MEATH… 2-07
LOUTH… 0-14
The first observation to make is that, no matter what how bad the conditions were on Tuesday night that the Brains Trust deemed unsuitable, there’s no way they could have been any worse than what the players had to deal with tonight.
It is important to state that in no way is that directed at the Skryne club or their field. In fact, the Tara men should be very proud of how they managed the conditions and staged the occasion. But you do wonder how, presumably the match referee, deemed something about Tuesday more dodgy than what players and spectators were faced with tonight.
Conversely though, both sides deserve the utmost commendation for producing a contest of such entertainment and competitive fare.
The teams had fluffed ten wides between them by half time, but Eamonn McEneaney’s visitors were slightly more efficient and deserved their 0-05 to 0-07 half time lead.
In fairness to Trevor Giles’s lads, they wrestled back the momentum at the start of the second half when the brilliant Cormac Walsh of Trim rifled a left footed bullet to the Louth net.
That put the young Royals back a point up, but, as is becoming their patented response to setbacks, the red and white actually got the bit between their teeth after Meath’s first goal and hit the next four points.
That left last year’s Gerry Reilly Cup (U-16) winners three up, but with team captain Harry McGuirk, Niall Smyth, Tomas Proudfoot and Conn Brennan battling manfully, the wizardly Walsh netted once again to deadlock affairs.
Better than that, Cortown’s Daire Loughran then edged the natives back to the fore.
To be fair to all concerned, time and again, Meath turned back Wee County advances. Meaning that it was going to take something special to separate the sides.
And, in fairness to last year’s beaten Leinster finalists, they got it in the guise of their main man Pauric Maguire, who essayed an exquisite orange flag score into the road goals in Fr McManus Park.
That is not to say the eventually vanquished didn’t have opportunities to rescue themselves – at least four by my count – but were unable to make any count.
Scorers – C. Walsh (2-3), H. McGuirk, T. Dillon, D. Loughran and M. Stafford (0-1 each).
Meath – C. Fitzsimons (O’Mahonys); B. Brown (Simonstown Gaels), T. Clarke (Dunshaughlin/Royal Gaels), N. Rogan (St Michael’s); L. O’Donoghue (St Colmcille’s), H. McGuirk (O’Mahonys), N. Smyth (Skryne); A. Keane (Dunshaughlin/Royal Gaels), T. Proudfoot (St Ultan’s); C. McKenna (Wolfe Tones), T. Dillon (Syddan), C. Brennan (St Ultan’s); C. Walsh (Trim), M. Stafford (Kilmainhamwood), D. Loughran (Cortown).
Subs – J. Loughran (Syddan) for Keane, H. Keating (Cortown) for McGuirk, C. Comey (Summerhill) for Dillon.
Referee – Seamus Farrelly (Dublin).