Minor hurlers lose to Kildare

Meath exited the race for the Leinster MH Shield today when they were beaten at Pairc Tailteann by Kildare by 3-11 to 0-11 and they can have no complaints about the outcome.

Meath produced a patchy first-half performance that left it comfortable for a Kildare side that looked a bit more capable in all departments as they established a slender 1-4 to 0-6 interval advantage.

The Kildare lads were more fluent although they tallied six wides, one more than Meath, on a bumpy Pairc Tailteann pitch.

The goal was crucial for Kildare who defeated Carlow in a midweek quarter-final while Meath received a walkover from Down.

Muiris Curtin rifled a 10th minute free to the net for KIldare and also added a brace of points. 

Two Liam Dempsey points (one free) completed the Kildare tally in that opening half while Ian Bermingham (two), Mikey Cole, Cathal Sherlock, Darragh O'Sullivan and Conall Bird pointed for Meath.

The overall Meath performance was disjointed and the tackling was poor while Ben Holden and Niall McNally collected yellow cards.  

Holden was replaced early in the second-half as Kildare resumed with early points by Curtin, Harry Dunne and Ferran O'Sullivan before Dylan Farrell got Meath off the mark in the 34th minute with a well-taken point.

Meath managed only two more points during the third-quarter, Cole (free) and O'Sullivan, but Kildare piled on the pressure as Curtin added a second goal and a point with Dempsey and Michael McGovern also sending over.

Heading into the final quarter with a 2-10 to 0-9 advantage, Kildare had enough in the tank to maintain their advantage and finished with a flourish when substitute Darragh Melville flashed the sliotar to the net when he got on the end of a Dempsey centre.