Easy win for Andy McEntee’s Meath

Meath 2-15 DIT 0-10: Two third-quarter goals paved the way for a Meath victory in this O’Byrne Cup tie at Ashbourne last night. 

Donal Lenihan finished top scorer with 1-5 and had Meath’s opening goal on 38 minutes. Five minutes later, Bobby O’Brien scored from close range to give the hosts a 2-8 to 0-7 cushion.

Meath fielded a completely different 15 to the one that saw off the feeble challenge of Wicklow last Sunday. There were debuts for several players including Christy Ring-winning hurling captain James Toher in midfield.

Meath played into the wind in the first half but at half-time led 0-7 to 0-6. The students found scores difficult to come by, hitting nine wides in the first half. Donegal’s Ciaran Thompson was DIT’s top scorer with 0-5.

Scorers for Meath:

D Lenihan (1-5, 0-1f), S Tobin (0-4, 2f), B O’Brien (1-1), R O Coileain (0-2), D Smyth, A Forde, B Brennan 0-1 each).

Scorers for DIT:

C Thompson (0-5, 0-2f), C Madden (0-2), M Farragher, D McLoughlin, C Kavanagh (0-1 each).

MEATH:

R Burlingham; A Douglas, D McQuillan, D Toner; D Smyth, W Carry, A Forde; B Power, J Toher; S Lowndes, B O’Brien, R O Coileain; D Queeney, S Tobin, D Lenihan.

Subs:

D Larkin for O Coileain (21), A Flanagan for Toher (55), B Brennan for Queeney (59), P Brady for Smyth (60), P Harnan for Carry (62), K Lynch for Douglas (59), Queeney for Power (68).

DIT:

L Molloy; K Gillespie, C McGill, T McGovern; E Flanagan, A Watters, L Hughes; T Corcoran, C O’Shea; R Scott, C Madden, D Sheehy; C Thompson, M Farragher, J Halligan.

Subs:

G ‘Reilly for Halligan (30), C Kavanagh for Scott (h-t), D McLoughlin for Farragher (h-t), T Clarke for Corcoran (52), D Grehan for Thompson (59), M Stewart Byrne for McGill.

Referee:

G Hurley (Westmeath)