Issue link: http://digitaleditions.uberflip.com/i/1411448
16 | AUTUMN 2021 | www.ladiesgaelic.ie "I think it'll take a while to settle in. We are just in La La land at the minute. It's fantastic. "We could see on the clock and there was 45 seconds and we had possession of the ball. All we wanted to do was to hold onto it. Just to make sure we kept the ball until the end. There was three seconds left and one of them had thrown up the ball, we were that excited. It's just amazing. Troy and her Meath teammates were immense, and the Boardsmill corner-back got forward to chip in with two vital points when the game was there to be won. The 26-year-old has been a leader for Meath all year, in what was a short campaign for the county but one in which they improved all the way through. Once they won silverware in the league, Meath actually lost their championship opener against Cork but it was only a two-point deficit and the signs were bright. Meath hammered Tipperary 1-18 to 0-7 to qualify for the quarter-finals and then they produced another fine display to dislodge Armagh, 3-15 to 1-14. But they left it late to shock Cork and a couple of late goals earned a final slot against Dublin. Still, not many outside the camp gave Meath much hope of picking apart Mick Bohan's all- conquering side. "The team, we make each other look good. You know who's great at kick-passing, who's good at shooting. You know when to take the shot, when not to and you just play to each other's strengths," said Troy. "A lot of us have been together since U-14 and built the whole way up. There's a bond there that really develops over the years. That's really helped and stood to us during the campaign. "Dublin had been favourites but it's all about who really wants it the most. They say it's about hard work at the end of the day, the team that's hungriest for it, they're the team. And I think we were the hungrier team. "Next year, we will just try and compete again to the top level. We build on what we've done. There is stuff we still could have worked on. For next year, that will be something we will target. "We want to get back to where we are." "WE COULD SEE ON THE CLOCK AND THERE WAS 45 SECONDS AND WE HAD POSSESSION OF THE BALL. ALL WE WANTED TO DO WAS TO HOLD ONTO IT. JUST TO MAKE SURE WE KEPT THE BALL UNTIL THE END". "It's been a huge progression for us over the years and we have to thank our management for that. They have put in amazing work for us and the girls have really bought into everything they have done for us. They have just put a huge work ethic into it and just built a great environment for us to work in. "The management, I don't know how they do it. They just seem to make it work, make everything click." But despite her humility, this success extended beyond the great tutelage of Eamonn Murray and his team on the sidelines. Above Left: Emma Troy, Meath is tackled by Lyndsey Davey, Dublin. Above Right: Emma Troy, Meath with Sean Boylan INTERVIEW