Paul Keane reports from Croke Park
MEATH WILL COMPETE for the Sam Maguire Cup in 2024 after turning in a strong second-half performance at Croke Park to see off Down and secure the Tailteann Cup title.
Tied at half-time in an entertaining encounter, Colm O’Rourke’s men pushed on impressively to secure the county’s first piece of senior silverware at Croke Park since winning the 2010 Leinster title.
Ronan Jones’ early goal kept Meath in the game after a slow start and Jack O’Connor’s 76th minute major sealed a slightly flattering five-point win.
Substitute O’Connor struck 1-2 in total while Man of the Match Jack Flynn boomed over four crucial points in the second-half.
It was a terrific defensive display from a young Meath team that was inspired by the likes of Ronan Ryan and newcomers Sean Coffey and Adam O’Neill.
Their reward for winning the tier two championship is a free pass to the Sam Maguire Cup competition next year, regardless of how they fare in Division 2 of the National League.
Down returned to a happy hunting ground after blasting eight goals past Laois in last month’s semi-final at GAA headquarters and thrived initially.
They surged 0-4 to 0-1 clear after the opening quarter with four different scorers – Ceilum Doherty, Ryan Johnston, Shealan Johnston and Odhran Murdock – underlining the range of threats their young and mobile team possessed.
The early matchups were intriguing with Down defender Patrick McCarthy tracking Meath’s lively new corner-forward Aaron Lynch and Down captain Pierce Laverty standing sentry next to Royals chief attacker Jordan Morris.
At the other end, Murdock, wearing number nine, started at full-forward and was picked up by Meath full-back Ryan.
But it was largely a counter attacking game at first with both sides getting plenty of bodies back and doing their best to punish their opponents on the break.
Jones’ 16th minute goal for Meath came against the run of play and sucked all the momentum from Down after the bright start.
It was a hopeful ball in from Flynn who ran out of options and simply punted in a high delivery that cannoned off an upright and in off the leg of Jones to the net. Pat Havern, back defending and standing next to Jones, cursed his ill fortune.
Suddenly, Meath were level at 1-1 to 0-4 and they took the lead when Morris curled over a beauty from the outside of his left boot on the right wing.
But it was always likely to be a tit-for-tat encounter between two teams that were virtually inseparable when they met in the group stage at nearby Parnell Park, Meath eventually winning that one by two.
Mathew Costello’s second pointed free for Meath left them a point ahead approaching the interval but Liam Kerr levelled it up at 1-3 to 0-6 when he blasted over a great goal chance for Down.
Down were reduced to 14 in the 29th minute when Ceilum Doherty was shown a black card for a pull down.
Down hit 17 wides when the sides met last month but this time it was Meath that rued their poor shooting with eight first-half wides.
Back to back points from Down goalkeeper Niall Kane amounted to a solid start to the second second-half for the favourites.
But they found scores from open play desperately hard to come by against a Meath defence that has tightened up considerably as the season has developed.
Buoyed by that strong platform, Meath capitalised with a series of scores themselves from Cathal Hickey, Jones, O’Connor and Flynn.
Meath now led by 1-7 to 0-8 and they would remain in the driving seat from there on despite an eventual improvement in the Down attack.
Flynn was the man who nudged Meath to victory with three more terrific scores for the Royals, all coming in a crucial period around the hour mark as they set the seal on victory.
O’Connor snatched Meath’s second goal in the dying moments after a turnover in the Down defence, summing up the excellent work of the Meath backs.
Meath scorers: Jack O’Connor 1-2; Ronan Jones 1-1; Jack Flynn 0-4; Mathew Costello 0-3 (2f); Cathal Hickey 0-2; Jordan Morris 0-1.
Down scorers: Pat Havern 0-4 (3f); Liam Kerr, Niall Kane (1f, 1 ’45), Ryan Johnston 0-2; Shealan Johnston, Ceilum Doherty, Odhran Murdock, Andrew Gilmore 0-1.
1. Niall Kane (Kilcoo)
2. Patrick McCarthy (Burren), 3. Pierce Laverty (Noamh Phadraig Sabhal), 4. Anthony Doherty (RGU Downpatrick)
5. Miceal Rooney (Kilcoo), 6. Ceilum Doherty (Kilcoo), 7. Daniel Magill (Burren)
8. Daniel Guinness (Carryduff), 14. Pat Havern (Saval)
13. Eugene Branagan (Kilcoo), 11. Liam Kerr (Burren), 12. Rory Mason (Loughinisland)
10. Shealan Johnston (Kilcoo), 9. Odhran Murdock (Burren), 15. Ryan Johnston (Kilcoo)
Subs:
1. Sean Brennan (Dunderry)
2. Adam O’Neill (Wolfe Tones), 3. Ronan Ryan (Summerhill), 17. Ciaran Caulfield (Trim)
5. Donal Keogan (Rathkenny – Captain), 6. Padraic Harnan (Moynalvey), 7. Sean Coffey (Ballinabrackey)
8. Ronan Jones (St Peter’s, Dunboyne), 9. Conor Gray (Dunshaughlin)
20. Jack Flynn (Ratoath), 11. James McEntee (Curraha), 19. Cathal Hickey (Seneschalstown)
13. Jordan Morris (Kingscourt Stars), 14. Mathew Costello (Dunshaughlin), 15. Aaron Lynch (Trim)
Subs:
Referee: Noel Mooney (Cavan).
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Written by Paul Keane and posted on the42.ie
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