Five late unanswered points gave Meath victory over Donegal in this hard fought Division 2B Final which was always close until that late burst of scores from the royals.
Meath . . . 0-20
Donegal . . . 0-14
Páirc Sean Mac Diarmada in Carrick on Shannon was the venue for this Division 2B Hurling League decider.
Meath had been the form team in the league winning all five of their games to top the group. Donegal won their opening two games against Sligo and London but lost their next two to Meath and Wicklow, the latter a heavy defeat at home.
However, they bounced back with one point victories over Tyrone and then Wicklow in the semi-final to set up this first appearance in a Division 2B final. Meath got off to a flying start with three points in the first three minutes, two from Eamonn Og O Donnchadha and one from Martin Healy.
Donegal responded well with points from Ruairi Campbell and Liam McKinney’s free, but Jack Regan and Padraig O’Hanrahan added two more for Meath to put them 0-05 to 0-02 in front after eleven minutes.
The Donegal team pictured before Sunday’s Division 2B league final
Richie Ryan and Liam McKinney scored points to bring Donegal right back into it again.
We then had a period of the team’s exchanging scores – Jack Regan converted five for Meath, all from frees, while Jack O’Loughlin, Ciaran Bradley and two more from Liam McKinney kept Donegal very much in touch to leave just two in it at half-time, Meath ahead by 0-10 to 0-08.
Liam McKinney ‘s fifth point and a Padraig Doherty score left the teams level at 0-10 points apiece within two minutes of the start of the second-half and Donegal looking the better team around the pitch .
Oisín Marley had been introduced late in the first-half and the experienced Declan Coulter and Stephen Gillespie were sent on early in the second-half. Coulter made an early impression with an excellent point from play to give Donegal the lead for the very first time in the game at 0-11 to 0-10.
The lead was short-lived as that man Jack Regan sent over four points in a row to put Meath into a three points lead, 0-14 to 0-11.
Liam McKinney then had a great goal chance when he raced through but was denied by a super save by Charlie Ennis.
McKinney then converted two frees to leave just one in it again, and then Eamonn Og O Donnchadha and Liam McKinney exchanged points to again leave just that one point in it with seven minutes left.
Meath made a couple changes and finished strongly with five points in a row- Jack Regan scored his 11th point of the game, Sean Geraghty and Stephen Morris and sub Daire Shine added two more to round off a good finish by Meath and a place in Division 2A next year.
For Donegal this game brings an end to a good league campaign and sets them up for their Nicky Rackard Championship campaign which begins in two weeks against Roscommon in 0’Donnell Park.
MEATH: Charlie Ennis; Ger Dwane, Damien Healy, Brendan McKeon; Niall McLarnon, James Toher, Simon Ennis; Sean Geraghty (0-01), Martin Healy (0-01); Simon Morris (0-01), Jack Regan ( 0-11, 9f), Micky Cole; Sean Quigley, Eamon Og O Donnchadha (0-03), Padraig O Hanrahan (0-01).
Subs used: James Kelly, Paddy Barnwell, Daire Shine (0-02), Shane Brennan, Sean Coloe.
DONEGAL: Luke White; Ciaran Bradley (0-01), Michael Donaghue, Padraig Doherty (0-01); Ryan Hilferty, Christopher McDermott, Stephen McBride; Jack O’Loughlin (0-01), Brian McIntyre; Sean Ward, Ronan McDermott, Liam McKinney (0-08 /7f); Ruairi Campbell ( 0-01), Ritchie Ryan (0-01), Daire O Maoileidigh.
Subs used: Oisín Marley, Declan Coulter ( 0-01), Stephen Gillespie, Danny Cullen, Conor O Grady.
REFEREE: Colm McDonald (Antrim).
