Meath open Walsh Cup with a win

Neil Heffernan was the man in from as Meath opened their 2018 Walsh Cup campaign this afternoon in Trim with an impressive performance against Antrim that produced a 1-17 to 0-19 victory.

Heffernan popped up with the winning point in the third minute of added time only seconds after Antrim's Neil McManus had drawn the sides level for the 10th time in an absorbing contest.

This was a positive start for the new Meath management team with Nick Fitzgerald expressing satisfaction in a post-match interview with the Meath Chronicle that you can read next Tuesday.

For selectors Martin Comerford, Michael Kavanagh and Paul Reilly, there was plenty to take out of the game, apart from the victory, but it now sets up an interesting January showdown with Dublin at Abbotstown next Wednesday night at 8pm.

That will be Dublin's first official game under former football boss Pat Gilroy and it's likely that the 'Dublin' media will have a big interest in that tie where a Meath victory would earn the Royal County a place in the knock-out phase of the competition.

However, today at Trim the Meath players showed commendable battling qualities as they twice recovered from first-half deficits to go in on level terms at the break - 1-9 to 0-12 - with the crucial goal arriving in the 25th minute from Kiltale's James Kelly.

James Toher returned to the team at midfield and was tightly marked throughout, but he claimed the opening point after two minutes, he also miseed two frees before Jack Regan took over that duty and converted a brace of frees. Three Heffernan points plus two from Kelly and one from Cathal McCabe completed Meath's first-half tally.

Antrim, backed by a substantial wind that faded in the second-half, got in for some easy first-half scores with Neil McManus (five), Conor McCann, Conor Johnson and Eoin O'Neill (two each) and Daniel McCluskey all splitting the posts.

Meath dictated the opening part of the second-half with Regan sending over three frees and Kelly also on target while all Antrim could muster was a McManus pointed free.

Meath then endured a 15-minute barren spell on the scoreboard after which they trailed by 1-13 to 0-17 as points from McManus (two frees), Conor McKinley and Johnson edged the Ulster side into the lead.

Meath needed a score and Regan's free restored parity. Joe Maskey replied for Antrim, but Regan again countered from a free before Toher drilled the sliotar over in added time. McManus tied it up again from a somewhat fortunate free, but Meath had the last word with Heffernan sending the majority of the supporters home with plenty to talk about.

Meath scorers: Jack Regan 0-7 frees; James Kelly 1-3; Neil Heffernan 0-4; James Toher 0-2; Cathal McCabe 0-1. 

See Tuesday night's Meath Chronicle for report, reaction and photographs.

Video below is a brief summary of the game as the players warm down