Maher hits 3-7 as Kildare U20s knock Meath out of Leinster Hurling Championship
Eoin Stapleton's men progress following a comprehensive 3-16 to 0-12 win
O’Neills.com Leinster U20 Hurling Championship Knockout Stages
Kildare 3-16
Meath 0-12
Kildare comfortably progressed past Meath in the first knockout stage of this year’s Leinster U20 Hurling Championship.
The Lilies were off to a slow start in their last win over Carlow, but this game could not have been further in the opposite direction as Kildare were on fire from minute one.
In particular corner-forward Fionn Maher, who had 2-2 to his name after just 11 minutes of action. The Naas forward finished the game with an exceptional 3-7 tally as Kildare cruised into the next round.
Kildare, Fionn Maher 3-7 (0-6 frees), Oisin Lynam 0-3, Tim Ryan 0-2, Ciaran Kirwan 0-2, Killian Harrington 0-1, Alex Bell 0-1.
Meath, Mark Leavy 0-9 (0-8 frees), Mark Horan 0-1, Noah Conroy 0-1, Darren O'Higgins 0-1.
KILDARE: Cormac Doolan; Evan O'Briain, Liam O'Reilly, Conor O'Grady; Finnán Ó Dúlaing, Daniel O'Meara, Bill Hennessy; Oisín Lynam, Cian Boran; Enda Keane, Cian O'Reilly, Ciaran Kirwan; James Dolan, Killian Harrington, Fionn Maher. Subs: Charlie Carroll for Cian O'Reilly (15 minutes), Tim Ryan for Killian Harrington (Half-time), Alex Bell for James Dolan (48 minutes), Theo Frisby for Oisin Lynam (51 minutes), Dylan Doherty for Bill Hennessy (57 minutes).
Meath: Ben Mather; Cian O'Sullivan, Cian Colhoun, Conor Dixon; Paul Hennessy, Daire Shine, Craig Gilsenan; Darragh Heffernan, Mark Horan; Lorcan Byrne, Domnhall Rogers, Patrick Jordan; Tom Shine, Paddy Barnwell, Mark Leavy. Subs: Tiernan Anderson for Cormac Byrne (5 minutes, Blood Sub), Cormac Byrne for Tiernan Anderson (9 minutes, Blood Sub), Tiernan Anderson for Patrick Jordan (36 minutes), Darren O'Higgins for Patrick Jordan (40 minutes), Noah Conroy for Paul Hennessy (43 minutes), Darragh Horan for Domhnall Rogers (43 minutes).
Referee: Gearoid McGrath (Wexford)