O'Byrne Cup Final

MEATH 4-13 WESTMEATH 1-13

By Conor McKenna at TEG Cusack Park

Meath lifted the O’Byrne Cup title after a comprehensive victory over local rivals Westmeath in what was a one-sided game of football in TEG Cusack Park.

The Royals were the better team throughout and lifted the trophy despite finishing the game with 13 men.

It was tit for tat in the opening stages, with the Royals getting the game’s opening goal, Donal Keoghan burying the net from close range with a great finish to the back of the net.

The excellent Donal Lenihan, who registered 2-8 throughout the game, got another goal shortly after, when he turned Ronan Wallace, before making no mistake with the finish.

Meath were dealt a major blow shortly after, when influential midfielder Paddy Kennelly was sent off, for a second yellow card offence, after an altercation with Kieran Martin.

Callum McCormack gave Westmeath a crucial lifeline, with a goal just before the interval, after his initial effort was saved, with the Maryland clubman making no mistake second time round.

Donal Lenihan responded with two points for Meath, as the Royal County held a 2-7 to 1-7 lead at half time.

Lenihan got his second goal shortly after and Meath really were in cruise control at this stage. But then Meath were dealt a major blow with ten minutes left, when Eamon Wallace was dismissed on a straight red card, after an incident with Westmeath centre back Jamie Gonoud.

Meath substitute Daniel O’Neill put the icing on the cake in injury time, when he palmed to the back of the net, with 13-man Meath full value for their nine point victory.

**Scorers for Meath: **Donal Lenihan 2-8 (2f, 1 “45”), Donal Keoghan and Daniel O’Neill 1-0 each, Cillian O’Sullivan 0-2, Ben Brennan, Paddy Kennelly and Thomas O’Reilly 0-1 each.

**Scorers for Westmeath: **John Connellan 0-6 (5f), Kieran Martin 0-3, Callum McCormack 1-0, Ger Egan and Luke Loughlin 0-2 each.

MEATH: Andrew Colgan; Seamus Lavin, Conor McGill, Shane Glynn; James McEntee, Donal Keogan, Shane McEntee; Bryan Menton, Paddy Kennelly; Bryan McMahon, Ben Brennan, Mickey Burke; Cillian O'Sullivan, Graham Reilly, Donal Lenihan. Subs used: Adam Flanagan for Bryan Menton (20 B/S), Bryan Menton for Adam Flanagan (26, B/S reversal), Joey Wallace for Graham Reilly (47), Eamon Wallace for Ben Brennan (49), Shane Glynn for Conor Dempsey (49), Daniel O’Neill for Mickey Burke (58), Thomas O’Reilly  for Bryan McMahon (58), Adam Flanagan for Bryan Menton (69), Cian O’Brien for Shane McEntee (69), Sean Curran for Seamus Lavin (72).

WESTMEATH: Stephen Gallagher; Ronan Wallace, Sam Duncan, Boidu Sayeh; Conor Slevin, Jamie Gonoud, James Dolan; Alan Stone, Daragh Daly; Kieran Martin, Callum Mc Cormack, John Egan; Luke Loughlin, Finbar Coyne, John Connellan. Subs used: Noel Mulligan for Ronan Wallace (25), Ger Egan for Conor Slevin (HT) Gary McCallon for Boidu Sayeh (44), Ronan O’Toole for Finbar Coyne (45), Gareth Carr for Alan  Stone (47), Anthony McGivney for John Egan (56), Adam Loughlin for Darragh Daly (69) John Rock for Noel Mulligan (69), Nigel Scally for Kieran Martin (72), Joe Moran for Callum McCormack (72).

**Referee: **Fergal Smyth (Offaly).