Meath eclipsed as Kildare prove too sharp in league opener

Under-fire Meath hurling manager Cillian Farrell saw his team make a losing start to their NHL Div 2B campaign in a tough encounter against Kildare at Páirc Táilteann on Sunday. Meath hurlers have now emulated the footballers - unable to beat Kildare - but Sunday's performance from the Royal County was packed with grit and determination and they were unlucky to finish on the wrong side of scoreboard as each team hit the target 13 times. Meath went into this game on the back of a verbal outburst from some club delegates at last week's Co Committee meeting over attempts by the manager to dissuade his players from lining out in the first round of the club A FL. Against that background, Meath could have benefited greatly from a win and the defeat now piles on the pressure for the day-trip to London next Saturday. The importance of that game was put firmly in focus after London recorded a 15-point victory over Armagh at Ruislip on Sunday and if they can negotiate the Royals this weekend it will leave them in good stead for a place in the decider. Despite this reversal, Meath can still make it to the final, but on Saturday next they will have to guard against the type complacency that gifted Kildare a 1-2 advantage inside six forgettable first-half minutes last Sunday. Meath were left completely flat-footed as Kildare tore them to shreds. As the minutes ticked by it looked as if Meath would be whitewashed such was the fluency of Kildare who had a points on the board inside 60 seconds from centre-back Richie Hoban and another from Leo Quinn as well as a goal by Pól Divilly. Some inspiration was required and Stephen Clynch was the man with the antidote. A huge pointed free from his own 65-metre line got Meath going. Eoin Marsh pounced on a lose clearance and split the posts soon after and the Kilmessan influence was maintained when Clynch sent over another huge point from his own 65-metre line to counter Divilly's second effort. That left Meath back in contention facing a 0-3 to 1-3 deficit at the end of the first-quarter. After Mark Maloney increased Kildare's advantage Shane McGann produced the first of two spectacular saves, the first from Divilly at the expense of a '65' that Hoban converted and the second from David Harney. Meath finished the half positively as Nicky Horan (two frees), Clynch and Noel Kirby split the posts and left only two in it (0-7 to 1-6) at the interval as Leo Quinn closed Kildare's account. The third-quarter belonged to Meath, but they couldn't get a big enough return on the scoreboard to inhibit Kildare's challenge despite hitting the front 15 minutes into the second-half Horan (two frees), Peter Durnin and Kirby sent over. All Kildare could muster during that period was a pointed Divilly free which left adrift by the minimum, 1-7 to 0-11 with 20 minutes remaining. Under intense Meath pressure Kildare stood strong and survived a stern examination as the hosts posed some major questions. Harney had Kildare on terms from play with half-time substitute Johnny Enright and Conor Kenny restoring a two-point advantage as the intensity increased. Horan kept Meath in touch from a free, but Quinn made it a two-point game again. Stephen Donoghue got it down to the minimum and Kildare replied with two atrocious wides . Meath goalkeeper McGann stopped what looked like a Kildare point with a tremendous catch under the crossbar and launched an attack. Kildare absorbed the pressure, but were relieved when Horan just failed to connect with the sliotar on the edge of the square and then William Mahady made a solo raid down the left wing, but his effort was narrowly wide. That prompted Kildare into one last surge forward and Kenny kept his composure in injury-time for a crucial point. Kildare - P Dermody; P Keegan, F O Muineacháin, J Doran; E O'Neill, R Hoban (0-2 one free, one '65'), N O Muineachain; M Purcell, D Butler; C Kenny (0-2), M Maloney (0-1), P Divilly (1-2 two frees); T Murphy, D Harney (0-1), L Quinn (0-3). Subs - J O'Malley for O'Neill and J Enright (0-1) for Purcell both half-time, M Fitzgerald for Murphy 45 mins, C Gallagher for Dermody and K Divilly for Butler both 60m. Meath - Shane McGann; William Mahady, Enda Fitzgerald, Cormac Reilly; Sean Heavey, Paul Fagan, Enda Keogh; Stephen Clynch (0-3 two frees), Stephen Donoghue (0-1); Eoin Marsh (0-1), Noel Kirby (0-2), Keith Keoghan; David Raleigh, Nicky Horan (0-5 frees), Peter Durnin (0-1). Subs - Michael Cole for Keoghan 55 mins, James Kelly for Raleigh 59m. Referee - Eugene Shaughnessy (Galway).