Bright start sets up Meath for another night on Easy Street
Just like they did last week against Longford Meath started tonight's Leinster u-20 FC clash with Carlow like a steam train - and just like they did last week they ran out comfortable winners, 2-11 to 0-4.
The young Royals had this game effectively wrapped up at the interval when they led 2-7 to 0-4 with Ruairi Kinsella firing home two goals. It would have taken something really special from Carlow to come back from that but they never remotely looked like they might retrieve the situation as the home team won pulling up.
Kinsella's opening goal must have broken some kind of record because the swiftness of it. There was only 13 seconds on the clock when he struck.
Jack Kinlough won the ball from the throw-in played it downfield to Kinsella who swept the ball home. It was a swift and as devastating as that.
The opening 10 minutes or so belonged to Meath as they raced into a 1-5 to 0-0 lead - already leaving Carlow with an Everest to climb.
The visitors did have a fruitful spell that lasted for about 15 minutes in the opening half when they threatened but they simply didn't have the cut or thrust to inflict the kind of damage needed to make up for their pedestrian start.
Much of the Meath passing was swift and incisive, sharp throughout. They moved the ball from defence to attack with lightning, devastating forward surges.
There was always a colleague available when a Meath player won possession and John McCarthy and his selectors must have been happy with how the players supported each other and opened up gaps in the Carlow defence with their runs. It was a firm foundation of this victory.
Meath applied a very effective press also and it was from one of those they worked their second goal just before the break.
As Carlow sought to move the ball out of defence Kinsella intercepted a pass and drove through before neatly tucking the ball past the badly exposed Carlow goalkeeper Ben McCarron.
The fitness and conditioning of the Meath players is impressive and they were full of running still at the end of this lobsided contest. They had big performers all over the pitch.
Another positive was the fact that seven players got on the scoresheet - a spread of scores that bodes well for them and their ambitions.
The impressive Kinlough, Eoghan Frayne and Kinsella all helped themselves to two points apiece while John Finnerty, Shaun Leonard, Sean Emmanuel and Oisin Keogh also raised white flags. Meath regularly strung together movements that involved, 10, 15 passes pinning Carlow back.
Very occasionally did the Meath defence looked stretched. One of those occasions was early in the second-half when Carlow put a move together that ended with John Phiri firing a shot against the post.
He was their only player to garner a score from play which says something about their strength but also Meath's ability to shut them down.
When Phiri's shot rebounded off the post it represented a let off for the home side but they soon reasserted their dominance to go on and win in a canter.
SCORERS
Meath - Ruairi Kinsella 2-2; Eoghan Frayne 0-3 one mark; Jack Kinlough 0-2; John Finnerty 0-1; Shaun Leonard 0-1 free; Sean Emmanuel 0-1; Oisin Keogh 0-1.
Carlow - Bryan McMahon 0-3 frees; John Phiri 0-1.
TEAMS
Meath - Oisin McDermott; Brian O'Halloran, Liam Kelly, Conor Ennis; John Finnerty, Brian O'Reilly, Shaun Leonard; Jack Kinlough, Conor Gray; Sean Emmanuel, Eoghan Frayne, Liam Stafford; Hughie Corcoran, Oisin Keogh, Ruairi Kinsella. Subs - Tom Bowden for Leonard half-time, Christian Finlay for Corcoran 38 mins, John McDonagh for Kinsella 46m, Ben Moran for Stafford 50m, Aaron Murphy for Finlay 54m.
Carlow - Ben McCarron; Shane Cormican, Alex Delaney, Luke Coleman; Cathal Healy, James Whelan, Jack Deacy; Dara Curran, John Phiri; Kieran Nolan, Evan Corr, Eoghan Byrne; Tom Behan, Bryan McMahon, Josh Egan. Subs - Tom Dillon for Coleman 46 mins, Milo Feehan for Nolan, Mark Mullen for Behan both 51m.
Referee - Seamus Farrelly (Dublin).