Kildare minor footballers get past Meath to top group table

Electric Ireland Leinster Minor Football Championship 2022

Kildare 2-12

Meath 1-10

Kildare maintained their 100% winning record in this year’s Leinster Minor Football Championship with a win over Meath in Newbridge. Kildare had already secured their place at the top of group two and a place in the semi-finals. 

But with 12 changes to the starting 15 accompanying a good performance manager Niall Cronin and his selectors still have plenty of positive selection headaches going into that semi-final. Meath already knew their fate going into this one but put a brilliant late surge to bring a game that the home side had largely controlled within two points but a late goal from Kildare substitute Ross Harris put the shine back on the final scoreline. 

Kildare, DJ Percival 1-2, Joe Hanamy 0-3, Ross Harris 1-0, Eoin Cully 0-2, Jack Ryan 0-2, Joey Cunningham 0-1, Daniel Hamill 0-1, TJ Nolan 0-1.

Meath, Oisín Brennan 0-3, Zach Thornton 1-0, Neil McGinley 0-2, Declan Reilly 0-1, Jamie Murphy 0-1, Darragh Kelly 0-1, Max McKenna 0-1, Cian Commons 0-1.

Kildare: Jack Egan; Niall Cramer, Eoin Lawlor, Daniel Hamill; Calum Doran, James Harris, Jamie McGuirk; TJ Nolan, Conor Kelly; Daire Gilmartin, Joey Cunningham, Michael Stokes; DJ Percival, Joe Hanamy, Eoin Cully.

Subs: Jack Ryan on for Daire Gilmartin (Half time), Ross Harris on for Eoin Cully (Half time), Jay O'Brien on for Michael Stokes (Half time), Evan Gilmartin on for Joey Cunningham (37 minutes), Patrick O'Donoghue on for Joe Hanamy (43 minutes).

Meath: Jake Balf; Eoin Kelly, Eoghan Dysdale, Fiach Hartigan; Oisin Brennan, Cathal Melody, Darragh Smith; Tadhg Martyn, Max McKenna; Conor Murphy, Charlie Bacon, Declan Reilly; Jamie Murphy, Neil McGinley, Michael O’Sullivan.

Subs: Cian Commons on for Jamie Murphy (37 minutes), Cian Crawford on for Michael O'Sullivan (43 minutes), Darragh Kelly on for Conor Murphy (43 minutes), Danny Waters on for Zach Thornton (47 minutes), Eoghan Ryan on for Declan Reilly (50 minutes).

Referee: Gary Hurley