Meath Hill take the scenic route on the hard road to victory

Goalkeeper Yorke fires home late penalty to seal a precious piece of silverware

Meath Hill...2-8

Oldcastle ...0-10

After extra-time

Before this Corn na Boinne final got underway at Oldcastle this evening one spectator predicted it would be close.

After all this was a north Meath derby with a trophy up for grabs. There were going to be no prisoners taken.

The spectator was certainly right when it came to the closeness of the contest.

Over 80 minutes of hard, uncompromising, relentless football there was seldom more than two points between the teams.

That is except for a brief spell in the opening half - and in the dying embers of the game when Meath Hill goalkeeper Dominic Yorke fired the ball to the net from a penalty kick to ensure his team would be going home with the trophy.

The concession of that penalty showed how it all unravalled for the battling Oldcastle side in those closing when they had a player, James Cooke, sent off just before the break in extra-time after he picked up a second yellow.

From start to finish this was an engaging contest in which both sides served up the kind of football that ensured spectators in the big crowd were enticed to stay until the end - just in case they missed something.

At the end of the first-half in normal time Meath Hill led 1-3 to 0-4 thanks partly to a brilliant goal from Gary Breslin. The score was a product of the kind of controlled, patient passing football Meath Hill were capable of putting together.

James Mooney, Paddy Matthews, Jack McMahon, Jack Slavin were among those involved in working the ball to Shane McCabe. He off-loaded to Breslin who cut in from the wing before firing home. It was a splendid individual strike from a skilful player who was very prominent for lengthy spells.

That score looked like it might be enough to help Meath Hill claim the trophy with full time almost up. By then the Hill led by a point. However, Oldcastle are nothing if not resilient and they forced extra-time when CJ Healy swept the ball over the bar from a free leaving the scoreboard reading 0-9 to 1-6. It was onto extra time.

Again Meath Hill edged ahead to lead 1-8 to 0-10 at the interval in extra-time. Could Oldcastle level again we wondered? This time they couldn't.

Instead the HIll got their second goal that killed the contest off. An Oldcastle kick-out was intercepted and Mark Tully, rolling back the years, won the ball and smartly passed to the outstanding Breslin who was fouled. 'Penalty' indicated referee Pat Clarke.

Up stepped Yorke who had already lofted over two points from frees as well as missing a few. He could have gone for a clinching point. Instead he took the more difficult, braver option and sought successfully to get the sealing goal with a powerful shot down the middle. Game, set and trophy.

Breslin finished up with 1-5 for the winners while Cormac Sheehy and Yorke, with two converted frees, where others scorers for Meath Hill on a night when scores were devilishly difficult to get. You had to be on your toes to get even a glimpse at the posts as both teams defended like tigers.

Oldcastle were gutsy and determined from the start but they really suffered by having to play the second-half of extra time a man down. That was a time when all hands were needed to steer the ship home.

Healy and Bob Farrelly were prominent for them on the scoring front but the home side found it difficult to deal with the whirlwind Meath Hill were capable of whipping up from time to time in this engaging, entertaining contest.

The Meath Hill players were surrounded by delighted fans at the end. The HIll had reached the summit - taking the scenic route along the way.

SCORERS

Meath Hill - Gary Breslin 1-5 four frees; Dominic Yorke 1-2 penalty; Cormac Sheehy 0-1.

Oldcastle - CJ Healy 0-5 three frees; Bob Farrelly 0-4 three frees; Keith Connell 0-1.

TEAMS

Meath Hill - Dominic Yorke; Matt Carolan, Tom Carolan, Jamie Slavin; Peter Griffin, Conor Marry, Andy Monaghan; Jack Slavin, Paddy Matthews; Cormac Sheehy, Ciaran Farrelly, Gary Breslin; James Mooney, Shane McCabe, Jack McMahon. Subs - Ryan Owens for Farrelly 26m, Dean Martin for Griffin 37m, Ben Gogarty for M Carolan, Graham Boylan for Monaghan both 55m, Mark Tully for Martin, Kyle Martin for Sheehy both 69m.

Oldcastle - Conor McHugh; Oran O'Reilly, Cian McPartland, Darren Hawden, Lee Healy, Ronan Maguire, Dylan Garrigan; Oran Mulvanney, James Cooke; Pearse Sheridan, Conor Delaney, Keith Connell; CJ Healy, Bob Farrelly, Garrett O'Reilly. Subs - Paddy Gilsenan for G O'Reilly 42m, Louis Colleran for Delaney 46m, Ben Grey for Maguire 63m, Sean Maxwell for Healy 79m.

Referee - Pat Clarke (Cavan).