Kilkenny negotiated for a win
Meath accounted for Kilkenny in the quarter-final of the O'Byrne Shield at Pairc Tailteann on Saturday night. Manager Seamus McEnaney opted for another experimental selection with only Brendan Murphy, James Macken, David Morgan, Conor Gillespie and Brian Sheridan retained from the starting 15 that lost to UCD. Meath were always in control and never looked like losing, but they failed to find any fluency. Ian Davis had Meath in front inside a minute when he pointed from a tight angle. Paddy O'Rourke increased the lead soon after with Terry Farrelly making it 0-3 to 0-0 inside nine minutes. When Morgan fisted over it gave Meath 0-4 to 0-0 first-quarter lead. Further points from Conor Gillespie (two), O'Rourke, Davis and Brian Sheridan eased Meath into a 0-9 to 0-0 interval lead. Davis got Meath moving from a free in the second-half while at the other end Paul Donnelly opened Kilkenny's account with a well-taken point from play and then Graham Lawlor split the posts in a dour third-quarter. Kilkenny won that third-quarter (0-2 to 0-1) as Meath tallied five wides and took a 0-10 to 0-2 advantage into the closing stages. David Prendergast and O'Rourke traded points before Sheridan limped off, but Tom Walsh and substitute Shane McAnarney added points. Kilkenny's determined attitude was rewarded when Seoirse Kenny finished to the net for a well-deserved goal. Meath had a chance to net when McAnarney was hauled down, but Davis sent the resultant penalty wide. Meath – B Murphy; G O'Brien, J Macken, S Carr; T Skelly, A Lyons, C Brennan; T Walsh (0-1), C Gillespie (0-2); P O'Rourke (0-3), A Douglas, T Farrelly (0-1); I Davis (0-3 two frees), D Morgan (0-1), B Sheridan (0-1). Subs - A Reynolds for Gillespie 39 mins; B Ennis for Morgan 43m, D Flood for O'Brien 47m; S McAnarney (0-1 free) for Douglas 57m; K Reilly for Sheridan 60m. Kilkenny – D Garvey; T Kehoe, R O'Hara, D Grennan; M Malone, S Mahony, C Foran; S Kenny (1-0), M Mahony; P Raftice, E Vereker, M Saunders; D Prendergast (0-1) , P Donnelly (0-1) , G Lawlor (0-1). Subs - S Mooney for Saunders 43 mins; M Duggan for Raftice 53m; G Purcell for Lawlor 57m; D Fitzpatrick for Donnelly 62m; J Mackey for Prendergast 66m. Referee - Gareth Whelan (Wicklow).