Paul Keane
Reports from St Conleth's Park, Newbridge
Meath 1-21
Kildare 0-10
Paul Keane reports from St Conleth’s Park
JORDAN MORRIS LED the destruction of Kildare with 1-5 as Meath took another significant step towards Division 1 football in 2027.
Beaten by Cork last week in Round 4, the Royals bounced back with a powerful performance and a significant win to join Cork at the head of Division 2.
That picture could change tomorrow afternoon, of course, when Cork, also on eight points, travel to face a Derry side with six points on the board.
For now, Meath can be content with a strong performance against a Leinster rival which also yielded league debuts for Charlie O’Connor and Jamie Murphy, as well as five late points from goalkeeper Seán Brennan.
Winning by 14 points cannot hurt Meath’s scoring difference either, and they will attack their remaining ties against Tyrone, at Croke Park on 14 March, and Offaly in Tullamore with confidence.
But Tailteann Cup holders Kildare find themselves in a difficult situation with just three points now from five games with fixtures against Cork and Louth still to come.
All-Star Seán Rafferty made a welcome return to the Meath full-back line after missing the Cork game. Jack O’Connor and Adam O’Neill were the other two additions to the line up and O’Connor instantly made his presence felt.
The Curraha flier, who missed the 2025 season due to travel, reeled off four first-half points from play.
Kildare couldn’t have been happy to spend so much time in their own half as the visitors poured forward and pinned them back.
Meath's Jack Flynn is tackled by Kildare's Colm Dalton.
It told a tale of Meath’s supremacy that wing backs Ciarán Caulfield and Donal Keogan assisted 0-5 between them in the opening half, the evergreen Keogan playing the final pass for three points.
Keogan’s high catch and pass up to the wing for O’Connor’s fourth point was one of the moments of the half.
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The Rathkenny man also took a ball off his own goal line in the 23rd minute after Alex Beirne had put a dangerous ball across.
The Morris goal in the 12th minute put daylight between the teams as Meath led by 1-4 to 0-1 at that stage.
Caulfield played a key role again, thinking quickly after Meath won a line ball off a Kildare kick-out by booting it long to Aaron Lynch who cleverly palmed the ball down to Morris.
Jordan Morris extends Meath's lead over Kildare with the first goal of the game
Throw in the three score attempts from O’Connor, captain Eoghan Frayne and Ruairí Kinsella that dropped short, and you get a feel for just how dominant Meath were.
Kildare, in turn, lived off scraps and, trailing by 0-1 to 1-7 after 17 minutes, were grateful for two-point scores from Darragh Kirwan and Brian McLoughlin which kept them just about in it.
Still, when Meath closed out the half with points from O’Connor and Kinsella to lead 1-9 to 0-5, they were in pole position.
Meath boss Robbie Brennan.
Colm Moran and Ben Loakman struck back-to-back points for Kildare in the third quarter but Brian Flanagan’s Lilywhites never really built a head of steam.
They needed goals, or at least a string of two-pointers, and neither arrived as Meath kept their foot on the accelerator with points from Morris, sub Charlie O’Connor and Keith Curtis.
Seven second-half wides frustrated Meath a little, but Brennan papered over that wasteful play when he converted three late placed balls, two of which were two-point frees.
Eoghan Frayne attempts to block down Brian McLaughlin's kick.
Scorers for Meath: Jordan Morris 1-5, Seán Brennan 0-5 (2 2pt free, 0-1 ’45), Jack O’Connor 0-4, Ruairí Kinsella 0-2, Aaron Lynch 0-1, Eoghan Frayne 0-1, Jack Flynn 0-1, Charlie O’Connor 0-1, Keith Curtis 0-1.
Scorers for Kildare: Ben Loakman 0-3 (0-2f), Brian McLoughlin 0-3 (1 2pt), Darragh Kirwan 0-2 (1 2pt), Alex Beirne 0-1 (0-1f), Colm Moran 0-1.
Meath
1. Seán Brennan (Dunderry)
4. Brian O’Halloran (Ballivor)
2. Seamus Lavin (St Peter’s, Dunboyne)
26. Seán Rafferty (Na Fianna)
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Meath back on track with impressive Division 2 win over Kildare
Meath 1-21
Kildare 0-10
Paul Keane reports from St Conleth’s Park
JORDAN MORRIS LED the destruction of Kildare with 1-5 as Meath took another significant step towards Division 1 football in 2027.
Beaten by Cork last week in Round 4, the Royals bounced back with a powerful performance and a significant win to join Cork at the head of Division 2.
That picture could change tomorrow afternoon, of course, when Cork, also on eight points, travel to face a Derry side with six points on the board.
For now, Meath can be content with a strong performance against a Leinster rival which also yielded league debuts for Charlie O’Connor and Jamie Murphy, as well as five late points from goalkeeper Seán Brennan.
Winning by 14 points cannot hurt Meath’s scoring difference either, and they will attack their remaining ties against Tyrone, at Croke Park on 14 March, and Offaly in Tullamore with confidence.
But Tailteann Cup holders Kildare find themselves in a difficult situation with just three points now from five games with fixtures against Cork and Louth still to come.
All-Star Seán Rafferty made a welcome return to the Meath full-back line after missing the Cork game. Jack O’Connor and Adam O’Neill were the other two additions to the line up and O’Connor instantly made his presence felt.
The Curraha flier, who missed the 2025 season due to travel, reeled off four first-half points from play.
Kildare couldn’t have been happy to spend so much time in their own half as the visitors poured forward and pinned them back.
It told a tale of Meath’s supremacy that wing backs Ciarán Caulfield and Donal Keogan assisted 0-5 between them in the opening half, the evergreen Keogan playing the final pass for three points.
Keogan’s high catch and pass up to the wing for O’Connor’s fourth point was one of the moments of the half.
The Rathkenny man also took a ball off his own goal line in the 23rd minute after Alex Beirne had put a dangerous ball across.
The Morris goal in the 12th minute put daylight between the teams as Meath led by 1-4 to 0-1 at that stage.
Caulfield played a key role again, thinking quickly after Meath won a line ball off a Kildare kick-out by booting it long to Aaron Lynch who cleverly palmed the ball down to Morris.
Throw in the three score attempts from O’Connor, captain Eoghan Frayne and Ruairí Kinsella that dropped short, and you get a feel for just how dominant Meath were.
Kildare, in turn, lived off scraps and, trailing by 0-1 to 1-7 after 17 minutes, were grateful for two-point scores from Darragh Kirwan and Brian McLoughlin which kept them just about in it.
Still, when Meath closed out the half with points from O’Connor and Kinsella to lead 1-9 to 0-5, they were in pole position.
Colm Moran and Ben Loakman struck back-to-back points for Kildare in the third quarter but Brian Flanagan’s Lilywhites never really built a head of steam.
They needed goals, or at least a string of two-pointers, and neither arrived as Meath kept their foot on the accelerator with points from Morris, sub Charlie O’Connor and Keith Curtis.
Seven second-half wides frustrated Meath a little, but Brennan papered over that wasteful play when he converted three late placed balls, two of which were two-point frees.
Scorers for Meath: Jordan Morris 1-5, Seán Brennan 0-5 (2 2pt free, 0-1 ’45), Jack O’Connor 0-4, Ruairí Kinsella 0-2, Aaron Lynch 0-1, Eoghan Frayne 0-1, Jack Flynn 0-1, Charlie O’Connor 0-1, Keith Curtis 0-1.
Scorers for Kildare: Ben Loakman 0-3 (0-2f), Brian McLoughlin 0-3 (1 2pt), Darragh Kirwan 0-2 (1 2pt), Alex Beirne 0-1 (0-1f), Colm Moran 0-1.
Meath
1. Seán Brennan (Dunderry)
4. Brian O’Halloran (Ballivor)
2. Seamus Lavin (St Peter’s, Dunboyne)
26. Seán Rafferty (Na Fianna)
5. Donal Keogan (Rathkenny)
6. Seán Coffey (Ballinabrackey)
7. Ciarán Caulfield (Trim)
8. Bryan Menton (Donaghmore Ashbourne)
9. Jack Flynn (Ratoath)
21. Jack O’Connor (Curraha)
11. Ruairí Kinsella (Dunshaughlin)
22. Adam O’Neill (Wolfe Tones)
13. Jordan Morris (Kingscourt Stars)
14. Eoghan Frayne (Summerhill)
15. Aaron Lynch (Trim)
Subs
Kildare
1. Cian Burke (Clane)
4. Brian Byrne (Naas)
3. Padraic Spillane (Athy)
2. Harry O’Neill (Clane)
5. James Harris (Castlemitchell)
6. Eoin Lawlor (Naas)
20. Jack McKevitt (Naas)
8. Callum Bolton (Sarsfields)
9. Brendan Gibbons (Kilcock)
25. Colm Dalton (Sallins)
11. Darragh Kirwan (Naas)
12. Colm Moran (Athy)
10. Brian McLoughlin (Clane)
14. Alex Beirne (Naas)
13. Ben Loakman (Sarsfields)
Subs
Referee: Sean Hurson (Tyrone)
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GAA Kildare Meath Royals