Murray fires Meath to resounding victory
In pleasant summer conditions Meath turned on the heat to chalk up a big score over Wicklow in the All-Ireland u-20 B HC encounter at Trim this evening.
The lob-sided contest (4-24 to 1-13) finished as it stared with Meath finding the net in what turned out to be a score fest as far the Royals were concerned with Trim's talented young player James Murray really making hay.
He hit a memorable personal tally of 2-12 and it would surely have been a lot more except that the tall half-forward was substituted at the second water break.
It was a perfect way for Kiltale's Peter Durnin to start his career as team manager. As a forward himself, well capable of taking scores, he would have appreciated the manner in which his side dismantled the eager but limited Wicklow side with some clinical finishing.
"We got ahead early on and I asked the lads to keep focused, keep going don't let their standards drop and they didn't. That was the most impressive part of this performance," Durnin added.
Meath's relentless march to victory started in the second minute with Jack Cottrell getting a touch to a ball that was played into the Wicklow square by who else? That man Murray.
In injury time at the end of the game Meath substitute Brian Moore powered the ball to the net with a stinging drive to complete the rout.
In between Murray grabbed his two goals and an avalanche of points as the traffic contained to flow largely unimpeded in one direction.
He grabbed his first goal on 41 minutes when he directed the ball to the net in a goalmouth scramble before grabbing his second almost immediately afterwards.
Dylan Farrell and Sean Doyle were involved in working the ball to Murray who drove low to the net to ensure he racked up the kind of score rarely acquired at inter-county level - in any grade.
As well as proving himself well capable of converting chances from open play, Murray also filled in as Meath's chief marksman. He proceeded to fired over seven points from frees which he added to his hefty quota of scores from play.
The game was reasonably competitive up to the first waterbreak when Meath led 1-7 to 1-5 with Rory Lambe making the most of some hesitancy in the Meath defence to find the net for Wicklow after 11 minutes.
In the second quarter the home side really turned on the after-burners and by the interval they led 1-16 to 1-5 and were already out of sight.
It was no longer a matter of who would win but how much Meath would accumulate.
Brandon Ryan kept Wicklow ticking over in terms of points tally and he ended up with seven including one super score from a sideline cut early on.
There were some excellent scores engineered by the home side from play with seven players contributing to the handsome tally.
Mikey Cole proved himself a real handful for the Garden County side, firing over four sweet points from play.
Justin Coyne strode forward from his midfield posting to help himself to three points from play while Jack Lanigan also showed invention and enterprise capping his display with two points.
Cian Kelly, Cottrell and Moore also helped themselves to scores in a contest that was as one-sided as a shipwreck.
SCORERS
Meath - James Murray 2-12; Jack Cottrell 1-1; Brian Moore 1-1; Mikey Cole 0-4; Justin Coyne 0-3; Jack Lanigan 0-2; Cian Kelly 0-1.
Wicklow - Brandon Ryan 0-7 four frees, one sideline; Shaun Cranley 0-1 '65'; Rory Lambe 1-4 two frees; Torna Mulconry 0-1.
TEAMS
Meath - Conor Ryan (Kiltale); Ben Holden (Trim), Gary Fleming (Trim), Dylan Farrell (Killyon); Adam O'Connor (Dunboyne), Cian Kelly (Ratoath), Conor Fitzgerald (Kildalkey); Justine Coyne (Killyon), Dylan Farrell (Trim); Jack Lanigan (Ratoath), Cormac Keyes (O'Mahonys), James Murray (Trim); Jack Cottrell (Kilmessan), Mikey Cole (Trim), Josh Harris (Trim). Subs - Sean Doyle (Drumree) for Keyes 43 mins, Brian Moore (Ratoath) for Murray 45m, Aidan Fraher (Drumree) for Dylan Farrell 45m, Conor McGovern (Clann na nGael) for Harris 46m, Luke Horan for Dylan Farrell 47m.
Wicklow - Meitheal Cleary; Conor Wafer, Dylan Byrne, Dara Owens; Brandon Ryan, Eoin Kavanagh, Tommy Collins; Shuan Cranley, Shane Browne; Owen Young, John Doyle, Tim Byrne; Rory Lambe, Charlie Cruise, Torna Mulconry. Subs - Cian O'Neill for Owens, John Toomey for T Byrne both half-time; James McGing for Kavanagh 39m.
Referee - Shane Guinan (Offaly).