Lively Royals lay down an early marker

Fixtures

IT was out with the old and in with the new for Meath’s senior footballers as they got their O’Byrne Cup campaign up and running at a very well-attended Pairc Tailteann on Sunday.

A new manager and backroom team, new sponsors and new jerseys, new players and new expectations for the year ahead. Add to that a new rule in operation for the first time - ‘the mark’ - though it had little bearing on proceedings. There were just seven throughout, with three of those being claimed by Meath’s Paddy Kennelly.

The Royals made a flying start in their defence of the competition. However, when you account for the ‘January factor’ and the ineptitude of the opposition, it will take considerably longer to evaluate Meath’s prospects. That said, there was very little to fault with this outing, though even Meath, let alone the attendance, would have much preferred a far sterner test.

Apart from three points, all of the hosts’ tally came from open play, while in contrast only three of Wicklow’s tally came from play. Opening-half sub John McGrath notched six of his side’s scores and was the only bright light on a dark day for the Garden County.

Cillian O’Sullivan accounted for Meath’s opening goal after Graham Reilly’s quickly taken free set up the Moynalvey man on eight minutes. That left it 1-4 to 0-0, with Kennelly, debutant Kevin Ross and Fiachra Ward (two frees) on target with points for the home side. Meath then added a further three points before Paddy Byrne had Wicklow off the mark from a free on 18 minutes.

Even at that stage it was clearly going to be one-way traffic and by half-time the game was over as a contest, with Meath leading 1-13 to 0-2 and eight different Meath players already among the scorers, while Wicklow’s only other point of the half came from McGrath, a really fine effort.

Wicklow were first to register in the second half, McGrath converting two frees, but Meath scored the next three points courtesy of Conor Downey, Reilly and O’Sullivan.

As the tempo dropped Meath continued to do pretty much as they pleased and the second goal arrived when a speculative effort from substitute Sean Tobin was finished to the net by Bryan Mc- Mahon on 55 minutes to leave the scoreboard reading 2-17 to 0-5.

The students of DIT are next up for Meath in Ashbourne this Wednesday at 7.30pm, and McEntee confirmed afterwards that it would be a completely different 15 that would start that match.