Injury-time agony for hurlers
November 27, 2010Having captured the Nicky Rackard Cup the previous year, Meath's hurlers went into the 2010 season full of hope. However, they never fully got into their stride in either league or championship this time around and - ultimately - it was probably a year to forget for the Royal County's small ball merchants. It could have been so much different had they killed off imminently winnable matches against Derry in Round Five of the NHL and Wicklow at the quarter-final stage of the Christy Ring Cup.
Meath returned to the Christy Ring as Nicky Rackard champions and manager TJ Reilly was aiming for another successful year. Having captured the third-tier All-Ireland, the Royals set their sights on back-to-back national championship titles … but the Ring Cup again proved to be a step too far as they lost two of their three games therein. In Division 3A of the league, Meath had pushed hard for a place in the final but defeat to 13-man Derry in the final series of round-robin matches scuppered their chances and pretty much epitomised their year. A similarly-inexplicable defeat would follow against Wicklow in the championship, when Meath looked set for a semi-final place only to be robbed in the closing seconds. It was one of those years where nothing was going to work.
With the winter cobwebs still very much in evidence, Meath's first outing of note since winning the 2009 Nicky Rackard Cup final was a 0-18 to 1-14 Kehoe Cup victory over DCU in Ashbourne on Sunday January 31st. Peter Durnin grabbed the winning score at the end to complete a spirited fightback, with the hosts having trailed by five points at one stage in the second half. Dave Kirby - deployed on the edge of the square in the closing minutes - hit the equaliser as the Royals controlled the last quarter, tying up the scores for the sixth time. The most worrying aspect of the performance was that the winners registered 21 wides over the hour, including 13 in the second half. Stephen Clynch was outstanding in the middle of the field as usual and Stephen Quinn made an important save at the end of the third quarter to keep TJ Reilly's side in contention.
Meath, Kehoe Cup V DCU: S Quinn; B Coughlan, E Fitzgerald, S Donoghue; M Horan, P Fagan, D Kirby (0-2); J Boyle, S Clynch; P Durnin (0-3), N Hackett (0-8), B Murray; M Kelly, N Horan, J Keena (0-4). Subs: P Garvey for Murray (ht), D Muldoon (0-1) for Kelly (43), M Lynch for N Horan (57).
That win set up a semi-final meeting with Kildare and the management team of TJ Reilly, selectors Anthony Kirby and Brendan Fitzsimons and coach Paddy Williams were left in no doubt that there was work to be done as they fell to a 2-20 to 1-17 defeat at Newbridge on Saturday February 6th. Meath must have been growing sick of the sight of Andy Comerford's Lilywhites as this was a repeat of Kildare's 2009 Division 3A final win … and there was more to come later in the year. With Westmeath awaiting the winners in the final, David Harney proved the difference between the teams with 0-8 from frees. David Kirby's pointed frees and Stephen Clynch's efforts from play kept Meath in contention. However their inside line lacked the sharpness to upset the home defence and Kildare led all the way. The winners led by 1-7 to 0-2 after 14 minutes but Peter Durnin's goal gave the visitors hope. Ten points were shared during the second quarter and, having trailed by 1-12 to 1-8 at the break, Meath quickly closed within the minimum thanks to scores from Clunch (2) and Kirby. The margin was still at one by the 48th minute but the Short Grass men finished strongest to book a final meeting with Westmeath.
Meath, Kehoe Cup V Kildare: S Quinn; D Donoghue, E Fitzgerald, S Donoghue; M Horan (0-1), P Fagan, M Lynch; S Clynch (0-7), J Boyle; P Durnin (1-1), P Garvey, K Keena; J Keena, N Horan, D. Kirby (0-8). Subs: A Nestor for K Keena (47), P Keogh for Boyle (57), N McLoughlin for Fitzgerald (67).
Thus, the form was shaky enough going into Division 3A of the national hurling league but Meath repeated their Nicky Rackard Cup final victory over London when they had five points to spare over the Exiles in Watford's Oxhey Park on Sunday February 21st, 2-16 to 1-14. The game had been switched from Ruislip at the last minute but this didn't unsettle the Royals who had four points on the board inside the opening five minutes. The hosts levelled before Nicky Horan struck the winners' first three-pointer on 20 minutes. Meath led by 1-11 to 1-8 at the interval and Niall Hackett bagged their second goal.
Meath, NHL V London: S Quinn; M Foley, E Fitzgerald, S Donoghue; M Horan, P Fagan, J Boyle; S Clynch, D Kirby (0-1); P Durnin (0-6), N Hackett (1-4), P Garvey (0-1); J Keena (0-3), N Horan (1-1), D Muldoon. Subs: K Keena for Muldoon (57), A Nestor for Keena (60).
There was disappointment in Round Two as Meath required a pointed Stephen Clynch free in the sixth minute of injury time to force a 1-20 to 2-17 draw against an unfancied Armagh side at Pairc Tailteann seven days later. The Orchard County were making their first appearance of the league as adverse weather had scuppered their opener against Mayo but they looked sharper and seemed destined for victory when Cathal Carvill slotted his fourth point from play late on. But a foul on Joey Keena got the relieved Royals out of jail. The sides were level ten times over the 70 minutes and Meath lost substitute Alan Nestor to a nasty-looking ankle injury. Apart from leading three times in the opening 32 minutes (with Peter Durnin firing their goal on 27), the hosts played catch-up for most of this game. Armagh led by 2-10 to 1-10 at the break but a trio of late Clynch points ensured a share of the spoils for a below-par Royal County.
Meath, NHL V Armagh: S Quinn; B Coughlan, E Fitzgerald, M Foley; M Horan, P Fagan, M Lynch; S Clynch (0-6), J Boyle (0-2); P Durnin (1-2), N Hackett (0-7), P Garvey; J Keena (0-1), N Horan (0-2), M Mullally. Subs: K Keena for Garvey (22), D Donoghue for Lynch (62), A Nestor for Hackett (66), D Muldoon for Nestor (70).
On March 14th, Meath endured their lowest point of 2010 when they were annihilated by a Shane-Brick-inspired Kerry at Tralee: 3-30 to 3-10. Brick hit fifteen points as the visitors were put to the sword in emphatic fashion, all but ending their chances of advancing to the business end of the league. While the Kingdom were securing their third straight win, Meath had now dropped three points in three outings. Kerry hit 1-5 without reply in the opening five minutes and went on to lead by 2-14 to 1-6 at the break. Despite the best efforts of Niall Hackett and Stephen Clynch, John Meyler's charges were always in control and were full value for their 20-point win.
Meath, NHL V Kerry: S Quinn; M Foley, E Fitzgerald, B Coughlan; M Horan, S Donoghue, J Boyle; P Keogh (0-1), S Clynch (0-4); P Garvey (0-1), N Horan (0-1), P Durnin (1-1); J Keena (1-0), N Hackett (1-2), K Keena. Subs: D Donoghue for J Keena (33), M Lynch for M Horan (48), P Fagan for Foley (62), G Murphy for K Keena (62), D Muldoon for Coughlan (68).
Having gone down heavily to Kerry seven days previously, Meath reanimated their bid for a NHL Division 3A final spot with an easy win over Mayo at Pairc Tailteann on Sunday March 21st, 2-18 to 1-12. Playing against both the breeze and the sun, Meath made sure of the spoils in the opening half which ended with the home side leading by 2-7 to 0-4. Nicky Horan netted both Meath goals, his first arriving in the opening minute when he directed Stephen Clynch's delivery to the Mayo net. The visitors were just a point adrift at the 14th minute, 1-2 to 0-4, but the Royals outscored them by 1-5 to no score over the remainder of the half with Horan finding the net again in the 22nd minute. Stephen Clynch fired the score of the game in the 43rd minute to make it 2-10 to 0-6 and it was double score with five minutes to go, 2-16 to 1-8. The result had pulled Meath's season out of the fire - albeit temporarily - as it meant victory (or a draw) over Derry in their final round-robin match would be sufficient to see them through to a second consecutive Division 3A decider.
Meath, NHL V Mayo: S Quinn; M Foley, P Fagan (0-1), D Donoghue; B Coughlan, S Clynch (0-4), M Horan; J Boyle, S Donoghue (0-3); P Keogh, N Hackett (0-5), P Garvey; P Durnin (0-2), N Horan (2-0), M Mullally. Subs: K. Keena (0-2) for Mullally (21), M Kelly for Boyle (34), D Muldoon (0-1) for Durnin (58), M Lynch for Coughlan (65) C Burke for Foley (70).
Six days later, on Saturday March 27th, Meath squared up to the Oak Leafers in their do-or-die league game at Pairc Tailteann. Somehow, they managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory to go down by 2-15 to 1-17 to 13 men, despite leading by six points with five minutes left (1-15 to 0-12). It was a sickening reversal for the Royals, who must have thought they had done enough to book a re-match with Kerry in the 3A showcase. However, they totally collapsed in the closing minutes as two late Kevin Hinphey goals propelled the Ulster side to victory. Meath just needed a draw and that looked like the worst possible outcome as they led by three points entering stoppage time. But a late flurry of Derry scores turned the match on its head. Three Stephen Donoghue points had helped ease Meath into a 0-8 to 0-3 lead after 26 minutes and the home side still led by 0-10 to 0-7 at the short whistle. Kevin Keena was dismissed in the 41st minute but substitute Noel Kirby goaled at the hospital end in the 47th minute to make it 1-13 to 0-9. The visitors were reduced to 13 men in the 54th minute but somehow managed to come away with the win they needed.
Meath, NHL V Derry: S Quinn; M Foley, P Fagan, D Donoghue; J Boyle, S Clynch (0-1), M Horan; S Donoghue (0-4), P Keogh (0-1); P Durnin, N Hackett (0-5), K Keena (0-1); D Muldoon, D Kirby (0-1), M Mullally (0-2). Subs: N Kirby (1-1) for Muldoon (20), P Garvey (0-1) for Durnin (55).
Kildare provided the opposition in the first round of the Christy Ring Cup. The backroom rang the changes as Meath attempted to get their floundering season up and running against one of their most conspicuous nemeses. Unfortunately, at Navan on Saturday May 8th, the Lilywhites re-affirmed their superiority over their neighbours with a facile 2-18 to 1-10 success. Nine different players got on the scoresheet for Andy Comerford's side, who played with wind advantage in the first half but led by just two points at the break, 0-9 to 0-7. But the visitors assumed complete control after the resumption, moving six points clear within twelve minutes of the restart and 'winning' the second half by 2-9 to 1-3.
Indeed, the Meath goal only served to put something of a flattering look on the final scoreline as Joey Keena's delivery placed Noel Kirby for the last score of a one-sided match. A Paul Fagan save four minutes after the turnaround had temporarily kept the hosts in contention, but the loss of Stephen Clynch through injury at half time had severely hampered their prospects. The losers had actually shaded the opening exchanges and led by 0-7 to 0-5 after 27 minutes but five wides in the opening quarter suggested that their were gremlins in the engine, while a 22-minute barren spell either side of the short whistle (during which Kildare tagged on nine points) effectively settled the Royals' fate. While it was a disappointing result, it wasn't the end of the road for Meath as they would meet another first-round loser in the back door section the following Saturday.
Meath, Christy Ring Cup V Kildare: C Kane; M Foley, E Fitzgerald, D Donoghue; J Boyle, P Fagan (0-2), D Kirby (0-1); S Donoghue, P Farrell; P Durnin (0-3), N Kirby (1-1), S Clynch (0-1); B Slevin (0-1), M Mullally (0-1), K Fagan. Subs: J Keena for Clynch (ht), E Keogh for Boyle (45), N Hackett for Durnin (55), P Keogh for Slevin (61), P Garvey for K Fagan (65).
Meath bounced back in considerable style by stunning Derry at Banagher on May 16th. Noel Kirby bagged a goal in each half as the Royal County reignited their year with a 2-16 to 0-15 win, ensuring a quarter-final meeting with Wicklow. Derry started well to move into a 0-7 to 0-4 lead after 20 minutes but Kirby hit the net just after the half-hour mark and Peter Durnin added a point to make it 1-7 to 0-9 at the interval. Neil Hackett had an unerring day from frees, notching eight points, and Kirby's second major 15 minutes from the end finished the game as a contest. Late scores from Hackett and Mark Mullally saw the Royals safely across the winning line.
Meath, Christy Ring Cup V Derry: S Quinn; M Foley, E Fitzgerald, D Donoghue; M Horan, P Fagan, D Kirby (0-1); S Donoghue (0-1), S Clynch; P Keogh (0-2), N Kirby (2-0), N Hackett (0-8); P Durnin (0-1), N Horan, M Mullaly (0-2). Subs: K Fagan (0-1) for Clynch (ht), B Slevin for Durnin (57), J Boyle for Donoghue (63).
Meath did everything but win their Ring Cup quarter-final against Wicklow at Newbridge on Saturday May 22nd. Deep into the third of three added minutes, they led by two points and were on course for a sensational victory. Michael Foley pulled off an astonishing block to preserve the Royals' lead but the sliothar fell to Garden County dangerman Jonathan O'Neill and he made no mistake from a tight angle. That goal typified Meath's luckless season. They had been denied a semi-final meeting with Kerry in the cruellest manner. Having finally shown the kind of character associated with champions, their season was over all too abruptly.
Meath started both halves poorly and also had to contend with the 44th-minute dismissal of substitute Peter Durnin. They were four points adrift at that stage, 2-10 to 1-9, and could easily have rolled over. However, they outscored their opponents by nine points to three over the next 26 minutes to carry an unlikely lead into injury time. It was heroic stuff from TJ Reilly's side, who failed to register in the third quarter only for Stephen Clynch to spark them with a 53rd-minute point. Clynch and his Kilmessan colleague Nicky Horan were the main scorers in the revival, before wing back Dave Kirby supplied the leveller from way out the field three minutes from time, 1-16 to 2-13.
Points from Kevin Fagan and Nicky Horan put Meath back in front for the first time since the latter stages of the opening half. It could have been even better but for a crippling wides tally of 15 (against nine for Wicklow). The winners had made a dream start with goals in the first and twelfth minutes to establish a seven-point lead, but Noel Kirby's 23rd-minute goal had the margin down to the minimum. Points from Horan, Durnin and Noel Kirby sent the outsiders two ahead in the 28th minute and the sides were level at the break.
Against all odds, 14-man Meath produced a grandstand effort in the fourth quarter but their commendable effort ended in heartache as Wicklow took the spoils right at the death. At least Meath exited with their heads held high.
Meath, Christy Ring Cup V Wicklow: S Quinn; M Foley, E Fitzgerald, D Donoghue; M Horan, P Fagan, D Kirby (0-1); S Donoghue, S Clynch (0-4); P Keogh, N Horan (0-5), N Hackett (0-3); K Fagan (0-2), N Kirby (1-1), M Mullally (0-1). Subs: P Durnin (0-1) for P Keogh (23), E Keogh for S. Donoghue (46), M Cole for Mullally (53), M Kelly for Hackett (63). Tweet
