Boyne Valley wave the orange flag to get past An Tuaisceart challenge

Two-pointers crucial as Joe Cowley's side survive scare

Boyne Valley .......................................................0-4-8 (16)

An Tuaisceart ......................................................0-1-12 (14)

An ability to find the range from two-point attempts, coupled with a superb defensive display from James O'Hare, ensured Boyne Valley got their Regional FC campaign off to a winning start against defending champions An Tuaisceart at Dunganny on Sunday.

With the restructuring of the competition from eight teams to four, refereeing to An Tuaisceart as the defending champions is in name only as they started with only two players who played senior football in 2026, as opposed to the Boyne Valley side who had 13 players who featured in the SFC.

Despite having far more players who play at a lower grade An Tuaisceart produced a gutsy display and when the teams were still tied at 0-13 each in the 57th minute they looked more than capable of causing a shock.

However, Finn Moore's second two-point free of the contest settled Joe Cowley's Boyne Valley side and David Bell clipped over the insurance score in the first minute of injury-time.

With Meath manager Robbie Brennan watching on and his able lieutents Aaron Kernan and Karl Manning involved with the teams it was an opportunity for players to put their hand up for inclusion in the senior football panel for 2027.

No one made a stronger case for inclusion than James O'Hare as he marshalled the Boyne Valley defence superbly and was an incisive runner from deep to cause An Tuaisceart plenty of problems.

All the early indications were that this second game on the double bill would be better than the curtain-raiser and when Donaghmore/Ashbourne's Sean Tyrrell landed a two-pointer inside 40 seconds hopes were high. However, the contest never really got better than that.

It was a further eight minutes before the next score arrived as Shane McEnery halved the deficit, but Boyne Valley remained in control with David Bell (free) and Tyrrell making it 0-4 to 0-1.

Sensing that it might be too easy for them the side with the most senior players took their foot off the gas and An Tuaisceart took advantage with Daire Shine and Brian O'Reilly kicking superb scores to close the gap to the minimum.

A magnificent two-pointer from the outside of Dylan Keating's left boot restored Boyne Valley's cushion, but ill-discipline allowed the north Meath men back into the contest with a brace of Hughie Corcoran frees sandwiching a Rian McConnell free to restore parity by the 21st minute, 0-6 each.

Finn Moore's first two-point free and a score from Keating re-established Boyne Valley's three-point cushion, but another McConnell free and a point from Killian Price, after a superb catch by Oran Mulvaney, left just the minimum between the sides at the break with Boyne Valley leading 0-9 to 0-8.

Half-time substitute, the impressive Paul Hennessy, made an immediate impact with a point 30 seconds after the restart, but An Tuaisceart struggled get their noses in front as Aaron Grant and Bell replied for Boyne Valley.

Another Corcoran free left the minimum between them again, but Pat Crawley's last action was to see his goalbound shot brilliantly saved by Moore.

Liam Stafford put two between the sides as the game entered the final quarter, but An Tuaisceart did manage to edge ahead with Dylan Garrigan pointed after a brilliant run and then Corcoran landed a two-point free to make it 0-13 to 0-12 in the 49th minute.

Bell restored parity two minutes later and it was a further six minutes before they took a firm grip on the contest again with Moore's second two-point free and Bell's late insurance score secured the win despite Hennessy's late effort.

Boyne Valley: Finn Moore (Rathkenny 0-4 two two-point frees); Liam Brennan (St Patrick's), Danny Watters (Seneschalstown), Ciaran O'Hare (Rathkenny); Liam Stafford (St Colmcille's 0-1), James O'Hare (Rathkenny), Sean O'Hare (Rathkenny); Sean Emmanuel (St Patrick's), Eoghan McCloghan (St Colmcille's); Davy Curtis (Rathkenny), Dylan Keating (Seneschalstown 0-3 one two-pointer); Sean Tyrrell (Donaghmore/Ashbourne 0-3 one two-pointer); Cathal Finnegan (Seneschalstown), Aaron Grant (St Colmcille's 0-1), David Bell (St Colmcille's 0-4 two frees). Subs: Alan Mulvany (Seneschalstown) for Finnegan 9m, Cillian Hegarty (Donaghmore/Ashbourne) for Curtis, Evan Quinn (Donaghmore/Ashbourne) for S O'Hare both half-time, Cian Commons (Seneschalstown) for Emmanuel 44m, Senan McKeown (St Patrick's) for Tyrrell 55m, Seimi Byrne (Seneschalstown) for Brennan 61m.

An Tuaisceart: Oisin McDermott (Ballinlough); Dylan Garrigan (Oldcastle 0-1), Rian Early (Gaeil Colmcille), Brian O'Reilly (St Michael's 0-1); Killian Price (Castletown 0-1), Killian Russell (Kilmainhamwood), Jason Scully (Oldcastle); Rian McConnell (Castletown 0-2 frees), Oran Mulvaney (Oldcastle); Shane McEnery (Simonstown 0-1), Daire Shine (Ballinlough 0-1), Sean Reilly (Moylagh); Hughie Corcoran (Drumbaragh 0-5 one two-point free, three frees), Rian Stafford (Kilmainhamwood), Pat Crawley (Oldcastle). Subs: Tom Shine (Ballinlough) for McEnery 30m, Ajay Tormey (Gaeil Colmcille) for Russell, Paul Hennessy (Oldcastle 0-2) for Mulvaney both half-time, Andrew Gormley (Gaeil Colmcille) for Crawley 42m, Darren O'Higgins (Ballinlough) for D Shine 53m, Oran Meade (Simonstown) for Corcoran, Cormac Browne (St Brigid's) for Reilly both 57m, Ciaran Doyle (Kilmainhamwood) for Garrigan 64m.

Referee: Ciaran Flynn (Dunsany).