Meath 3-20 Tyrone 0-14

Meath delivered an emphatic attacking performance to defeat Tyrone's B team in the opening Gerry Reilly Under-16 Cup semi-final at Millbrook, Oldcastle.

Playing with the breeze in the first half, Meath made a flying start when Oisín Giles struck for an early goal. Conor Hassett quickly followed with a point as the home side established a firm grip on the contest.

Hassett proved the outstanding scorer of the game, finishing with an impressive personal return of 2-6. Meath had already accumulated 1-4 before Ben O’Neill opened Tyrone’s account, and the Tyrone forward carried the bulk of his side’s scoring threat throughout the contest.

A superb two-point score from Dara Loughran extended Meath’s advantage, while Joe Kearney also found the target. The decisive score of the opening period arrived when Hassett struck Meath’s second goal, pushing the home side into a commanding 2-8 to 0-2 lead.

Meath continued to press before the interval and carried a substantial 2-10 to 0-3 advantage into the break.

With the breeze now behind them, Tyrone needed a strong start to the second half. Instead, it was Meath who again registered the opening score, with Giles adding a point to the goal he had scored at the beginning of the game.

Substitute Danny Gorman also made an immediate impact, contributing a point. Tyrone refused to surrender, however, and O’Neill led their attempted revival. He added a free and landed several excellent two-point scores as the visitors sought to reduce the deficit.

Darragh O’Neill and Oisín Walls also contributed to the Tyrone tally, with Walls finding the target from outside the two-point arc.

Despite that spirited response, Meath retained their composure and continued to create scoring opportunities. Several goal chances went unfinished, but their steady accumulation of points ensured Tyrone were never able to apply sustained pressure.

Any remaining doubt about the result was removed when Hassett struck Meath’s third goal after picking up a rebound from a free.

Meath finished strongly to complete a convincing 3-20 to 0-14 victory and secure their place in the Gerry Reilly Cup final on Sunday, August 2. Tyrone's second team will now turn their attention to the Plate final. Tyrone's first team were in action in Donegal on Saturday.

The game was played in ideal conditions at Millbrook, with the more moderate temperatures providing welcome relief following the recent spell of intense heat.

Meath's U16 B team were in action against Cork White in Rathdowney on Saturday in the Tedd Webb Cup semifinal. The young Royals trailed by a couple of points entering the closing stages before the Rebels finished strongly to win by 6-13 to 3-14. Meath's second team will now play in the Tedd Webb Shield final.

Scorers — Meath: Conor Hassett 2-6; Oisín Giles 1-2; Danny Gorman 0-2, one free; Dara Loughran 0-3, including one two-pointer; Joe Kearney, Conor Beggy, Darragh Reynolds, Eanna Horgan, Conor McNulty, Kealan Sheerin and Cillian Fitzsimons 0-1 each.
Tyrone: Ben O’Neill 0-11, including three two-pointers; Oisín Walsh 0-2, one two-pointer; Darragh O’Neill 0-1.

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