Clinical U- 20s set up Dubs tie
MEATH WEXFORD 1-12 1-5
MEATH booked a semi-final date with Dublin in the Leinster U-20 FC following a game played in the midst of an orange-level weather warning at Enniscorthy on Saturday.
The visitors dug deep to turn in a display full of heart and efficiency, highlighted by their high conversion rate when scoring opportunities presented themselves.
With Shane Walsh, who had featured in the NFL against Mayo a week previously, showing well at full forward along with fellow senior panelists Death McGowan, Jack O’Connor, Jordan Morris and Mathew Costello, there was no shortage of experience in the side. This quintet were all to the fore and led the Meath effort throughout the hour.
The concession of a goal, scored by Todd Hynes, with barely 60 seconds on the clock proved an early setback, but the Meath defence settled well after that to effectively contain the Wexford attack for the remainder of the game.
Scores proved hard to come by for Ger Robinson’s team in the first half as they battled the elements, but by half-time points from Aaron Lynch, Jack O’Connor, Jordan Morris and Mathew Costello had them trailing by a solitary point, 1-2 to 0-4.
Then came the pivotal moments at the start of the second half as Shane Walsh hit a goal and a point in a three-minute spell before O’Connor and Morris added points to send Meath five clear.
That early second-half blitz left Meath in the ascendancy and as the Wexford challenge faded they kept the scoreboard ticking over at regular intervals.
Luke Mitchell put his hand up for selection from the off against Dublin when notching two points after his introduction for the final quarter. He was only on the pitch 15 seconds when he had the umpire reaching for the white flag after bisecting the uprights from distance.
Having won Leinster titles at the U-17 grade in 2018 and 2019, hopes are high in Meath that they can go on a good run in this year’s campaign, though they face the acid test this coming weekend.
MEATH: Sean Brennan; Michael Gavin, James O’Hare, Ben Wyer; Cathal Hickey, Liam Byrne, Michael Murphy; Jack Flynn, Daithí McGowan; Mathew Costello 0-1, Cian Rogers, Jack O’Connor 0-2; Jordan Morris 0-2, Shane Walsh 1-3 Aaron Lynch 0-1. Subs: Matthew Moyles for Lynch, Conor Farrelly 0-1 for Murphy, Luke Mitchell 0-2 for Rogers, Barry O’Connell for Morris and Sean Bannon for Hickey.