February 17, 2011
By Staff Reporter
KILDARE 2-11, MEATH 1-11
Meath manager Sean Boylan was fuming following his side’s O’Byrne Cup loss to Kildare Sunday at St. Conleth’s Park in Newbridge, where no fewer than seven players were sin binned by referee Maurice Deegan.
“I’d like to go back out and play a game of Gaelic football, not that sort of stuff,” Boylan said. “There wasn’t a single dirty foul out there and yet seven players were sent to the sin bin. I think we’re stupid if that’s the road we’re going down.”
With the rule changes, which also include the pick-up off the ground, set to continue for the duration of the National League, Boylan wasn’t predicting any improvement over the winter.
“Have they forgotten what it’s like to play the game?” he said. “What annoys me is that Congress agreed some time ago not to change the playing rules for 10 years, yet out of the blue we’re presented with a series of experiments.
“What’s going to dominate football games? Is it the scores or the sin bin? It’s a physical-contact sport, but that doesn’t seem to be allowed anymore. It looks like yellow cards are going to be as important as scores. That can’t be right. I’m very, very frustrated over what has happened.”
Meath had looked to be in control of the game, but with David Crimmins, Kevin Reilly and Peadar Byrne all in the sin bin during the final quarter, Kildare took advantage of their numerical superiority and scored 1-5 in the closing stages. Ross Glavin and Ronan Sweeney struck for the winners’ goals. while John Doyle kicked 5 points, including 4 from frees. Byrne was Meath’s top scorer with 1-2.
WESTMEATH 2-19
LONGFORD 0-10
Longford’s 2-19 to 0-10 defeat at the hands of Westmeath might have had something to do with Luke Dempsey’s mood, but, like Boylan, he didn’t pull his punches concerning the new rules. “I think the sin bin is making a mockery out of football,” he said. “I’m watching the cleanest of players have to walk for little or nothing. It’s a joke. What do they want? Maybe they should introduce an oval ball altogether.”
Five players were shown yellow cards as Westmeath pulled away in the dying minutes for an emphatic victory, which augurs well for manager Paidi O Se and his players. Longford were only four points adrift going into the last 10 minutes. However, the winners then hit 1-8 without reply.
Denis Glennon finished with an impressive 1-6, Dessie Dolan added 3 points when he came off the bench, and another sub, Alan Lambden, scored the second goal in injury time. Mark Connor was the main contributor for Longford with 6 points including 3 from play.
RESULTS
Louth will now meet Westmeath in the semifinal following their 2-7 to 0-9 success against the Dublin Under 21s at Drogheda, while Laois also booked a place in the last four with a facile 5-22 to 0-1 win over Kilkenney at Freshford. Laois’ Donal Brennan took full advantage of Kilkenny’s porous defense to help himself to 2-8.
Meanwhile, in the McGrath Cup in Munster, there were victories for Cork IT, who got the better of Clare by 2-6 to 0-11 thanks in the main to an opportunist goal by All-Ireland-winning hurler John Gardiner, and for Limerick, who got the better of Waterford IT by 1-13 to 0-6 at Cappamore.
In the Connacht League, NUI Galway surprised Mayo on a scoreline of 2-9 to 1-7 at Dangan, where Micheal Meehan was the star turn with a personal tally of 1-8. Roscommon were too strong for Sligo IT, coming through by 3-7 to 0-12 at Kiltoom, and Sligo defeated an understrength Clare by 1-11 to 0-9. There was no joy for Leitrim at Castlegar, where GMIT took the points by 2-6 to 1-5.
Having decided not to adopt the experimental rule changes, Ulster?s series of games in the McKenna Cup passed off with less incident and it was no surprise that Tyrone cruised to a comfortable 0-18 to 0-7 win over UUJ at Dungannon. Cavan edged out Antrim by 0-13 to 0-11, Derry shaded it by 0-8 to 1-4 over Armagh, and Fermanagh, with both Gallagher cousins, Raymond and Rory, in the lineup, defeated Monaghan by 2-10 to 2-7.
There was an easy 3-9 to 0-9 win for Donegal over St. Mary’s, but an inexperienced Down selection lost out by 0-8 to 0-7 to Queen’s University, who had several intercounty players in their lineup.