Finnegan seals late North Meath win
North Meath left it very, very late to claim an all important win in this Leinster League Div 2B clash on Sunday.
Facing league leaders Roscrea, a last-minute penalty saw the home team secure the victory by a single point with Louis Finnegan directing the ball between the posts for the match-clinching points.
Both sides began the game in determined mood with plenty of carries from the respective packs. The blustery conditions also made life very difficult for the full-backs and wingers fielding the numerous kicks sent towards the sky.
It was the home team that eventually broke the deadlock halfway through the first half. After some good play from the forwards, the ball was spun out to the back line and back rower Peter Flanagan found himself with a three on one. One extravagant dummy later, he was over the line for the first score of the game.
The scoreline remained 5-0 at half-time thanks to some dogged defence from North Meath which included holding up two of Roscrea's try attempts. The second-half, however, did not remain scoreless for long. A misplaced kick fell to Paddy Farnan 15 metres out. He managed to beat three defenders on his way to the try line, making it 10-0.
The next 20 minutes belonged to Roscrea who had plenty of possession but were unable to break down the stubborn North Meath defence. The resistance was finally ended when Roscrea crossed over for a try midway through the half after a period of prolonged pressure.
As entertaining as the opening 75 minutes had been, they were nothing compared to the final five. Roscrea's speculative punt downfield put them deep into North Meath territory. The home team were unable to clear their lines and a kick was charged down and eventually touched down by Roscrea in front of the posts. The conversion was slotted to put the visitors two points ahead with two minutes to go.
The restart was gathered by Roscrea but a few phases later, the referee awarded a penalty to North Meath about 35 yards out. It was no easy kick and made all the more difficult by the swirling crosswind but with ice in his veins, Finnegan converted the penalty to make it 13-12 to the home team.
There was still time for another play and the home supporters' nerves were tested when the referee penalised North Meath for crossing. Fortunately for North Meath, the kick to the corner led to a knock-on at the lineout and the final whistle.
The result leaves North Meath in the middle of a highly competitive league at the half-way point. After losing out in a number of close encounters this season, including the away fixture to Roscrea, coach Simon Deevy was delighted with the win. It also capped an outstanding weekend for the club with the second team winning away to Athy and some key victories for the youth teams.
North Meath - Ben Wiseman, Louis Finnegan, Cian Doogan, Senan McDermott, Sean O'Reilly, Joe Carry, Nathan Kiernan, Jack Yore, Adam Deighan, Padraic McGurl, Peter Flanagan, Sammy Bashford, Daniel Adekunle, Henry Armstrong, Paddy Farnan. Subs - Simon Deevy, Andrew Dowds, Cian Murphy, Jordan Herring, Tommy Brady, Graham Boland, Eoghan Cosgrave.