Meath edge out Donegal to claim a first league crown

Meath have made ladies football history again by holding firm in a tight, tense Lidl National League Division 1 final to claim a maiden title, when defeating Donegal at Croke Park.

The battling win, courtesy of goals from Kelsey Nesbitt and Niamh O'Sullivan, comes just seven months after the Royal County came from nowhere to win their first All-Ireland senior title.

This was another epic display from Eamonn Murray's side who let slip what was a seven-point lead after a terrific start to trail by one early in the second-half.

O'Sullivan's 40th minute goal proved decisive and put Meath into a lead they wouldn't relinquish with 2021 Footballer of the Year Vikki Wall providing an insurance point late on.

Emma Troy had a superb game too for Meath who just last year won the Division 2 title to gain promotion to the top tier.

They'll return to action in the Leinster championship in a three-team group that contains Dublin and Westmeath while Donegal will take plenty too from the near miss ahead of their Championship campaign.

For a while it looked like Meath might actually wrap up a big win by half-time with the favourites 1-06 to 0-02 clear.

Just four minutes remained in the first-half at that stage and Meath had been entirely on top with their counter attacking strategy coming together nicely.

They led 0-05 to 0-02 at the first water break and then struck a terrific goal through Nesbitt.

It was a wonderful, direct move that began with Emma Duggan securing possession from Monica McGuirk's kick-out before feeding Wall who raced clear and played in Nesbitt.

Orlagh Lally added a point and Meath weren't flattered by the seven-point advantage with Donegal in real danger of being routed.

But an Yvonne Bonner score for Donegal ignited Maxi