Late Shine heroics keep Christy Ring Cup dream alive

Having let a seven point lead slip in the closing stages, Tom Shine came to Meath's rescue against Derry on Saturday in Trim.

Meath 3-15

Derry 3-15

Tom Shine rescued the Royals’ Christy Ring Cup hopes with a superb equaliser after a very late Derry goal threatened to break Meath supporters' hearts in Trim on Saturday.

Meath were dominant for the vast majority of the final quarter and were ahead by seven points with only three minutes of normal time remaining. However in an enthralling conclusion, Derry scored 2-2 on the spin late on before the Kilskyre/Moylagh sharpshooter kept the Christy Ring Cup dream alive for Johnny Greville’s men.

With the wind at their back in the first-half, Meath were wasteful in front of the posts and hit 10 wides. A lovely move set up Lorcan Byrne for Meath’s first goal in the 13th minute but Derry scored 1-3 in a row between the 29th and 34th minute to lead by two points. Meath finished out the first-half well and at the break the sides were level.

After the restart, Derry started quickly and went three points clear before a Damien Healy goal brought Meath back on terms. The Royals seized momentum and between the 45th minute and the 67th minute outscored their opposition by 1-5 to 0-1 before all that good work by the men in green and gold was almost completely undone in the chaotic closing stages.

During the cagey opening exchanges, Mark Leavy did well to intercept a Derry puck-out and put Meath ahead by 0-2 to 0-1 after seven minutes. Following two Derry points on the spin, Byrne drew Meath level before he got on the end of a superb move that had some lovely link-up play between Tom and Daire Shine and finished to the net. Byrne’s goal put Meath three points ahead at the end of the first quarter.

Gavin King was forced to make a great save to deny Deaghlan Foley a goal. Points from Healy, Tom Shine and a cracking long-range effort from Joey Cole kept Meath’s tally ticking over. However, a lapse of concentration from King in the 29th minute meant that Darragh McGilligan’s speculative shot resulted in Derry’s first major.

Cormac O’Doherty then scored three points on the spin before two late points from the hurl of Tom Shine meant that the sides were level 1-9 apiece at the break.

Meath failed to take advantage of the strong breeze in the first-half and that looked like it was going to be costly after the restart as Derry scored three points on the spin through Sean Quinn, Thomas Brady and O’Doherty.

Meath trailed by three points before the spark that they badly needed came in the form of a fantastic goal from Healy. Eoin Donegan set up Kyle Ennis for a nice point before Tom Shine put Meath ahead by five after 50 minutes.

Tom Shine dealt Derry a huge blow in the 53rd miute when he produced a marvellous shimmy to outwit Eamon Cassidy before he expertly dispatched the sliotar to the net. Leavy added a point as Meath led by 3-12 to 1-12 with 10 minutes of normal time left.

Conor Melaugh pulled one back for the visitors but points from Leavy and Tom Shine in the 65th and 67th minute kept the Royals well in control. O’Doherty’s two frees in quick succession brought Derry back to within five points before the Oak Leaf county were handed a lifeline when Rian Collins burst through the Meath defence and scored his sides’ second goal.

In the 74th minute, O’Doherty delivered a ‘65’ in to the danger area and the ball was scrambled in to the back of the net. According to Derry sources, Eamon McGill got the crucial touch as the vistors edged ahead with very little time left. On the cusp of the full-time whistle, Tom Shine rescued a share of the spoils and Meath’s Christy Ring Cup ambitions with a fantastic strike.

Meath - Gavin King; Jarlath Ennis, Sean Geraghty, Lorcan O’Connor; Eoin Donegan (0-1), Daire Shine, Anthony Healy; Sean Coloe, Kyle Donnelly; Damien Healy (1-1), Lorcan Byrne (1-1), Tom Shine (1-6 three frees); Joey Cole (0-1), Kyle Ennis (0-2), Mark Leavy (0-3). Subs - Simon Ennis for Cole, Noah Conroy for Donnelly both 47m, Mikey Cole for K Ennis 48m, Darren O’Higgins for Coloe 63m, Padraig O’Hanrahan for Healy 68m.

Derry - Sean Kelly; Jamie Lee McGlade, Patrick Turner, Cathair McGilligan; Eamon Cassidy Meehaul McGrath, Conor Coyle; Sean Quinn (0-1), Thomas Brady (0-2); Darragh McGilligan (1-0), Rian Collins (1-0), Joseph Mullholland; Cormac O’Donherty (0-8 six frees), Shea Cassidy, Deaghlan Foley (0-3). Subs - Eamon McGill (1-0) for Mulholland 48m, Eunan Boylan for Foley 53m, Conor Melaugh (0-1) for Quinn 55m, Tiernan Melaugh for McGilligan 58m, Ryan McGarvey for Brady 62m.

Referee - Nicholas O’Toole (Waterford).