Positive start for Meath hurlers in Kehoe Cup

As starts to the year go, this could hardly have been better for Meath as they dished out a hammering to Roscommon in the Kehoe Cup at Trim on Sunday with second-half substitute Peter Durnin claiming 2-4. Okay, the cynics will say with justification that championships are never won in January and that this was only a pre-season run out in a competition teams use to help put some mileage in their players' legs. Yet a win, is a win, is a win and Meath's new manager Cillian Farrell will be anxious to get his team into winning ways from the word 'go' - one of the reasons why he put out a strong side. And this wasn't just any old Kehoe Cup encounter. This was Meath playing out of what has been termed in the past as the “spiritual home†of the small-ball game in the Royal County. This was hurling coming home. The Trim venue has gone through a dramatic transformation since the last time a Meath senior hurling team played there. Gone are the old, crumbling grey walls topped by the gnarled barbed wire that surrounded the pitch. The place had for years hosted Meath league and championship games and of course the county finals. Then the games were transferred to Pairc Tailteann and, for many members of the hurling fraternity, it just didn't feel right. Until Trim construct a stand the club may not be able to stage NHL games there which would be a shame. It's a first-class ground, with good viewing facilities at the top of the clubhouse and a top-notch pitch. A decent enough crowd showed up to welcome them back although there was some confusion over the venue for the game with at least one well-known hurling man having travelled to Pairc Tailteann, the original venue. Whether it was a return to the old stomping ground or not, Meath produced a very good display to push aside the challenge of the Roscommon men who had defeated Louth in the opening round. Or rather that should read Meath produced a very good second-half performance to push aside the visitors from the west. For the opening 35 minutes Roscommon were every bit as competitive as their opponents. Helped by the fine free-taking skills of Gary Fallon the visitors even had the temerity to take the lead on a couple of occasions in the run-up to the interval when they surged ahead by three points. Only three excellent quick-fire scores from Barry Slevin, Derek Muldoon and Joey Kenna left the sides level,0-10 apiece, at the interval. Then Meath upped it to another level and started to draw away helped by the goalscoring instincts of Durnin who grabbed his brace from close range. The opening goal was netted by Dave Kirby on 44 minutes after Padraig Geoghegan and Durnin combined well to create the opening. From then on it was a procession as Roscommon's spirited, limited challenge started to rapidly fall away. Manager Farrell will be encouraged by the fact that nine players got on the scoresheet including Stephen Clynch (pictured) and Ger O'Neill who made up an unusual midfield combination. Keena, Geoghegan, Slevin, Kirby, Muldoon and Durnin all showed their instincts for scores, something any followers of hurling will be aware of and Farrell will have noted that. A fit looking Nicky Horan also showed an appetite for action and he capped his afternoon with a well-taken late goal. One newcomer was Shane McGann, the young Kiltale goalkeeper who showed us once again he has the natural instincts of a goalkeeper when he made one astonishing point-blank save from Roscommon's John Coyne early on. McGann's counterpart David Dowd also distinguished himself with a series of top-drawer saves from Keena, Durnin, Horan and Kirby - and that was only in the second-half. Roscommon did get a late goal from Tomas Seale. It was no more than a consolation. The word on the street is there are big turnouts at Meath training and a keen competition to impress the new man. This was as good a start as could be expected. Bigger challenges lie ahead. Meath - S McGann; D Donoghue, E Fitzgerald, W Mahady; M Horan, P Fagan, M Lynch; S Clynch (0-1), G O'Neill (0-2); J Keena (0-3), N Horan (1-2), P Geoghegan (0-3); B Slevin (0-4), D Kirby (1-2), D Muldoon (0-1). Subs - P Durnin (2-4) for Muldoon, M Cole for Slevin, C Joyce for M Horan, C Reilly for Mahady. Roscommon - D Dowd; I Delaney, C Moran, B Donnelly; S Curley (0-2, one 65), P Kelly, D Loughnane; J Moran, P Kelleghan; G Fallon (0-7, six frees), D Nolan (0-1), T Seale (1-1); J Lawlor (0-1), G Fallon (0-1), J Coyne (0-2). Subs - M Kelly for G Fallon, A Moore for Moran, S Melia (0-2) for Curley, S Curley for Delaney. Refeee - Alan Lagrue (Kildare).