Leonard’s eyes only on trophy
Meath 2-14
SHAUN LEONARD scored two superb points from play as he put in a man of the match display in Meath’s five-point win over Sligo.
The Royals’ strong and mature performance set up a final showdown with Tyrone this weekend at Croke Park.
And Leonard revealed what it meant to the squad as he beamed: “I’m over the moon, we’re all over the moon. We’ve worked so hard to get here and I’m just so happy after that.”
The pandemic has resulted in a shortened GAA season and a huge amount of uncertainty and disruption.
But Meath put all that to the side as Leonard added: “Everybody in the panel has had to work as a team throughout. There are lads who weren’t in the final squad of 24 that easily could have made it and performed just as well as the lads who did play. “It’s all about the 41 boys on the panel putting huge shifts in week in week out, working as hard as we can and trying our very best. Now we have to go and win that final.”
Manager Cathal O Bric (inset) echoed Leonard’s sentiments.
“Absolute delight is how I’m feeling right now,” beamed O Bric, who saw his side dealt a huge blow early in the second half when Oisin O’murchu was shown a straight red card.
“The boys really put the shoulder to the wheel when we were reduced to 14.
“We had to very quickly improvise and solve the problem that we had been faced. We stood up to that with real character, real leadership and so much composure and I’m just delighted.”
Meath scorers: C Finlay (1-3), J Mannion (1-0), S Leonard (0-2), H Corcoran (0-3, 1f), O O’murchu (0-2), O Mcdermott (0-1), T Corbett (0-1), C Ennis (0-1), C Mcweeney (0-1)
Sligo: L Marron (0-6, 4f), B Duffy (1-1, 1f), J Mcgovern (1-0), M Mcdaniel (0-1), C Mcmorrow (0-1)