U16 footballers edged out by Meath in Gerry Reilly final

Mon, 19th August 2019

GERRY REILLY U16 FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT FINAL

MEATH 2-11 DUBLIN 2-10

Dublin's under-16 footballers were edged out by Meath as the Royal County retained the Gerry Reilly U16 Football Tournament in Millbrook, Oldcastle on Sunday night.

Two goals from Alan Bowden were crucial for the hosts as they fended off a late rally by Dublin that resulted in a Luke Breathnach goal deep in second half injury-time.

Dublin started well with two points from Oisín Grady before Meath slotted two in succession when John McDonagh (free) and Adam McDonnell were on target.

Meath had nosed 0-4 to 0-3 ahead before their grabbed their first goal in the 18th minute when Bowden punished a mistake in the Dublin defence.

Frees from McDonagh and Eoghan Frayne saw Meath move 1-5 to 0-4 clear before Dublin's Conor Dolan closed the scoring in the opening half.

The Dubs restarted well to draw level within ten minutes of the restart after Grady (two) and Matthew Lynch '45' were on target.

However, Meath's first score of the second period was a goal in the 44th minute when Bowden was again on the mark.

Ten minutes from time Seamus Smith brought Dublin right back into contention with a goal to make it 2-7 to 1-9.

But it was Meath who outscored the Dubs from there to the finish with Ruairi Kinsella, Adam McDonnell and Frayne (two, one free, one '45') getting the scores in replay to a sole point from Conor Dolan.

Meath were four up in the third minute of added time when Breathnach finished the scoring on the night with a goal.

SCORERS – Meath: E Frayne 0-6 (0-2f, 0-2 ’45'), A Bowden 2-0, J McDonagh (0-2f), A McDonnell 0-2 each, R Kinsella 0-1. Dublin: C Dolan (0-1f), O Grady 0-3 each, S Smith, L Breathnach 1-0 each, M Lynch 0-2 (0-1f, 0-1 ‘45’), E Wilde, D Dempsey 0-1 each.

MEATH: A Niven; B Moran, S O’Donoghue, G Ehichoya; B Donnelly, O Kelly, C Caulfield; C Gray, C Smyth; J McDonagh, A McDonnell, M Coffey; A Bowden, E Frayne, A Murphy. Subs: R Kinsella for Murphy (ht), O Keogh for Smyth (bc, 32), O Bright for Ehichoya (39), L Caffrey for McDonagh (49), Z McGovern for Coffey (57).

DUBLIN: S Downey; B O’Donohue, J Cotter, R O’Shea; S Hannigan, A Gavin, S O’Driscoll; D O’Rourke, M McDonald; B Kelly, D Keogh, C Dolan; E Wilde, D Dempsey, O Grady. Subs: S Smith for Keogh (26), M Griffin for Downey (ht), M Lynch for Kelly (35), J Crennan for McDonald (bc, 42), L Breathnach for Wilde (45), D Sutton for O’Rourke (57), B Keogh for Hannigan (57), K O’Brien for Dolan (60).

REF: C Dourneen (Cavan).

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DUBLIN (U16 panel for Final): Seán Downey St Sylvester's, Barra O’Donoghue Kilmacud Crokes, Robert O'Shea Castleknock, Sam Hannigan Fingal Ravens, Alex Gavin Ballyboden St Enda's, Seán O’Driscoll Nh Olaf, Michael McDonald Ballyboden St Enda's, Daire O’Rourke Fingal Ravens, Conor Dolan Man O War, Davy Keogh Ballyboden St Enda's, Ben Kelly Kilmacud Crokes, Eoin Wilde Skerries Harps, Dara Dempsey Kilmacud Crokes, Matthew Lynch Ballinteer St John's, Séamus Smith Na Fianna, Matthew Lynch Ballinteer St John's, Luke Breathnach Ballinteer St John's, Daniel Sutton Round Towers Lusk, Morgan Griffin Liffey Gaels, Jack Crennan St Jude's, Blaine Keogh St Oliver Plunkett's, Kalem O’Brien Trinity Gaels, Harry Hughes Ballymun Kickhams, Jake Hollywood Ballymun Kickhams, Joe May Skerries Harp, Johnnie Quirke Ballinteer St John's, Kamen Bagnall St Jude's, Timmy Akinleye Erin's Isles, Alex Matthews Erin's Isles, Ben Jones Skeries Harps, Ciarán Morrissey O'Dwyer's, Conor Watt St Brigid's, David Keane Ballyboden St Enda's, Jack O’Neill St Anne's, James Cotter St Sylvester's, Jordan Mynes Kilmacud Crokes, Kevin Mullarkey Thomas Davis, Kieron Kelly Ballumun Kickhams, Lewis Nugent Byrne Fingallians, Luke Whelan Skerries Harps, Max Corcoran Nh Mearnóg, Rob Kenny KIlmacud Crokes, Seán O'Brien St Anne's, Seán Stone Na Fianna, Senan McCann Clontarf, Theo Clancy Kilmacud Crokes, Tomás Hegarty St Maur's.

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ROLL OF HONOUR

Gerry Reilly Cup
Westmeath 1990, 1992, 1994, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2006, 2010, 2011
Meath 1989, 1991, 1995, 1996, 2002, 2003, 2007, 2018, 2019
Cavan 1997, 2004, 2005, 2014, 2015, 2016
Dublin 1993, 1998, 2008 (U-17 Blitz), 2012, 2013
Monaghan 2017

Gerry Reilly Plate
Meath 2013, 2015, 2016
Dublin 2017
Louth 2018
Wicklow 2014