Meath keep promotion hopes alive in the West
The Meath hurlers maintained their hopes of being promoted from the NHL Div 2 with a win over Mayo.
Meath 0-20
Mayo 1-12
TOM GANNON
Sean Kenny's late penalty slightly flattered the scoreline for the home side as a strong first-half performance from Meath ensured them a comfortable NHL Div 2 victory over Mayo in Tooreen on Saturday. The win kept Meath in contention for promotion from the division.
There was a strong breeze blowing towards the clubhouse at Adrian Freeman Park throughout and Meath took full advantage of it in the first-half.
Between the 1st and the 21st minute, Johnny Greville's side dominated and scored nine points on the spin. Despite the fact that his aim was slightly off kilter, Tom Shine's still accounted for four points of that tally.
Between the 32nd and 36th minute, Meath rattled off another five points on the spin and at half-time they led by 13 points.
Mayo had the wind at their backs in the second-half and it helped them raise a few white flags in the third quarter but Meath kept their opponents well at bay by chipping away at the scoreboard themselves.
After 50 minutes, Meath still led by 11 points. Mayo seized momentum and hit four points in a row before they were awarded a penalty and Sean Kenny dispatched the sliotar past Gavin King. That reduced the gap back to four points but it transpired to be Mayo’s last score as Meath closed out well in injury time.
The half-back line of Daire Shine, Simon Ennis and Noah Conroy were excellent. Daire Shine pulled the strings in the centre, Ennis worked his socks off while Conroy made several vital turnovers.
It took Tom Shine some time to adjust to the breeze on the dead-ball opportunities but once he settled, he was excellent on the frees and finished with a nice tally of nine points which included a few nice scores from play as well. Lorcan Byrne is adjusting really wel to his new role in the full-forward line and he won a lot of possession inside.
Mark Leavy had a fantastic game at centre-forward and he responded to an early Mayo point before he set up Sean Doyle who edged Meath ahead after six minutes.
Tom Shine missed three frees early on but he got off the mark in the eighth minute before Leavy’s effort on goal just went over the crossbar. After 10 minutes, Meath led 0-4 to 0-1.
Mikey Cole opened his account with a lovely strike from the right-hand side before Tom Shine rattled off three placed points in a row to give Meath a 0-8 to 0-1 lead after 20 minutes. Cole stretched Meath’s tally to nine points before Mayo pulled one back through a Cormac Phillips free.
Byrne quickly cancelled out that score with a nice point. Conroy made a fantastic block and Ennis picked up the loose ball before he set up Eoin Donegan for a brilliant long-range score. After 25 minutes, Meath led 0-11 to 0-2. After being introduced off the Mayo bench, Shane Boland had an immediate impact and he got his tally underway with a free.
Meath closed out the half well and scored five points on the spin. Leavy set up Tom Shine before the Dunderry man scored a brace of points himself. Daire Shine got in on the action as well and at the interval Meath led 0-16 to 0-3.
With the wind at their backs, Mayo hit a purple patch just after the restart and rattled off three quick points. Tom Shine kept Meath ticking over with two scores from play and after 50 minutes Meath still led 0-19 to 0-8.
Two Meath substitutes Cathal Barron and Fergal Flynn were unlucky not to contribute as their separate efforts came back off the post. A couple of frees from Boland and scores from Phillips and Fionn Delaney reduced Meath’s lead back to seven points after 65 minutes.
In the 69th minute, Anthony Healy fouled Boland inside the large rectangle and from the penalty, Kenny dispatched the sliotar past King. The lead was back to four points but that was all that Mayo could muster.
Tom Shine split the posts with another free. Cole had a late chance for a goal but Mayo’s netminder Bobby Douglas denied the Trim man with a great save.
Meath - `Gavin King; Jarlath Ennis, Sean Geraghty, Anthony Healy; Noah Conroy, Daire Shine (0-1), Simon Ennis; Eoin Donegan (0-1), Lorcan O'Connor; Darren O'Higgins, Mark Leavy (0-4), Tom Shine (0-9 five frees, one '65'); Mikey Cole (0-3), Lorcan Byrne (0-1), Sean Doyle (0-1). Subs - Fergal Flynn for Donegan 39m, Cathal Barron for Doyle 48m, Damien Healy for O'Higgins 58m, Darragh Heffernan for Conroy 60m, Joey Cole for O'Connor 62m.
Mayo - Bobby Douglas; Michael Gallagher, Oisin Ivers, Oisin Greally; Shane O'Brien, David Kenny, Connor Murray; John Hearty (0-1), Daniel Huane; Ryan Duffy, Cormac Phillips (0-3 frees), Eoin Delaney (0-2); Corey Scahill (0-2), Paudie Murphy, Colm Enright. Subs - Shane Boland (0-3 frees) for Enright 24m, Padraig Mooney for Murray 26m, Sean Kenny (1-0 penalty) for O'Brien 56m, Fionn Delaney (0-1) for Gallagher 59m, David Delaney for Scahill 62m.
Referee - Alan Tiernay (Tipperary).