Mayo fight back to upset league holders Meath

Maria Cannon's goal was crucial as Mayo produced a massive second-half fightback at Pairc Tailteann to claim their first win of this year’s Lidl National Football League Division 1 at the expense of reigning champions Meath.

Four points adrift at the break, Michael Moyles’ side turned things around in the second period with an unanswered burst of 2-2 helping them to overcome the challenge of last year's double winners.

Looking to get off the mark following three narrow defeats in the previous rounds, Mayo edged into the ascendancy early on courtesy of unanswered frees from Shauna Howley and Cannon.

Although Meath initially took some time to settle into their stride, they eventually did so in fine style. Either side of a score by centre-forward Meadhbh Byrne, the ever-dependable Niamh O’Sullivan kicked excellent points to edge the Royals into a slender lead.

Starting with eight of the team that secured a second consecutive TG4 All-Ireland senior crown against Kerry at Croke Park last July, Meath kicked into overdrive at the beginning of the second-quarter with another three points on the bounce from Aoife Minogue, Ciara Smyth and O’Sullivan.

Mayo finally interrupted this scoring sequence with a 25th minute point by Sinead Walsh, the Connacht side’s first effort from play, but Byrne’s second of the opening period ensured Meath brought a 0-07 to 0-03 advantage into the interval.

In a bid to force their way back into contention, Mayo introduced Kathryn Sullivan and 2019 TG4 All Star winner, Rachel Kearns, off the bench. The visitors were certainly reinvigorated on the resumption and were back on level terms by the 39th minute.

Supplementing a pointed free from Howley, Cannon fired beyond the reach of Monica McGuirk for the maiden