Irish U19 sprint champion to make Meath senior debut

2012 IRISH U19 sprint champion Eamon Wallace will make his senior championship debut for the Meath footballers against Wicklow on Saturday night.

The Royals travel to Aughrim to face the home side in their Leinster senior quarter-final clash and Wallace has been selected by manager Mick O’Dowd to start at right corner-forward.

Ratoath club man Wallace will be hoping to utilise his speed to wreak havoc on the Wicklow rearguard after last year winning gold medals for the 100m and 200m distances at the U19 grade in the All-Ireland track and field championship.

Fellow attacker Michael Newman also gets his senior championship debut at left corner-forward.

There are four changes from the Meath side that lost to Monaghan in the Allianz Division 3 football league final in Croke Park in April.

Donal Keoghan comes into the side at right corner-back while Caoimhín King starts at centre-back, Mickey Burke will play at left half-back and Damien Carroll is drafted in at centre-forward.

The four players to make way are Eoghan Harrington, Caolan Young, Davy Dalton and Paddy Gilsenan.

MEATH: Paddy O’Rourke (Skryne); Donal Keoghan (Rathkenny), Kevin Reilly (Navan O’Mahony’s), Bryan Menton (Donaghmore-Ashbourne); Ciaran Lenehan (Skryne), Caoimhín King (Dunshaughlin), Mickey Burke (Longwood); Brian Meade (Rathkenny), Conor Gillespie (Summerhill); Peadar Byrne (Ballinlough), Damien Carroll (Ballinabrackey), Graham Reilly (St Colmcille’s); Eamon Wallace (Ratoath), Stephen Bray (Navan O’Mahony’s), Michael Newman (Kilmainham).

Skills

Meath were defeated in that league final in April by Monaghan by 2-16 to 3-8 but Wallace and Newman did combine for a brilliant first-half goal with Newman finishing to the net after Wallace’s sublime through ball.

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