HL2B: Meath have that bit extra
February 19, 2017
Derry's Paddy Turner and Sean McCullagh with Neil Heffernan Meath during the NHL Division 2B game at Pairc Tailteann.
Meath made the most of numerical advantage when overcoming Derry in this NHL Division 2B fixture at Pairc Tailteann on Sunday.
Meath ....... 2-19
Derry ....... 0-16
Meath led for most of the way and were only briefly in arrears en route to posting their second win of the campaign.
Four dismissals in the second-half (three Derry) afforded Meath the space to post the match-clinching scores.
Meath's Keith Keoghan and Derry's John O'Dwyer were dismissed in the 59th minute when the scores were tied 1-13 to 0-16.
Two more players departed in the time remaining during which outscored Derry by 1-6 to 0-0 when playing with the breeze blowing towards the town goal.
Kevin Hinphey and Eugene McGuckin departed early. Sub Peter Farrell netted Meath's second goal within six minutes of his arrival.
Derry posted four points on the bounce within nine minutes of resumption to lead by 0-12 to 0-11. Adam Gannon quickly levelled for Meath before Derry's Alan Grant regained the lead for the visitors.
Adam Gannon responded with Meath's opening goal. Though Derry regained parity they never led again.
Backed by the breeze on a dry, somewhat damp, overcast afternoon Meath hit the front on 61 seconds courtesy of Clynch free from midfield.
The first of James Kelly's two first-half points doubled Meath's lead. Ruairi Convery got Derry off the mark with assistance from Ciaran Steele.
Meath remained in front until Derry levelled matters for the first time through Gavin McCormack 14 minutes in.
Scores were tied three times in all during the first-half, but Derry never led during the opening 35 minutes.
In the 24th minute a penalty was awarded to Meath for a foul on Niall Heffernan. Clynch's low shot, not struck with great venom, was turned over his own bar by Derry 'keeper Daryl McDermott.
It left Meath ahead by 0-7 to 0-6, a lead they took to the interval. Points from Quigley, Clynch and an outstanding Kelly score left it 0-10 to 0-6 after 28 minutes.
That sequence was broken by a fine save from Shane McGann to deny Derry captain Oisin McCloskey a goal. The Kiltale netminder kept out a Gavin McCormack goal attempt in first-half stoppage time.
Daragh Cartin closed the first-half scoring for the visitors who trailed by 0-8 to 0-11 at the break.
Meath - Shane McGann; Sean Geraghty, Shane Whitty, Cormac Reilly; Shane Brennan, Damian Healy (C), Keith Keoghan; Anthony Forde (0-2), James Toher (0-1); Sean Quigley (0-3), Cathal McCabe (0-1), James Kelly (0-3); Steven Clynch (0-5, 2fs, 1 pen), Adam Gannon (1-1), Neil Heffernan (0-1). Subs - Kevin Keena (0-1) for McCabe (ht), Gary Kelly (0-1) for Brennan (ht), Peter Farrell (1-0) for Heffernan (61), David Reilly for C Reilly (61), Padraig Kelly for Healy (69).
Derry - Daryl McDermott; Paddy Turner, Sean McCullagh, Daragh McCloskey; Ciaran Steele, Kevin Hinphey, Liam Og Hinphey; Daragh Cartin (0-2), Oisin McCloskey (C) (0-1); John O'Dwyer (0-1), Gavin McCormack (0-2), Alan Grant (0-2); Aaron Kelly (0-3), Ruairi Convery (0-5, 4fs), Eugene McGuckin. Subs - Tiernan McCloskey for Hinphey (49), Shane Farren for Cartin (63), Cartin for McCormack (68).
Referee - Alfie Devine (Westmeath)
