No Kehoe Cup joy for Weir's troops
Behind most of the way Meath ended up losing out to Westmeath 0-16 to 1-21 in the Kehoe Cup at Dunganny today.
While Meath manager Nick Weir has been grappling with the shortage of players due to Covid restrictions he ended fielding a strong side.
Among his starting 15 was Padraic O'Hanrahan with the Ratoath man putting in a powerhouse performance and finishing up with 10 points, eight from frees and one from a sideline cut.
However Hanrahan and his colleagues were unable to contain a well-drilled Lake County side who scored the only goal of the game early in the second-half.
Westmeath led 0-11 to 0-10 at the interval and just minutes after the restart Westmeath's Jack Gillen drove the ball to the net from close range. Gillen finished with 1-6.
Some measure at how the game went could be seen in the way the sides were level, 0-4 apiece at the first water-break. By the second water-break the visitors led 1-16 to 0-11.
Meath lacked a punch up front with the enterprising Nicky Potterton the only other member of the Meath full-forward line to score. He hit two points while Mickey Burke, Justin Coyne and Patrick Potterton also lofted over for the home side.
SCORERS
Westmeath - Jack Gillen 1-6 five frees; Ciaran Doyle 0-5; Niall O'Brien 0-3; Kevin Regan 0-2 one free; Shane Williams 0-2 one free; Eamonn Cunneen 0-1; Jack Galvin 0-1; Eoghan McCabe 0-1.
Meath - 0-10 eight fees, one sideline cut; Michael Burke 0-2; Nicholas Potterton 0-2; Patrick Potterton 0-1; Justin Coyne 0-1.
TEAMS
Meath - Conor Ryan; Killian Swaine, Shane Brennan, Brendan McKeon; Sean Geraghty, Michael Burke, Justin Coyne; Stephen Morris, Patrick Potterton; David Reilly, Padraic O Hanrahan, Callum O'Sullivan; Nicholas Potterton, Jack Walsh, Adam Gannon. Subs - Christopher Reilly for Walsh haf-time, Ciaran Lonergan for Swaine 47 mins, Damien Healy for P Potterton 54m, James McNally for Morris 58m, Cian Kelly for Coyne 61m, Gary Fleming for Burke 62m, Kevin Keena for O'Sullivan 64m, Adam O'Connor for Geraghty 70m.
Westmeath - Noel Conaty; Johnny Bermingham, Tommy Doyle, Darragh Egerton; Conor Kane, Aaron Craig, Jack Galvin; Eamon Cunneen, Shane McGovern; Ciaran Doyle, Davy Gavin, Kevin Regan; Niall O'Brien, Jack Gillen, Eoin Keyes. Subs - Niall Mitchell for Keyes, Joseph Boyle for D Gavin both 40 mins, Morgan Gavigan for Gillen 51m, Conor Bracken for Conaty 52m, Tommy Gallagher for Craig, Shane Williams for Cunneen both 57m, Peadar Scally for T Doyle 59m, Eoghan Ahearne for C Doyle 60m, Owen McCabe for Kane 61m.
Referee - Adam Keenan (Offaly).