Christy Ring Cup: Enjoying a numerical advantage for much of the game, Meath maintained their strong push for a place in the semi-finals of the Christy Ring Cup for the first time when outscoring Kerry 2-17 to 0-13 at Páirc Tailteann, Navan, on Saturday.

The visitors were trailing by 0-2 to 0-6 when their corner back Andrew Keane was sent off after 19 minutes and with Ger O'Neill netting the first goal and Stephen Clynch adding four good points from play, it was 1-11 to 0-3 at the break.

Although Shane Brick enabled them to retain respectability with a series of points, Kerry had too much to do and Meath substitute Nicky Horan, who was returning after a few months sidelined through injury, hit five points in the second period.

Meath also finished with 14 men after former Tipperary player Eoin Brislane was dismissed following a second yellow card offence in the closing stages.

Elsewhere, eagle-eyed corner forward Brendan Lawlor was the hero for Carlow hurlers as he pointed them to a 1-15 to 1-8 victory over neighbours Wicklow at Arklow at the weekend.

Wicklow, who were expecting to do well in this competition after their magnificent league run, now find themselves heading towards the Christy Ring Cup exit following their second defeat in three games.

On the other hand Carlow are in a strong position to make the semi-finals after chalking up their second win from two starts.

The teams were level on three occasions over the first 50 minutes but Carlow turned in a super finish with Brendan Lawlor, who moved to wing-forward in the second half, scoring four of his nine points to send his team on their way to victory.

And Craig Doyle put the icing on Carlow's win by rifling home their goal on 70 minutes.

With the advantage of the wind in the first half, Wicklow did not capitalise sufficiently and they only led by a point, 1-5 to 0-7, when they needed and should have been ahead by more.

In the weekend's other fixtures Down registered a 2-19 to 2-11 victory over Mayo at McKenna Park while Kildare's Billy White scored 1-7 as they travelled to Celtic Park and recorded an impressive 2-21 to 0-13 victory over the Oak Leaf county.