SHC semi-final: Champions too good for Ratoath
September 23, 2018
Kiltale's Cathal McCabe with Darragh Kelly Ratoath during the Meath SHC semi final at Pairc Tailteann
Kiltale remain on course for a Ted Murtagh SHC five-timer with this decisive semi-final win over Ratoath at Pairc Tailteann on Sunday afternoon.
Kiltale ....... 3-18
Ratoath ...... 1-14
The champions's focus meant there was never a chance of a repeat outcome of the earlier meeting between the sides when Ratoath scored a surprise win.
This time David Troy's men hit the front with Mark O'Sullivan's opening minute point. There they remained. In the third minute the Kiltale number 10 placed Ross Ryan for the first goal.
Mark O'Sullivan's 10th minute goal - with help from James Kelly's delivery - made it 2-5 to 0-1. Any chance of another shock outcome was gone, but Ratoath did their best to stay in touch.
For a while in the third quarter they made progress at whittling down the deficit. They cut Kiltale's lead to two scores, 3-11 to 1-11, by the 37th minute.
That Kiltale didn't win by more than ten points - and score more goals - was down to Ratoath 'keeper Colm O'Riordan who made a string of fine stops over the hour.
His 46th minute stop denied Ross Ryan a hat-trick of goals. Kiltale's response was a long range point from Jack Regan. There was even a chance from Shane McGann to deny Ratoath another goal.
The first-half yielded 23 scores and finished 3-11 to 1-8. Thereafter, despite Ratoath efforts, the scoring returned slackened with just 13 flags raised and no green ones.
In the final third, Kiltale outscored Ratoath by 0-7 to 0-3 and by the end had eight different scorers. Against that Padraig O'Hanrahan registered all bar four points of Ratoath's total.
On a blustery afternoon, Kiltale's wide count was 13, one more than their opponents. Over the second and third quarters, Ratoath outscored the champions by 1-9 to 1-7.
Padraig O'Hanrahan was Ratoath's goalscorer in the 29th minute. Kiltale responded positively moments later when a Stephen Donoghue 'steal' led to Ross Ryan's second goal.
Ratoath replied with the first three scores after the change of ends. Padraig O'Hanrahan posted two of those from frees to cut the gap to six.
Whenever their crown was threatened, Kiltale responded positively and seem to be in good shape to face Trim in the decider.
Kiltale - Shane McGann; Iarla Hughes, Phillip Garvey (c), David Donoghue; Stephen Donoghue, Ronan Ryan, Anthony Forde (0-2); Padraig Kelly, Cillian O'Sullivan (0-1); Mark O'Sullivan (1-3), Cathal McCabe (0-1), James Kelly (0-3, 1f); Peter Durnin (0-1), Ross Ryan (2-1), Jack Regan (0-6, 3fs) . Subs - Shane Lenehan for Durnin (ht), Brian O'Reilly for D Donoghue (34), Fearghal McCabe for Regan (52), Adam Murphy for Forde (59), Christopher O'Reilly for M O'Sullivan (59).
Ratoath - Colm O'Riordan; Brian Murphy, Conor McGill, Patrick Dowd; Niall McLarnon, Darragh Kelly (0-1f), Ben McGowan; Jack McGowan, Padraig O'Hanrahan (1-10, 0-7 fs, 1 65); Daithi McGowan, Bryan McMahon (0-1), David Toner; Sean O'Hanrahan, Gavin McGowan (0-3), Cian Rogers. Subs - Sean Johnson for S O'Hanrahan (51), Tom Fadden for Rogers (51), Tadhg McCann for D McGowan (59)
Referee - Marcus Quinn (Clann na nGael)
