 0-7 victory over Donegal to retain their title. There were two cracking goals from Aoife McCoy and a Player of the Match performance from her fellow 2024 All-Star Lauren McConville. Niamh Coleman scored Armagh's other goal while their third All-Star from 2024 Grace Ferguson notched a point from the wing back position.
Ace markswoman Aimee Mackin still hasn't returned since her cruciate knee injury sustained in the 2024 provincial final while Ulster All-Star Dearbhla Coleman is also out with an injury.
However, Armagh can still call on an abundance of experience in their latest bid to lift the Brendan Martin Cup for the very first time. They reached the semi-final in 2024, going down to eventual champions Kerry, 1-8 to 0-7.
That is an indication of the task facing Meath in this latest clash. Meath of course are coming off the back of yet another Leinster final defeat at the hands of Dublin.
That was a game where Meath were attempting to bridge a 25-year gap by winning the provincial crown and for long stretches it looked as if they would gain that overdue success.
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They opened up a six point advantage in the opening half and were full value for their four point lead nearing the end of the third quarter. However Dublin called on all their experience in the final quarter with eight unanswered points to win their 12th consecutive provincial title though they were somewhat flattered by the 2-13 to 1-12 victory.
That performance should instil great confidence into Shane McCormack's side ahead of this All-Ireland series. Emma Duggan, Vikki Wall, Aoibhin Cleary, Mary Kate Lynch, Niamh Gallogly and Megan Thynne are still key figures while some of the younger players including keeper Robyn Murray, Ciara Smyth, Kerrie Cole and Karla Kealy are adopting well at this level.
Home advantage is a plus going into this crunch tie but Armagh who have been knocking at the door over the past few years will start as favourites to make a winning start. Kildare are the other county in this Group Three and that will be an away fixture for Meath.
The top two counties advance to the knockout stages with the winner's of the group having a home quarter final tie. The bottom team in each group contest the relegation play-off.
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