Kildalkey 1-18 Ratoath 1-5

Last years SHC finalists Kildalkey and Ratoath met in the first round of the Div1 HL on Saturday evening in Ratoath and it was the visitors who came home with the points on a 1-18 to 1-5 score line.

Both teams were a shadow of what contested the county final last October with injuries travelling and county duty the main reasons however it was a great opportunity for others panel members to show both managements what they could do.

Niall McNally was Kildalkey's scorer in chief hitting 1-8 with 7 of his points coming from accurately hit frees. Gary Kelly got the opening point for the blues and further points from Kelvin Lynch (after a great run from deep) Kelly again and 5 McNally frees left them 0-8 to 0-3 in front at the break .

The hardworking Paddy Barnwell hit the first point of the second half and followed up with a similar effort a few minutes later.

Evan Fitzgerald shot over 2 long range scores and Kelly again and McNally kept the scoreboard ticking as they asserted control McNally pounced for a goal while Mattie Cully and Full back Brian Coffey hit the last 2 points of the game as some wayward shooting from Ratoath didn’t help their cause but good pressure from the Kildalkey rearguard kept them at bay also .

Mark Healy, Brian Coffey, Lynch and Brin Kelly had some great moments in defence while Fitzgerald, Niall McNally, Luke Rickard, Barnwell and Kelly were always a threat up front.

Kildalkey team and scorers: C Flynn, C Fitzgerald, B Coffey (0-1), T Bird, B Kelly, M Healy, K Lynch (0-1), R Byas, E Fitzgerald (0-2), L Rickard, N  McNally (1-8)(7f), K McKeon, P Barnwell (0-2), G Kelly (0-3), M Cully(0-1)

Subs: B Rickard for B Kelly, E Geoeghan for Barnwell, A Traynor for R Byas, C McNally for E Fitzgerald, M Browne for L Rickard, A O Brien for Cully, C Lyons for C Fitzgerald, C Smith for C Flynn B/S

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