Meath Hill 5-16 Castletown 0-10

Meath Hill produced a devastating attacking display on a damp Saturday evening to sweep aside Castletown and make it two wins from two in the All-County Junior Championship Division 3.

Both sides entered the clash buoyed by opening round victories, but it was the home side who immediately set the tone. Mark Tully, lively from the throw-in, opened the scoring with a close-range free before Castletown quickly replied. Moments later, Tomas Smith showed his sharp instincts, pouncing on a rebound from Paddy Matthews’ effort and calmly burying the ball into the corner of the net. Castletown looked to steady themselves and Paul Bellew clipped over a fine score from distance, but Meath Hill were relentless in their early pressure. Colin Breslin pointed after clever link-up play between Matthews and Tully, while Castletown kept themselves in touch with a score that might easily have been a goal.

Tully continued to dazzle, landing a spectacular free from the sideline, before Kyle Martin got in on the act with a tidy finish after a pinpoint pass from Ciaran Farrelly. Smith added another from play, following a slick flick from Tully in the build-up, and Breslin punished Castletown again after a turnover from the impressive Cillian Marron.As the half wore on, Meath Hill’s dominance only grew. Dean Martin split the posts with a long-range effort, before Matthews marked his return from injury in emphatic style, rifling home a superb goal. Another Tully free and a solitary Castletown point from Shane Hoey finished the half. 

HT Score:  Meath Hill 2-08 Castletown 0-04.

The second half brought no respite for the visitors as Meath Hill emerged with renewed energy. Kyle Martin blasted home within minutes of the restart, and before Castletown could regroup, Tully picked out Smith with a delightful ball over the top, the corner-forward finishing coolly into the bottom corner. The floodgates were well and truly open. Tully added further frees while Marron capped his commanding performance at centre back with a point of his own. Castletown, struggling to find a foothold, managed a couple of consolation scores, but Meath Hill were in irresistible form.

Farrelly knocked over another neat point before Tully produced the moment of the evening – a cheeky chipped finish over the Castletown keeper, drawing comparisons to Cantona in his pomp. Breslin closed out the scoring with two fine efforts, while Castletown, to their credit, tagged on a few late points to reduce the margin. When the final whistle blew, the scoreboard told the story of Meath Hill’s dominance: 5-16 to 0-10. With pace, power, and a ruthless edge in attack, “The Hill” look in ominous form as the campaign progresses.

Next up, attention turns to the first team’s clash against Rathkenny in Páirc Tailteann this Sunday at 2pm, while the reserve side face Walterstown at home on Sunday, September 6th at 4pm.

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