The Centra National Camogie League Division 2 final saw Kerry edge out Meath by 1-07 to 0-08, thanks to Shannon Collins firing a low shot past Maggie Randle in the 55th minute, which proved the decisive moment in a contest that had just five scores from open play.
A strong breeze blew down the ground at the St Rynagh's club in Banagher, meaning that the teams scored just two points each in their 30 minutes playing into the wind.
Yet on a day when defences were on top in both halves, Kerry carved out a couple of crucial goal chances. Once one of them found the net, that was always likely to tip the scales in their favour.
Patrice Diggin’s penalty midway through the second half looked like the better of the two opportunities, but the midfielder fired her shot straight at Maggie Randle, who was generally very sharp in dangerous situations throughout the hour.
The Meath custodian could do nothing to parry Collins’ low shot that nudged Kerry into the lead, however.
Róisín Heaney levelled the game with a fine free going into stoppage time, but two further dead-ball scores from Diggin ensured that it was Kerry who will play in Division 1B next season.
Kerry were the happier side 10 minutes in, with one free each from Diggin and Heaney on the board at a time when Meath needed to get scores on the board.
Emma Regan picked off two fine points from play in heavy traffic, overcoming close attention from a Kerry full-back line that was tenacious and sharp.
Rachel McCarthy was particularly impressive, as was Sophie Payne at the other end, who made one vital intervention to prevent a floating Jackie Horgan delivery falling to Laura Collins in front of the posts.
The difficulty in shooting into the breeze was illustrated by two Diggin frees that would normally be meat and drink to the Clanmaurice player both drifting wide of the target on the right.
Meath had their missed opportunities too, most notably when Regan narrowly failed to find Heaney with a close-range stick pass.
For long stretches, Isobel O'Connor was the impact sub that had the most bearing on the game, getting heavily involved in the midfield trench warfare where her battle with Caoimhe Spillane was one of the decisive contests.
Spillane was heavily involved as Kerry inched their way back into the game from their 0-06 to 0-02 half-time deficit, one free at a time, but Diggin’s failure to convert her penalty and three second-half wides threatened to be their undoing.
The introduction of Shannon Collins and Danielle O’Leary sharpened up the Kerry attack, however, the pair combining to set up Diggin’s only score from play before the goal broke Meath’s hearts and secured the silverware for the Kingdom.
Scorers for Kerry: P Diggin 0-07 (4fs, 2 45s); S Collins 1-00
Scorers for Meath: R Heaney 0-06 (5fs) E Regan 0-02
Kerry: A Fitzgerald, T McCarthy, S Murphy, M Costello, R Quinn, N Leen, E O’Donoghue, P Diggin, C Spillane, A O’Sullivan, J Horgan, K Lynch, R O’Connor, L Collins, E Conway. Subs: D O’Leary for Conway, S Collins for Lynch (43); A Behan for Quinn (43)
Meath: M Randle, S Payne, M Clince, R Moran, L Devine , A Donnelly, R O’Neill, A Lally, E Burke, O O’Halloran, A Carey, R Heaney, E Regan, C Foley, E O’Brien. Subs: I O’Connor for Carey (17), G Connolly for Lally (46)
Referee: Jerome McAllister (Antrim)
