Royal County minor footballers win again

Meath2-11

Armagh0-7

MEATH minor footballers delivered another winning performance in the Ulster MFL when they swept hosts Armagh away at Crossmaglen on Saturday.

Following the previous week's one-point victory over Cavan at Kingscourt, this success was achieved with a lot more comfort and the outcome was never really in doubt from early in the second-half.

Meath were ahead by 1-5 to 0-2 at the interval and there was sufficient evidence during that opening half to suggest that speculating on two wins in-a-row would have been a safe bet.

Armagh will highlight the absence of a number of key players who were on duty in the All-Ireland Colleges' SFC semi-final, but Meath could make the same claim about Brian Menton, Andrew Tormey and Stephen O'Brien.

That trio were on duty with Ashbourne CS in the All-Ireland VS semi-final and they had also missed the game against Cavan at Kingscourt.

Meath also had midfielder Damien Carroll (Ballinabrackey) and Cormac Keegan (Round Towers) on the injured list. In the absence of Carroll, Skryne's David Ryan made the starting line up at midfield on Saturday where he partnered Nobber's Jamie Owens in a solid looking formation.

There was more woe for the selectors when Owens sustained a late injury and had to be assisted from the pitch on the stroke of full-time.

That could pave the way for some more unforced experimentation next Saturday when the Meath bus will be on the road to Newcastle in Co Down for a joust with the Mourne boys.

Meath team manager Pat Coyle was pleased with the performance, but also pointed out that this was only a league competition and he wouldn't be reading too much in the fact that his side had now won two games.

"We were short a few players due to injuries and colleges' football with Ashbourne in the All-Ireland semi-final, but it was a good performance," he stated.

"We weren't at our best in the opening half, but we knuckled down after the break and I was pleased with the overall display," he added.

Michael Newman's early goal helped Meath to that six-point interval cushion and the Round Towers player also sent over two fine points from frees out of his hands. On the negative side, he failed to score after that.

Ryan, Mark Collins and Jake Regan completed Meath's first-half tally while Armagh full-forward Eugene McVerry got the hosts on the scoreboard.

Armagh created plenty of chances during that opening half, but they found great difficulty trying to penetrate a solid Meath rearguard in which full-back Ciaran Lenihan and centre-back Tommy Johnson were well supported by Enda Nulty, Darren Kelly, Willie Carry and Donncha Tobin.

Goalkeeper Padraig Curran handled well and made a couple of good saves. At the other end, the forwards were a bit wasteful although they improved in the second-half as Regan found the net at the three-quarter stage.

Substitute Paddy Gilsenan also provided the selectors with some headaches when he claimed a brace of late points and showed enough to suggest that he could warrant a start next Saturday.

The selectors can also look forward to the day when they have to cut the panel to only 24 for the opening round of the Leinster MFC against Louth - that will be a difficult task.

Meath - Padraig Curran (Dunboyne); Donncha Tobin (Blackhall Gaels), Ciaran Lenihan (Skryne), Willie Carry (Round Towers); Enda Nulty (Round Towers), Tommy Johnson (St Martin's), Darren Kelly (Clann na nGael); David Ryan (Skryne) 0-2, Jamie Owens (Nobber); Darragh McNamara (Round Towers), Michael Newman (Round Towers) 1-2, Mark Collins (Duleek / Bellewstown) 0-1; Jake Regan (Navan O'Mahonys) 1-3, Darragh Smyth (Bective), Mark Battersby (St Vincent's / Curraha) 0-1. Subs - Sean Dalton (Summerhill) for McNamara, Paddy Gilsenan (Oldcastle) 0-2 for Collins, Paul Callaghan (Duleek / Bellewstown) for Tobin, Paul Conneally (Blackhall Gaels) for Owens, Kevin Mallon (St Vincent's / Curraha) for Nulty, Patrick Coakley (Oldcastle), Niall Galligan (St Cuthbert's), Darragh O'Brien (Ratoath), Harrison Silke (Na Fianna).

Armagh - C Toman; E McArdle, D McKenna, D Markey; C Stevenson, C McKendry, K McVerry (0-1); P Carragher, S Sheridan (0-1); R Grugan, S Campbell (0-1), C Rafferty; M Stevenson, E McVerry (0-2), S Matthews. Subs - M Davidson (0-1) for M Stevenson, C King (0-1) for Matthews, J Graham for C Stevenson.

Referee - Oliver Og O'Reilly (Cavan).