Meath manage a point in heavy defeat

It is believed that a manager can learn more for a defeat and if that's actually true then Meath u-21 boss Sean Barry learned a lot today at Ashbourne where the Royals lost by 23 points to Roscommon (0-1 to 4-12).

This was second round Hastings Cup between the teams that contested last year's decider.

Roscommon were physically stronger and were ahead by 3-9 to 0-0 at the interval after playing with the benefit of the substantial wind.

Meath only conceded 1-3 in the second-half, but had to wait until six minutes from time for half-time substitute Shane McEntee to split the posts - even then it was a fortunate sort of score (see video clip).

Then again, you have to consider that Meath's midfield for tonight's O'Byrne Cup game at 7pm in Navan against DCU features two u-21s at midfield - Adam Flanagan and Harry Rooney. 

Then there's Joey Wallace and ......... the list goes on, that's the list of u-21 players who are not available to play on the u-21 team.

Is it that some of the older players in Meath aren't up to the job anymore?

It won't get any easier for Sean Barry and his selectors - next Saturday they face Kerry in the third round of the Hastings Cup in Thurles.

Meath - J Hannigan; M Farley, C Carton, L Ferguson; D Smyth, G McGowan, C Doran; S Dowling, K McCabe; O Reilly, J Daly, M Flood; R O'Rourke, S Coogan, B Dardis. Subs - D Ormsby for Smyth, S McEntee (0-1) for Dowling and R O'Coileain for Reilly all half-time, S Lenihan for Coogan 42 mins, D Tonet for Flood 47m.

In the other game in the group: Kerry 1-17, Cavan 0-8.

TABLE            P  W  D  L  Pts

Roscommon   2  1    1 0    3

Kerry             2  1    1  0    3

Cavan            2  1    0  1    2

Meath            2  0    0   2    0

NEXT UP

Saturday 17th January - Kerry v Meath; Cavan v Roscommon.

http://youtu.be/UZiNFWxuMP8