Disastrous Leinster campaign for Meath minors ends in defeat by Wexford

Why? One might ask. Because they came under pressure from the county management team, obviously to ‘save themselves’ for this Leinster MFC preliminary quarter-final at Ashbourne on Wednesday evening.

While there are conflicting versions of what happened or what was agreed with the players, parents and the school, the bottom line is that Cathal Barron, Conal Diggins and Ciarán Sheridan were taken off at half-time with Boyne CS, Trim, leading St Paul’s, Raheny, by 2-10 to 1-2.

The players watched the second half from the sideline and without their star men, Boyne lost the match by a point, 4-8 to 2-13.

Was that fair on the players, their teammates or the school who, on a very rare occasion, reached a provincial decider? Is minor and schools level not all about development?

Maybe it’s time that county committees made it clear to county management teams that they don’t own the players. And maybe it is also time that club delegates attending monthly meetings woke up and started to question appointments instead of the usual wink and a nod when managers and selectors come up for ratification.

It might also be a good idea to spend more time picking the people who pick the management teams.

In my match report on Meath’s opening round of the MFC when they lost to Kildare, 1-18 to 1-6, I remarked that the county still had plenty of time to turn their fortunes around but the initial signs weren’t promising. And how true it turned out to be as Meath hopes were shattered by a goal in the final seconds by Wexford midfielder Tom Funge.

It was baffling that Meath, with a burgeoning population and such a rich tradition, couldn’t manage to defeat a county where hurling takes precedence. It is not that the foundations are not in place with development squads, strength and conditioning, and nutrition, etc.

With all due respect to Wexford, who were deserving of their win despite having to rely on that late goal, they were unable to beat Wicklow in the group stages and their only win was against Carlow. They could hardly be described as ‘fancied for outright honours’.

In a nutshell, it has been a disastrous campaign from a Meath perspective, losing to Kildare, Louth and Wexford. And to paint a bleaker picture, this is the third year in a row that Meath has performed poorly at minor level.

Four of the starting team in that opening round against Kildare didn’t even manage inclusion in the 24 on Wednesday evening.

HAT-TRICK HERO

Midfielder Funge also scored his side’s two opening goals, running from almost the halfway line on both occasions before planting the ball in the net.

That brace of goals propelled the visitors to a 2-2 to 0-4 interval lead. Wexford, who were the slicker and sharper of the two teams in that opening half, increased their advantage on the restart before Pat Crawley and substitute Senan Duffy had points for Meath to leave them well in contention.

Three successive points for the visitors stretched the lead out to six and that left Meath with an uphill task. To their credit, they responded to the challenge in fine style and a rejuvenated Meath wiped out that six-point deficit in the final quarter.

Wexford had led by 2-7 to 0-10 by the 55th minute but Crawley, Cormac Nugent (free) and Adam Ducie all landed scores before a point by substitute Patrick Yourell in the first minute of added time put Meath in front.

The young Royals had outscored their opponents eight points to one in that dominant spell and it looked to be enough to see them through until the game took one final twist.

When Funge cut in from the left wing, it looked as if he would settle for an equalising point and extra-time but, instead, he blasted to the net to give his side a sensational win.

MEATH: Cian Murphy (St Patrick’s); Seán McQuillan (St Colmcille’s), Cillian Yore (St Ultan’s), Thomas Sheridan (Oldcastle); Cian Tobin (Dunboyne), Oran Meade (Simonstown), Cormac Smith (Clann na nGael) 0-2 (1f); Cathal Barron (Dunderry), Eoin McCrudden (Dunboyne); Conal Diggins (Ballivor), Evan Kelly (Donaghmore/Ashbourne) 0-2, Cormac Nugent (O’Mahony’s) 0-5 (3f); Ciarán Sheridan (Dunderry), Jack Doyle (Dunboyne), Pat Crawley (Oldcastle) 0-2. Subs: Senan Duffy (Slane) 0-1 for C Sheridan (HT), Charles McCarthy (Seneschalstown) for Diggins (43), Harry Healy (Dunboyne) for Smith (45), Patrick Yourell (O’Mahony’s) 0-1 for Doyle (48), Adam Ducie (Ratoath) 0-1 for Meade (50).

WEXFORD: John Gallagher; Kian Steadmond, Liam Kenny, Seán Fitzharris; Rory Cooper, Eoin Hughes, Fionn Kavanagh; Tom Funge 3-0, James Rothwell; Darragh Forde, Odhrán Morris 0-5 (3f), Jamie Hughes 0-1; Ian Noctor, Darren Rossiter, Abram O’Neill 0-1. Subs: Andy Kelly for O’Neill (48), Alex Carton for Hughes (55), Max Beary for Rothwell (55).

REFEREE: Niall Ward (Westmeath).