Allianz Hurling League Division 2B round four
Tyrone 0-8 Meath 2-17
TWO second-half goals ended any slim hopes that the Tyrone hurlers had of overturning a strong Meath team in this clash in Omagh on Saturday.
The Red Hands trailed by 0-15 to 0-5 at the break, but were hoping to make serious inroads into that deficit with wind advantage on the resumption.
But the Royals, who are now perfectly poised to reach the final, hit them for a brace of goals.
First Eamon O’Donnchadha managed to get the ball just over the line in a goalmouth scramble. That left them 1-15 to 0-6 ahead, before Stephen Morris also fired home from close range.
In reality, though, the basis for the Meath victory was laid during the first half when they made full use of the wind after a good start from the Red Hands.
Points from Lorcan Devlin and a brace of frees courtesy of Dermot Begley boosted the Tyrone confidence. They led by 0-3 to 0-2 after seven minutes and, with Chris Kearns, Conor Grogan and Sean Duffin showing well, looked capable of sustaining that challenge.
But the difference in class between them and Meath soon became apparent. On a wet and blustery day, Meath’s experience told, especially in the second quarter.
The skill and commitment of Damien Healy, James Toher and Pa Ryan gave them a decisive edge. Padraig O’Hanrahan, Sean Quigley, Eamon O Donnchadha, Ryan, Kyle Donnelly and Sean Quigley all hit points to leave them 0-15 to 0-5 ahead at half-time.
Tyrone hoped to cut the deficit with wind advantage on the resumption, but a number of disappointing wides hit their momentum even though they battled hard.
The two Meath goals in the 11th and 32nd minutes extended their advantage.
In contrast, Tyrone just couldn’t find their range despite Sean Duffin and Rory Weir coming close to grabbing a consolation goal.
The best it got for the Red Hands was two great points from Duffin, but they went scoreless in the final 15 minutes, and the only downside for the winners was a red card for Patrick Barnwell.
Scorers
Tyrone D Begley 0-4f; S Duffin 0-3; L Devlin 0-1
Meath E O Donnchadha 1-5; P O’Hanrahan 0-5 (0-3f); S Morris 1-1, S Quigley 0-2, S Ennis, K Donnelly 0-1, P Ryan 0-1
