O'Byrne Cup: Meath win but don't graduate
January 13, 2013
Meath's Cormac Rowe with UCD's David Larkin during the O'Byrne Cup clash at Pairc Tailteann.TO VIEW A SELECTION OF PHOTOGRAPHS FOR THIS GAME CLICK HERE
Meath ........ 1-13
UCD ........... 0-15
Five points from three round-robin fixtures weren't enough to see Meath progress from Group A as Louth took top spot on points difference.
As in Thursday night's drawn match with Louth, Meath can draw satisfaction from how the outcome was achieved having finished with a stronger team than the one that started proceedings. Replacements contributed 1-3 to the hosts' second-half tally of 1-6.
The result hinged on substitute Damien Carroll's 41st minute goal at the town end with another replacement Brian Meade providing the assist.
That left Meath in arrears by the minimum, 1-7 to 0-11. Two minutes later the scores were tied for only the second time when Brian Farrell landed a free.
Meath were let down by a tally of 14 wides while a couple of deliveries landed in the safe grasp of UCD 'keeper Eoghan Keogh. The Dublin college side had just five wides overall with the sole second-half off target effort.
Laois' Donal Kingston led the scoring charge for the students and his penultimate point left UCD ahead by 0-14 to 1-10 with 64 minutes gone. Moments earlier Farrell collected a pin-point Andrew Tormey pass but his goal attempt blazed wide.
Three points on the spin from sub Graham Reilly, Meade and Farrell (free) cushioned Meath against a late student charge that only yielded Kingston's sixth score as the fog descended on a dry afternoon.
Despite a promising start, Meath fell behind by four points on three occasions in the opening period and once in the third quarter.
Louth's 11-point win over Longford at Drogheda meant Meath's involvement in the curtain raiser for the inter-county season was over.
Meath started with seven changes from the side that lined out against Louth three days earlier. They started with inferior scoring difference and a lower tally than the Wee County.
UCD came into the game on the back of losses to Louth and Longford. In contrast Meath forged a draw with neighbours Louth having erased a six-point interval deficit.
Three Meath men on the UCD team: Ciaran McConnell (Bective) and Ciaran Lenehan (Skryne) in defence with David Larkin (Summerhill) at left-half-forward. Conor Downey (Na Fianna) came on as a half-time sub for the college outfit .
Downey got off the mark within five minutes of his arrival to leave his side 0-11 to 0-7 ahead. Larkin's 49th minute score restored UCD's lead at 0-12 to 1-8.
Meath were quick off the mark with points from lively wing-back Stephen Crosby and Brian Farrell (free). The students then reeled off five scores on the spin.
The final two scores in that sequence came courtesy of Laois' Donal Kingston (frees) to leave UCD 0-5 to 0-2 ahead with 15 minutes gone.
UCD remained in front for the remainder of the half with the impressive Craig Dias placing Kevin Dyas for the students' next score.
The Belfield outfit moved four points clear on two further occasions. Meath hit seven wides during the opening 35 minutes while UCD registered four. Simonstown's Sean Tobin was unlucky to see him long range free go wide off the right hand upright.
Meath closed out the half with Daragh McNamara's second effort from play before Brian Farrell doubled his account with an excellent score from out on the right. That left Mick O'Dowd's men trailing by 0-7 to 0-9 at the break
Scorers : Meath - B Farrell 0-5 (3fs); D Carroll 1-0; D McNamara 0-2, B Meade 0-2 each; S Crosby 0-1, S Tobin 0-1, M Collins 0-1,G Reilly 0-1,
UCD - D Kingston 0-6 (3fs), P Cahilane (2fs), K Dyas 0-2 each, K McLoughlin 0-1, N Kilroy 0-1, C Downey 0-1, K McLoughlin 0-1, D Larkin 0-1.
Meath - D Lyons; C Young, C King, S Curran; C Rowe, E Harrington, S Crosby; C Gillespie, C Sheridan; S Tobin, M Collins, D McNamara; D Bray, B Farrell, A Tormey. Subs - J Queeney for McNamara (ht), D Carroll for Bray, B Meade for Sheridan (both 44), D Hagan for King (55), G Reilly for Tobin (63)
UCD - E Keogh (Laois); M Furlong (Wexford), L Keaney, C McConnell (Meath); C Lenehan (Meath), D Drake (Mayo), C Dias (Dublin); J. Heslin (Westmeath), R O'Carroll (Dublin); K. McLoughlin (Mayo), K Dyas (Armagh), D Larkin (Meath); P Cahilane (Laois), N Kilroy (Roscommon), D Kingston (Laois). Subs - J Hayes (Cavan) for Furlong, C Downey (Meath) for Kilroy (both ht), A English (Louth) for McConnell (44), C Boyle (Westmeath) for Cahilane (53), M Boylan (Dublin) for Heslin (55).
Referee - D Fahy (Longford) Tweet
