Meath 2-10 Mayo 1-11

MEATH LEFT IT late to beat Mayo in their Minor Football Championship semi-final clash at Croke Park on Sunday. Very late.

Substitute Paddy Kennelly pounced in injury time to put the Royals ahead for the first time in the game.

It was, in truth, a game the men in yellow deserved to win but for a long time it looked as if their wasteful shooting would allow Mayo claim an All-Ireland Final berth.

The Yew County raced into a four point lead thanks to points from Eoghan Lavin, Sean Regan, Stephen Coen and Shane Hennelly.

Indeed, it took Meath until the 17th minute to score their first point thanks to a Fiachra Ward free kick.

WASTED

Before that, the Royals had wasted no fewer than four goal scoring opportunities, something they were to do throughout this encounter.

Mayo’s response to Meath’s first point was clinical with Diarmuid O’Connor netting a goal before Patrick Durcan followed up with a point to stretch their lead to seven.

By half-time, Meath had reduced the deficit to four points thanks to three unanswered points by Jason Daly, Pauric Haran and James McEntee.

Mayo began the second half with a trio of unanswered points of their own to lead 1-10 to 0-6 but they were to be the side’s last scores for 28 minutes.

Slowly, but surely, Meath started to kick their points and Fiachra Ward’s place kicking began to eat into Mayo’s lead.

The game’s pivotal moment game with less than five minutes to go when Adam Gallagher was penalised for an alleged foot block. It looked harsh at the time and replays show the referee may have been too quick to blow his whistle.

However, Fiachra Ward didn’t let that bother him as he coolly slotted the spot kick past Mayo goalkeeper Conor O’Malley to bring the sides level at 1-10.

With time running out, Meath then took the lead for the first time in the game, Paddy Kennelly slotting home to send the handful of Meath fans at the game into raptures.

Stephen Coen finally ended Mayo’s drought with a point three minutes into injury time however, by that stage, it was far too little, far too late and Meath had booked a place in the All-Ireland Minor Football Championship final where either Kerry or Dublin await.

Meath scorers: Fiachra Ward (1-3), Patrick Kennelly (1-0), Jason Daly (0-2), Pauric Harnan (0-1), James McEntee (0-1), Cillian O’Sullivan (0-2) Ruairi O Coileain (0-1)

Mayo scorers: Diarmuid O’Connor (1-0), Adam Gallagher (0-3), Stephen Coen (0-2), Eoghan Lavin (0-2), Sean Regan (0-1), Shane Hennelly (0-1), Patrick Durcan (0-1), James Quinn (0-1)

MEATH: Robert Burlingham (Simonstown Gaels); Declan Smyth (Dunsany), Brian Power (Ratoath), Shane Gallagher (Simonstown Gaels); Conor Carton (Donaghmore/Ashbourne), Shane McEntee (St Peter’s Dunboyne/Kilbride), Seamus Lavin (St Peter’s Dunboyne/Kilbride); Pauric Harnan (Jenkinstown Gaels), Adam Flanagan (Clonard); Cillian O’Sullivan (Jenkinstown Gaels), Jason Daly (St Peter’s Dunboyne/Kilbride), James McEntee (St Vincent’s/Curraha); Barry Dardis (Summerhill), Stephen Coogan (Dunderry), Fiachra Ward (Wolfe Tones).

MAYO: Conor O’Malley (Westport); Joe Geraghty (Ballintubber), Sean Moran (Kiltimagh), Michael Plunkett (Ballintubber); Patrick Durcan (Castlebar Mitchels), Cian Burke (Ardnaree Sarsfields), Kevin Lynch (Mayo Gaels); Brian Mullen (Westport), Adam Gallagher (Mayo Gaels); Eoghan Lavin (Kiltimagh), Stephen Coen (Hollymount/Carramore), Diarmuid O’Connor (Ballintubber); James Quinn (Ballinrobe), Sean Regan (Ballina Stephenites), Shane Hennelly (Shrule/Glencorrib).

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