No Kehoe Cup joy for Meath as Carlow prevail
Another venue, another Sunday, another defeat. Kilmessan was the latest stop-off point for the Meath hurlers today as they continued their Kehoe Cup campaign.
Last week it was Dunganny when they were defeated by Westmeath and today they were vanquished (0-19 to 2-22) by a sharper, more physically imposing Carlow side who finished with 14 men after Jack McCullagh was shown a red card in the second-half.
Meath are seeking to impliment a more structured, passing game but it backfired on them here as Carlow powered their way to a deserved victory.
The game was held in Kilmessan to mark the progress the club has made in improving their facilites including the construction of a new pitch.
Meath were already in trouble at the break when they trailed 0-7 to 2-17. They improved matters in the second-half but never looked like bouncing back.
Jack Regan showed the way for the home side with eight points while Scott Treacy and Chris Nolan fired in goals for Carlow with Martin Kavanagh hitting six points.
Stephen Morris, Callum O'Sullivan and Nicky Potterton capped impressive displays for Meath with well-executed points but there were few highlights for the home side to reflect on as they continue the countdown to the start of the NHL campaign.
SCORERS
Carlow - Martin Kavanagh 0-6 four frees; Chris Nolan 1-2 frees; Sean Murphy 0-4; Scott Treacy 1-0; Dean Tobin 0-2; Conor Kehoe 0-2; Cian Doyle 0-2; Diarmuid Byrne 0-1; Fiachra Fitzpatrick 0-1; Kevin McDonald 0-1; Fiach O'Toole 0-1.
Meath - Jack Regan 0-8 five frees; Stephen Morris 0-2; Callum O'Sullivan 0-2; Kevin Keena 0-2; Padraic O'Hanrahan 0-1; Micheal Burke 0-1; Nicholas Potterton 0-1; Mark O'Sullivan 0-1; Jack Walsh 0-1.
Meath - Charlie Ennis; Ger Murphy, Shane Whitty, Brendan McKeon; James Kelly, Shane Brennan, David Reilly; Justin Coyne, Adam Gannon; Damien Healy, Padraic O'Hanrahan, Michael Burke; Callum O'Sullivan, Jack Regan, Trevor Healy. Subs - Stephen Morris for Gannon, Mark O'Sullivan for O'Sullivan, Nicholas Potterton for Healy, Patrick Potterton for Murphy all half-time; Jack Walsh for O'Hanrahan 40 mins, Kevin Keena for Coyne 47m, Chris Reilly for Healy 55m, Ciaran Lonergan for McKeon, James McNally for Kelly both 57m.
Carlow - Ciaran Abbey; Paul Doyle, Conor Lawlor, Michael Doyle; Jack McCullagh, Diarmuid Byrne, Cian Doyle; Conor Kehoe, Fiachra Fitzpatrick; Sean Murphy, Dean Tobin, Scott Treacy; Martin Kavanagh, Kevin McDonald, Chris Nolan. Subs - Dean Grennan for Abbey, Tony Lawlor for Doyle, Jack Kavanagh for Fitzpatrick, John Doyle for Tobin, Ted Joyce for Kavangh, Fiach O'Toole for McDonald all half-time.
Referee - Mark Ryan (Dublin).
See match report, photographs and quotes from game in next issue of the Meath Chronicle