CHAMPIONSHIP DEBUTANT AARON Lynch led the scoring with 1-3 as Meath got their Tailteann Cup campaign off to a strong start in Navan.
Trim man Lynch joined goalkeeper Sean Brennan and midfielder Conor Gray in making his first championship start for Colm O’Rourke’s new-look Royals who finished strongly to record a double scores, 11-point win.
Leading by three points at the break, Lynch’s 43rd-minute goal propelled Meath into an eight-point lead and they kicked on from there with Jordan Morris registering 0-4 from play overall.
Substitute Thomas O’Reilly and Mathew Costello helped themselves to three points each too as Meath recorded their first win since beating Clare in the National League in early February.
The only downside to the day was the late, late red card picked up by Morris for two yellow cards.
Meath will return to duty on 20 May against Waterford in Round 2 while Tipperary will be back in action the following day against Down.
O’Rourke went with a bold Meath team selection that included, aside from the debutants, three more players – Adam O’Neill, Michael Flood and the excellent Sean Coffey – who only made their first Championship starts in the Leinster loss to Offaly last month.
But there was no indication of any instant chemistry between the new and established Meath players as Tipp opened with the first three points of the game, goalkeeper Michael O’Reilly striding forward to convert two placed balls.
In all, Meath altered a third of their team following the two-point defeat to the Faithful with goalkeeper Brennan, midfielders Ronan Jones and Gray and attackers Jack O’Connor and Lynch coming in.
Tipp were more settled with only midfielder Paudie Feehan and attacker Mikey O’Shea coming into the lineup, replacing Mark Russell and Emmet Moloney.
The hosts settled after the slow start and fought back to level terms at 0-3 apiece in the 18th minute.
The pick of the early Meath scores was a Morris point in the 16th minute off his weaker right foot following a little trickery to find space.
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Meath's Jack O’Connor and Paudie Feehan of Tipperary. Bryan Keane / INPHO
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In a low-scoring encounter, four Meath points in-a-row between the 24th and 35th minutes from Gray, Morris, O’Connor and Lynch proved significant and propelled the Division 2 outfit into a 0-7 to 0-3 half-time lead.
In truth, it was a low-quality, forgettable opening half with Tipp scoring just a point from open play, a score that originated with a terrible kick-pass by Meath’s Jack Flynn to Paudie Feehan.
Tipp’s cautious approach and extra bodies behind the ball made it difficult for Meath to penetrate them but O’Rourke will still have expected more from his stuttering team.
Meath restarted with a couple of points from O’Connor and Morris but it wasn’t until the 43rd minute that the game swung decisively in their favour.
Full-back Ryan did brilliantly to deny Stephen Quirke a goal with a last-ditch block and, moments later, Meath registered a point at the other end through Morris.
They grabbed a goal then when the resulting kick-out went astray and a series of speedy hand-passes found Lynch in the clear.
Suddenly Meath led 1-10 to 0-5 and were in a far more comfortable position.
Anything other than a Meath win never looked to be on the cards after that with O’Reilly delivering three more points after coming on.
In Saturday’s other game in Group 2, Eamon Brown and Odhran Murdock scored a goal in either half as Down ran out comfortable 11-point winners against Waterford in Páirc Esler, 2-14 to 1-6.
And in Group 3, Limerick withstood a late Longford rally to close out a 2-16 to 1-16 win at the Gaelic Grounds.
Meath scorers: Aaron Lynch 1-3 (0-1f, 0-1m), Jordan Morris 0-4, Thomas O’Reilly 0-3, Mathew Costello 0-3 (0-2f), Jack O’Connor 0-2, Conor Gray 0-1, Jack Flynn 0-1 (0-1f), Donal Keogan 0-1, Donal Lenihan 0-1.
Tipperary scorers: Jack Kennedy 0-3 (0-1 45), Michael O’Reilly 0-2 (0-1f, 0-1 45), Steven O’Brien 0-2 (0-1m), Mark Russell 0-2 (0-1f), Liam McGrath 0-1, Colman Kennedy 0-1
Meath
1. Sean Brennan (Dunderry)
2. Adam O’Neill (Wolfe Tones), 3. Ronan Ryan (Summerhill), 4. Michael Flood (St Brigid’s)
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1-3 for Championship debutant as Meath down Tipp in Tailteann Cup bow
Tailteann Cup
CHAMPIONSHIP DEBUTANT AARON Lynch led the scoring with 1-3 as Meath got their Tailteann Cup campaign off to a strong start in Navan.
Trim man Lynch joined goalkeeper Sean Brennan and midfielder Conor Gray in making his first championship start for Colm O’Rourke’s new-look Royals who finished strongly to record a double scores, 11-point win.
Leading by three points at the break, Lynch’s 43rd-minute goal propelled Meath into an eight-point lead and they kicked on from there with Jordan Morris registering 0-4 from play overall.
Substitute Thomas O’Reilly and Mathew Costello helped themselves to three points each too as Meath recorded their first win since beating Clare in the National League in early February.
The only downside to the day was the late, late red card picked up by Morris for two yellow cards.
Meath will return to duty on 20 May against Waterford in Round 2 while Tipperary will be back in action the following day against Down.
O’Rourke went with a bold Meath team selection that included, aside from the debutants, three more players – Adam O’Neill, Michael Flood and the excellent Sean Coffey – who only made their first Championship starts in the Leinster loss to Offaly last month.
But there was no indication of any instant chemistry between the new and established Meath players as Tipp opened with the first three points of the game, goalkeeper Michael O’Reilly striding forward to convert two placed balls.
In all, Meath altered a third of their team following the two-point defeat to the Faithful with goalkeeper Brennan, midfielders Ronan Jones and Gray and attackers Jack O’Connor and Lynch coming in.
Tipp were more settled with only midfielder Paudie Feehan and attacker Mikey O’Shea coming into the lineup, replacing Mark Russell and Emmet Moloney.
The hosts settled after the slow start and fought back to level terms at 0-3 apiece in the 18th minute.
The pick of the early Meath scores was a Morris point in the 16th minute off his weaker right foot following a little trickery to find space.
In a low-scoring encounter, four Meath points in-a-row between the 24th and 35th minutes from Gray, Morris, O’Connor and Lynch proved significant and propelled the Division 2 outfit into a 0-7 to 0-3 half-time lead.
In truth, it was a low-quality, forgettable opening half with Tipp scoring just a point from open play, a score that originated with a terrible kick-pass by Meath’s Jack Flynn to Paudie Feehan.
Tipp’s cautious approach and extra bodies behind the ball made it difficult for Meath to penetrate them but O’Rourke will still have expected more from his stuttering team.
Meath restarted with a couple of points from O’Connor and Morris but it wasn’t until the 43rd minute that the game swung decisively in their favour.
Full-back Ryan did brilliantly to deny Stephen Quirke a goal with a last-ditch block and, moments later, Meath registered a point at the other end through Morris.
They grabbed a goal then when the resulting kick-out went astray and a series of speedy hand-passes found Lynch in the clear.
Suddenly Meath led 1-10 to 0-5 and were in a far more comfortable position.
Anything other than a Meath win never looked to be on the cards after that with O’Reilly delivering three more points after coming on.
In Saturday’s other game in Group 2, Eamon Brown and Odhran Murdock scored a goal in either half as Down ran out comfortable 11-point winners against Waterford in Páirc Esler, 2-14 to 1-6.
And in Group 3, Limerick withstood a late Longford rally to close out a 2-16 to 1-16 win at the Gaelic Grounds.
Meath scorers: Aaron Lynch 1-3 (0-1f, 0-1m), Jordan Morris 0-4, Thomas O’Reilly 0-3, Mathew Costello 0-3 (0-2f), Jack O’Connor 0-2, Conor Gray 0-1, Jack Flynn 0-1 (0-1f), Donal Keogan 0-1, Donal Lenihan 0-1.
Tipperary scorers: Jack Kennedy 0-3 (0-1 45), Michael O’Reilly 0-2 (0-1f, 0-1 45), Steven O’Brien 0-2 (0-1m), Mark Russell 0-2 (0-1f), Liam McGrath 0-1, Colman Kennedy 0-1
Meath
1. Sean Brennan (Dunderry)
2. Adam O’Neill (Wolfe Tones), 3. Ronan Ryan (Summerhill), 4. Michael Flood (St Brigid’s)
5. Donal Keogan (Rathkenny – Captain), 6. Padraic Harnan (Moynalvey), 7. Sean Coffey (Ballinabrackey)
8. Ronan Jones (St Peter’s, Dunboyne), 9. Conor Gray (Dunshaughlin)
10. Cillian O’Sullivan (Moynalvey), 11. Jack Flynn (Ratoath), 12. Jack O’Connor (Curraha)
13. Jordan Morris (Kingscourt Stars, Cavan), 14. Mathew Costello (Dunshaughlin), 15. Aaron Lynch (Trim)
Subs
Tipperary
1. Michael O’Reilly (Clonmel Commercials)
4. Willie Eviston (Loughmore Castleiney), 3. Jimmy Feehan (Killenaule), 2. Shane O’Connell (Golden Kilfeacle)
5. Kevin Fahey (Clonmel Commercials), 6. Colm O’Shaughnessy (Ardfinnan), 7. Keith Ryan (Upperchurch Drombane)
8. Paudie Feehan (Killenaule), 9. Colman Kennedy (Clonmel Commercials)
12. Cathal Deely (Clonmel Commercials), 11. Jack Kennedy (Clonmel Commercials), 10. Teddy Doyle (Ballina)
15. Steven O’Brien (Ballina – Captain), 14. Stephen Quirke (Moyle Rovers), 13. Mikey O’Shea (CJ Kickhams Mullinahone)
Subs
Referee: Brendan Griffin (Kerry).
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Meath Royals Strong start