Meath 0-12 Longford 0-4

Meath overcame the challenge of Longford in this opening round of the Leinster Under 20 Football Championship played in atrocious conditions at Clonguish.

The visitors, playing with the wind and rain on their backs, made a bright start with the opening two points from Oisin Keogh and Eoghan Frayne. Longford hit back with a fine effort from full forward Jamie Brady Hynes. By the end of the opening quarter Meath increased the lead to three thanks to a brace of pointed frees from captain Frayne.

The Royals began to settle and dominate and added scores through Sean Emmanuel, Frayne, Keogh and Ciaran Caulfield to extend to their lead to 0-8 to 0-1. For the remaining seven minutes the home side took over and were rewarded with a Matthew Flynn point and go in at the break six behind but with the favour of the elements to come in the second half.

After a scoreless first five minutes in the second half Brady Hynes got Longford’s third point from a free. Meath were defending well and hit back with scores from Liam Stafford and Oisin Keogh.

Those scores against the wind broke the Longford spirit. Frayne added a brace as the game entered the final quarter. The scores dried up after that with both defences on top but Meath had the hard work done and collected both points on offer.

Up next for John McCarthy's is a home game next Tuesday in Ashbourne against Carlow. The winners of the group that also includes Laois go in to the semi final, the runners up go a quarter final.

Meath scorers: Eoghan Frayne 0-6, Oisin Keogh 0-3, Liam Stafford Sean Emmanuel and Ciaran Caulfield 0-1 each

Longford scorers: Jamie Brady Hynes 0-3, Matthew Flynn 0-1

Meath: Billy Hogan (Longwood), Brian O’Halloran (Ballivor), Liam Kelly (Ratoath), John Finnerty (Skryne), Brian O’Reilly (St. Michael’s), John O’Regan (Skryne), Shaun Leonard (St. Colmcille’s), Jack Kinlough (St. Peter’s Dunboyne), Conor Gray (Dunshaughlin), Ciaran Caulfield (Trim), Eoghan Frayne (Summerhill, Captain), Liam Stafford (St. Colmcille's), Sean Emmanuel (St. Patrick’s), Oisín Keogh (Skryne), Ruairí Kinsella (Dunshaughlin)

Subs: Tom Bowden (Duleek-Bellewstown), John McDonagh (Dunshaughlin), Ben Moran (Summerhill), Charlie O’Connor (Dunshaughlin), 

Longford: Oisin McManus, Darragh Finlass, Sean Morgan, Cian Sutton, Ronan Courtney, Dylan Lynch, Diarmuid Farrell, Ben Lynn, Matt Duffy, Matthew Flynn, Michael Hynes, Gavin Farrelly, Jason Glancy, Jamie Brady Hynes, Caolan Lynch.

 

 

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