Rampant 17s still need to find another level
MEATH set up a semi-final clash with Kildare in Newbridge this Tuesday evening (7.00) following a facile victory over the visitors in the Leinster Special U-17 competition at Pairc Tailteann last Wednesday evening.
After posting a massive score in the qualifier win over Louth, Carlow were brought down to earth with a bang as they made a tame exit against their highly rated opponents.
Whatever slim chance Carlow had of being competitive right until the final whistle disappeared when captain Conor Doyle received his marching orders from Louth referee Noel Hand on 50 minutes.
With Meath winning 0-13 to 0-3, Doyle was shown a straight red card following an off-the-ball incident with Liam Byrne.
Meath had struggled to reach the heights of the display when overcoming Dublin by five points in their previous outing, but they turned on the style after the dismissal, scoring 2-6 in the process. Carlow’s only score in the same period was a pointed free from Andrew Kehoe.
The Meath boys were somewhat flattered by the margin of victory, though, and will need to improve significantly if they are to entertain hopes of outright honours. Their play was sloppy at times and Carlow should have been much closer than 0-9 to 0-2 at half-time.
Midfielder Doyle had Carlow’s opening point in response to Meath’s first score from Jordan Morris. Kehoe added their only other point of the half on 22 minutes, but the Barrowsiders squandered numerous opportunities in that first half, during which they tallied seven wides.
Meath too were wayward with their finishing at times, but in the impressive Jordan Morris they had a player who could win his own ball and put it between the posts. Full forward Morris picked off points at will and ended with a personal tally of eight, including three from frees.
Kehoe pointed from a free within a minute of the restart, but it was mostly Meath after that, with full forward Morris proving a constant thorn.
The Royals squandered a number of goal chances before Shane Walsh eventually found the net after being set up by Morris on 54 minutes. That left it 1-13 to 0-4 and the floodgates opened after that.
Walsh struck for his second goal on 57 minutes and he also accounted for his side’s final point to take his tally to 2-5 for the evening.
MEATH: Lee Brown (St Colmcille’s); Sean Bannon (Ballinabrackey), Conal Courtney (Gaeil Colmcille), Michael Gavin (Simonstown); Oran Smullan 0-1 (Na Fianna), Liam Byrne 0-1 (Dunboyne), Michael Murphy (Dunboyne); Colm Doherty (Skryne), Fergal Waters (Dunboyne); Cian McBride (St Cuthberts), Shane Walsh 2-5 (Na Fianna), Patrick Matthews (Drumconrath/Meath Hill); Aaron Lynch 0-1 (Trim), Jordan Morris 0-8 (Nobber), Matthew Costello 0-3 (Dunshaughlin). Subs: Eoin Martin (Dunboyne) for Lynch (42), Conor Harford (St Vincent’s/Curraha) for Byrne (52), Jack O’Connor (St Vincent’s/Curraha) for Doherty (54), Dylan Keating (Seneschalstown) for Morris (56), Ronan O’Leary (Kilbride) for Smullen (57), Peter Martyn (Slane) for McBride (60).