Bleak day for Meath football as Ratoath exit

A bleak day for Ratoath and Meath football at the Gaelic Grounds in Limerick today where St Mary's, Cahirciveen won this All-Ireland Club IFC semi-final by a distance, to use a racing term, 2-20 to 1-5 in front of a crowd of 1,274.

Ratoath's Bryan McMahon had his team on the scoreboard after only 14 seconds, but that was the only high point of the opening half for the Meath and Leinster champions who received a footballing lesson from the Munster men.

Thirty minutes later and the evidence was clear (2-10 to 0-4) – there is a huge gulf in class between Meath and Kerry football, notwithstanding the fact that Ratoath are the IFC flagbearers as they will have serious intentions of winning the Keegan Cup in 2016.

Bobby O'Brien departed on a second yellow card three minutes into the second-half but Bryan McMahon managed a point in the second-half and Joey Wallace got a late goal.

Ratoath – Shane Duffy; Conor McGill, Gavin McGowan, Paul Flaherty; Brian O'Connor, Brian Power, Emmet Boyle; Cian O'Brian, Keith McCabe; Gareth Rooney, Bobby O'Brien, Bryan McMahon (0-4); Conor Rooney, Eamon Wallace (0-1), Joey Wallace (1-0) Subs – Darragh McGill for Flaherty 14 mins, Darragh Kelly for G Rooney 27m, Frank Coyne for C Rooney 39m, Mark Daly McCabe 50m, Jack McGowan for O'Connnor 54m.

Black card – B Power (replaced by Brian Daly 47m)