Hastings Shield win for Meath

Meath won the Hastings Shield final today in Pearse Park, Longford with a late Caolach Halligan point giving them a 1-9 to 1-8 victory over Leitrim.

Shaun Byrne had Meath in front inside two minutes, but Leitrim levelled soon after through Ryan O'Rourke.

However, Meath found the net in the ninth minute when Syddan's Daire Rowe finished well after a good move with Gavin McGown adding a point to extend the lead.

The advantage didn't last too long with O'Rourke's second point augmented by a well-taken Jack Heslin goal that drew the sides level at 1-2 each.

Heslin added his first point to put Leitrim in front and they maintained that advantage as Rowe (free) and Fergal McTague traded points.

Leitrim remained in the ascendancy with Conor Gaffney extending the lead from a 13-metre free and by the end of the half were ahead by 1-7 to 1-3 as Dean McGovern and Daire Farrell added points.

 

The introduction of Caolach Halligan and Sean Meade into the full-forward line revived Meath after the resumption and they each added a point along with Rowe (free) and McGowan to tie the scores at 1-7 each by the end of the third-quarter.

 

McGowan raced forward for his third point of the afternoon to give Meath the lead, but a determined Leitrim side got back on terms when O'Rourke sent over with 10 minutes remaining, but Meath took the trophy with a late point from Caolach Halligan despite some poor wides in the closing stages.

Meath – Johnny Lynch; Michael Flood, Dan O'Neill, Jamie Reilly; Gavin McGowan (0-3),Thomas McGovern, Niall Kane; Robert Bourke, Donie Ryan; Shaun Byrne (0-1), David Toner, Ben Duggan; Kevin Ryan, Ruairi O Coileain, Daire Rowe (1-2 one free). Subs – Caolach Halligan (0-2) for Toner and Sean Meade (0-1)for Duggan both half-time, Kevin Traynor for Bourke 54m, Darragh McGovern for Ryan 59m.