Round-up: Fulfil Leinster U-20 HC
Fulfil are title sponsor of the Leinster U-20 HC. Photo by David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile
Fulfil Leinster U-20 HC, Phase 1, Round 2
Meath 3-14 Carlow 0-9
Kildare 3-14 Westmeath 1-14
By Paul Keane
On a day when Meath and Kildare struck the exact same tallies, the neighbouring counties secured big wins to both advance to Phase 2 of the Fulfil Leinster U-20 HC.
What that means in practical terms is that Meath and Kildare, who both struck 3-14 in their respective wins, will step up a level and join the cream of the province in Tier 1.
Meath had already defeated Antrim in their opening Phase 1 game, catapulting them through to a Phase 1, Round 2 game against Carlow that they also won this afternoon.
Packy Jordan struck Meath's first goal and when Kyle Ennis followed his lead early in the second half with another major, the hosts led 2-7 to 0-5.
Jordan, Anthony Healy and Mark Leavy also hit Meath points and there was a third goal in the closing minutes from Joey Christy.
Kildare led throughout their tie at Hawkfield's Manguard Park with Charlie Carroll opening the scoring, Mark Kiernan adding a 10th minute goal and Tom Power also on the mark.
The hosts were good value for their 1-10 to 0-4 half-time lead though found themselves under pressure in the third quarter as Westmeath rallied.
Westmeath got the margin down to just three points at the three-quarter mark but Tim Ryan's 47th minute Kildare goal gave them breathing room again.
And Carroll capped a strong game with Kildare's third goal in the 49th minute.
Westmeath grabbed a goal of their own late on when Finn Higgins engineered a free that Kian Loughlin converted from.
The four losing teams from Phase 1 - Antrim, Kerry, Carlow and Westmeath - will participate in the Tier 2 Leinster U-20 competition.
As for Meath and Kildare, they will join Kilkenny, Galway, Wexford, Dublin, Laois and Offaly in Tier 1 which will be split into two groups of four.
