Kildare 2-15
Meath 1-9
A powerful last quarter display enabled Kildare to defeat Meath in tonight’s Leinster U21FC quarter-final in Páirc Tailteann in Navan.
The teams were tied at 1-7 apiece after 43 minutes after Meath’s impressive attacker Daniel Queeney had found the net.
The sides were earlier level at the break, 1-4 to 0-7, with senior player Niall Kelly raising a green flag for the Lilywhites.
However Kildare finished strongly to claim success in their first outing of the campaign with Padraig Fogarty bagging their second goal as the team with Kieran McGeeney at the helm marched into the semi-finals.
Scorers for Kildare: Padraig Fogarty 1-4, Niall Kelly 1-2, Paddy Brophy 0-3, Liam McGovern (0-2f), Sean Hurley (0-1 ’45) 0-2 each.
Scorers for Meath: Daniel Queeney 1-4 (0-3f), Eamon Wallace 0-2, Bryan McMahon (0-1f), Cian O’Brien, P Fox 0-1 each.
KILDARE: Mark Donnellan (Maynooth); Michael Konstantin (Celbridge), Jonathan Byrne (Allenwood), Barry Egan (Clane); David Hyland (Athy), Fergal Conway (Celbridge), Seán Higgins (Maynooth); Tommy Moolick cpt (Leixlip), Daniel Grehan (Clogherinkoe); Liam McGovern (Athy), Niall Kelly (Athy), Daniel Flynn (Johnstownbridge); Paddy Brophy (Celbridge), Fionn Dowling (Suncroft), Pádraig Fogarty (St. Laurence’s).
Subs: Sean Hurley (Johnstownbridge) for Grehan (19), Conor Murphy (Clane) for Dowling (56), Hugh Mahon (Athy) for Kelly (57), Daragh McGlynn (Leixlip) for Conway (58), Paul Cribbin (Johnstownbridge) for Flynn (60).
MEATH: Conor McHugh (Oldcastle); Simon Carty (Dunderry), Conor McGill (Ratoath), David McQuillan (St. Patrick’s); Brian Dillon (Navan O’Mahony’s), Brian Moore (Duleek/Bellewstown), Neil Shortall (Curraha); Conor Sheridan (Simonstown Gaels), Cian O’Brien (Ratoath); Shane Barry (Simonstown Gaels), Conor Downey (Na Fianna), Daniel Queeney (Na Fianna); Eamon Wallace (Ratoath), Bobby O’Brien (Ratoath), Bryan McMahon (Ratoath).
Subs: Fergus Toolan (Dunshaughlin) for Shortall (h-t), James Togher (Trim) for C O’Brien (40), Patrick Fox (Skryne) for B O’Brien (42), Harry Rooney (Skryne) for Sheridan (48), Donal Landy (St Patrick’s) for Barry (53).
Referee: Anthony Nolan (Wicklow)
Kildare manager Kieran McGeeney. Pic: INPHO/James Crombie
Laois 6-11
Wicklow 2-8
17 year-old Evan O’Carroll was the goalscoring star once more as Laois claimed an impressive Leinster U21FC quarter-final victory over Wicklow in O’Moore Park in Portlaoise tonight.
The Crettyard forward bagged a hat-trick to add to the brace of goals that he had scored for the Midlands County in their opening round win over Offaly.
O’Carroll struck twice in the first-half to help his side lead 2-6 to 1-3 at the interval and he hit his third shortly after half-time.
Portarlington player Kevin McGrath fired home two goals in the second-half while Paul Kingston struck the sixth Laois goal as they ran out winners by a 15-point margin.
Theo Smith and Brendan McCrea raised the green flags in consolation for Wicklow.
Scorers for Laois: Evan O’Carroll 3-0, Kevin McGrath 2-1, Evan Costello 0-5 (0-1f), Paul Kingston 1-0, Matthew Campion, Liam McGovern 0-2 each, Dan Dunne 0-1 (0-1 ’45).
Scorers for Wicklow: Theo Smith, Brendan McCrea 1-1 each, Paddy O’Rourke 0-3 (1f), Paul O’Keeffe 0-2, Conor McGraynor 0-1.
LAOIS: Graham Brody (Portlaoise); Adam Campion (St Joseph’s), Mark O’Halloran (Courtwood), Stephen Attride (Killeshin); Will Young (Clonaslee St Manman’s), Padraig McEvoy (Ballylinan), Dan Dunne (St Joseph’s); Adam Ryan (Portarlington), Matthew Campion (St Joseph’s); Alan Farrell (Ballylinan), Liam McGovern (Portlaoise), Kevin McGrath (Portarlington); Paul Kingston (Arles-Killeen), Evan Costello (Emo), Evan O’Carroll (Crettyard).
WICKLOW: Paul Miley (Valleymount); Jimmy Kelly (Dunlavin), Martin O’Brien (Annacurra), James Snell (Rathnew); Ross O’Brien (Rathnew), Daniel Woods (Eire Og), Aaron Murphy (Bray); Shane Hogan (Tinahely), Kevin Dempsey (Barndarrig); John Henderson (Bray), Theo Smith (Rathnew), Paddy O’Rourke (Tinahely); Brendan McCrea (Carnew), Conor McGraynor (Avondale), Philip Murphy (Rathnew)
Referee: John Hickey (Carlow)
