Keaveny outstanding as Kildare retain McGirr Cup

PAUL MCGIRR CUP FINAL 

KILDARE 2-12 MEATH 1-12 

Calum Keaveny scored a magnificent 2-3 as Kildare defeated Meath in Tullamore to lift the McGirr Cup for the second successive year.

Athy’s Keaveny scored his first goal with the first score of the game after three minutes and then his second late in the half to help Kildare into a 2-7 to 0-3 lead at the break.

Kildare had the advantage of a strong wind in the first half but into the face of that, had to defend resolutely early in the second half. Despite severe Meath pressure, Kildare only conceded one point, and then scored two in quick succession through Suncroft’s Hugh Martin.

When man of the match Keaveny scored the last of his brilliant individual haul in the 45th minute, Kildare led 2-10 to 1-4 and seemed to be cruising towards a win.

However, three outstanding two pointers by Charlie Gallagher gave Meath a lifeline and there were just two points between the sides in injury time but again, Kildare defended well when they had to and a point in the fifth minute of injury time by Pauric Carthy sealed the win.

SCORERS – 

Kildare:

C Keaveny 2-3, H Martin 0-5 (1tp), P Carty 0-2, O Deller 0-1, R Thompson 0-1f 

Meath: - C Gallagher 0-7 (2tpf, 1tp, 1f), S Smith 1-1 (1f), S Cahill 0-1, A McEvoy 0-1f, W Byrne 0-1, CJ Lynch 0-1.

KILDARE: Jamie Wall; Dan Sargent, Senan Gallagher, Charles Cullen, Charlie Doran, Niall McAndrew, Mark Travers; Aidan Maddock, Calum Keavney; Ollie Deller, Hugh Martin, Sean Gleeson, Rory Thompson, Nathan Dunne, Pauric Carty. Subs: Cillian Long for Dunne, 56.

MEATH: Charlie Finnegan; Charlie O’Connor, Conall O’Sullivan, Glen Callaghan, Lewis Ryan, Eoghan McBrearty, Niall Lawless; Declan Byrne, Charlie Gallagher; Will Byrne, Cillian Murphy, Sean Delaney, Adam McEvoy, Sean Smith, Stephen Cahill. Subs: CJ Lynch for McEvoy, 37; Luke Casey for Ryan, 40; Jeff Foley for Delaney, 48; Robert Johnson for Byrne, 54; Nathan Reilly for Smith, 59..

REFEREE: Chris Maguire (Clare).