SHANE McCORMACK says returning role model Vikki Wall is a massive boost to Meath.
AFLW star Wall was back with the Royals for the first start since an All-Ireland quarter-final defeat to Kerry in July 2023 and bagged 2-1 against Mayo yesterday to make it two wins from two in Division 1 of the Lidl NFL.
And boss McCormack beamed: “It’s great to have Vikki back. She has been training extremely hard since Christmas.
“We played a couple of challenge matches but she got her chance and took it. You can see that little bit of a lift, especially with the 14 new girls.
“She’s a super role model as well as a lot of the girls there.”
Wall made her presence felt early in this one and with Ciara Smyth (two), Kerrie Cole and Meadhbh Byrne all on target, the Royals were four points clear at the end of the opening quarter.
And even though Sinead Walsh cancelled out a free from Smyth to finally get Mayo up and running in the 21st minute, Meath reinforced their authority when Wall found the net moments later.
Mayo were back in contention when Walsh superbly netted on 26 minutes.
And despite temporarily losing the MacHale Rovers attacker to injury from an incident that saw Wall yellow-carded, Maria Cannon converted a free to leave the westerners just three points adrift at 1-5 to 1-2 at the interval.
Walsh was back to narrow the gap at the start of the second half with a placed ball before Meath regained a stranglehold when a Smyth score was supplemented by a Cole green flag.
Livewire Walsh was proving to be nuisance for Meath and she rattled the net for a second time on 38 minutes.
It meant the Royals were three in front upon Wall’s return and this cushion remained after Mayo midfielder Erin Murray and Smyth traded points.
This advantage was doubled when Wall hammered home from a tight angle in the wake of Mayo defender Ella Brennan being sin-binned for a foul on the Dunboyne ace.
And even though Walsh continued to lead the way for the visitors, a fourth by raiding wing-back Niamh Gallogly helped Meath to ease over the line.
Mayo gaffer Liam McHale said his young team can learn a lot from these games. He added: “I thought we did manage the game fairly well.
“We kicked some bad wides and some decision-making wasn’t the best. We got punished by Meath and that’s always going to happen at the highest level.”
MEATH: R Murray; A Sheridan, S Wall, N Troy; N Gallogly 1-0, MK Lynch, C Millington; A Cleary, V Wall 2-1, 1f; M Thynne, O Sheehy, C Smyth 0-6, 3f; M Byrne 0-1, M Farrelly, K Cole 1-1. Subs: K Bermingham for Sheehy 41 mins, E Moyles for Thynne 41, K Newe for Troy 46, O Callan for Farrelly 53, C Lawlor for Byrne 58, M Collins for Cole 59.
MAYO: R Dyar; E Brennan, S Lally, D Caldwell; S Delaney, S El Massry, H Reape; E Murray 0-1, A Geraghty; L Wallace, A Gough, C Durkin; M Cannon 0-1f, S Walsh 2-4, 4f, B Hession. Subs: K Doherty for Walsh 30 mins (temp), K Doherty for Wallace 36, K Sullivan for El Massry 46, C Whyte for Hession 47, A Fitzpatrick for Gough 48, M Sheridan for Delaney 53, S McNulty for Sullivan 55, J Mortimer for Murray 58.
REFEREE: Kevin Phelan (Laois).
