Joe McDonagh Cup

Carlow 4-30 Meath 0-17

By Kieran Murphy at Páirc Tailteann

Carlow were emphatic winners of this first round Joe McDonagh Cup game in Navan. The result was never in doubt as, from the whistle, the away side stamped their authority on the game.

The eventual easy winners got off to a lightning start with Marty Kavanagh (free), Kevin McDonald and Sean Murphy all firing over points in the opening three minutes.

Kavanagh isn’t just a scorer and his work rate and ability to battle set up another point for McDonald. Fiachra Fitzpatrick provided the scoring pass for the first Carlow goal. The corner forward still had it all to do but he made ground and beat Charlie Ennis with a well-placed shot into the top corner of the net.

Conor Kehoe scored the second Carlow goal from close range and at different stages of the half they led by 12 points. Meath went for goal from a 20 metre free but Jack Regan’s tame effort was easily saved by a sharp looking away defence. In the meantime, Carlow prospered with Sean Murphy proving hard to stop and the dual intercounty footballer accumulated three points from play in the half.

Coming up to half-time Meath hit a purple patch and Nicholas Potterton, Regan and Eamon O Donnchadha all raised white flags as Carlow led 2-15 to 0-7 ahead at the interval. 

Any notion of a fightback died in the opening minutes of the second half when Sean Murphy and Richard Coady added points to the Carlow total. Meath also lost Shane Whitty who was carried off on a stretcher.

Before Kevin Keena saw red for an off-the-ball incident spotted by an umpire, Sean Murphy and Kavanagh scored a goal each.

Scorers for Carlow: Marty Kavanagh 1-9 (5 fs 65), Sean Murphy 1-4, Chris Nolan 1-2, Kevin McDonald 0-5 (1f), Conor Kehoe 1-1, Diarmuid Byrne 0-3, Fiachra Fitzpatrick 0-3, Richard Coady 0-1, Jack McCullagh 0-1, Jack Kavanagh 0-1.

Scorers for Meath: Jack Regan 0-7 (65 4fs), James Kelly, Patrick Potterton, Nicholas Potterton, Damien Healy (65), Mickey Cole, Kevin Keena, Padraig O Hanrahan (f), Eamonn O Donnchadha, Justin Coyne, David Reilly 0-1 each.

CARLOW: Brian Tracey; Paul Doyle, Conor Lawlor; Michael Doyle, Jack McCullagh, Diarmuid Byrne, Fiachra Fitzpatrick; Jack Kavanagh, Richard Coady; Sean Murphy, Jon Nolan, Kevin McDonald; Conor Kehoe, Marty Kavanagh, Chris Nolan.

Subs: Fiac O’Toole for Kehoe (63), Tony Lawlor for McCullagh (64), John Michael Nolan for M. Kavanagh (65), Niall Bolger for M. Doyle (74)

MEATH: Charlie Ennis; Brendan McKeown, Shane Brennan, Sean Geraghty; James Kelly, Shane Whitty, Stephen Morris; Nicholas Potterton, Patrick Potterton; Michael Burke, Jack Regan, David Reilly; Adam Gannon, Damien Healy, Mickey Cole.

Subs: Jack Walsh for O’Sullivan (30), Eamon O Donnchadha for Gannon (35), Justin Coyne for P. Potterton (h/t), Michael Burke for Whitty (36), Kevin Keena for Reilly (52), Padraig O Hanrahan for Regan (59)

Referee: Colm Cunning (Antrim).