Meath 3-07 Armagh 1-06

Joe Sheridan scored two goals as Meath got the better of Armagh in a lively Allianz NFL Division 2 encounter at Páirc Tailteann.

Armagh scored only two points in the entire second half - through Aaron Kernan and Oisin McConville - as the Royals cantered home.

It was a tight affair in the first half. Goals from Sheridan and Cian Ward, in reply to an early Aidan O'Rourke penalty, had the hosts 2-03 to 1-04 ahead at half-time.

With Armagh falling off the pace, a Sheridan penalty wrapped up Meath's third league win.

Needing a win to keep themselves in the hunt for promotion, Meath led initially thanks to a Stephen Bray but a ninth-minute foul on Stephen McDonnell allowed O'Rourke to slam home from the penalty spot.

Armagh, who had their captain Paul McGrane back from suspension, leaked a goal almost immediately and indeed it was the first goal Meath had scored in this year's league.

Sheridan played a quick one-two with Graham Geraghty before firing the ball past Armagh goalkeeper Paul Hearty.

Midway through the half, Meath collected their second goal.

Cian Ward's right-footed free from distance did not have the legs to clear the crossbar but it deceived Hearty and his defenders as the ball wormed its way into the net.

Armagh responded well with points from Tony Kernan, O'Rourke and McDonnell but overs from Ward, who went off injured, and Peadar Byrne handed Colm Coyle's side a two-point buffer to take into the second half.

The Orchard men, eager for action after last weekend's postponed Dublin game, knocked over the first point on the restart through wing back Aaron Kernan.

Things were beginning to heat up as Meath introduced young starlet Shane O'Rourke and Armagh veteran McConville also entered the fray.

But the game took on a one-sided feel as Graham Reilly, Sheridan and Byrne all kicked points and Sheridan took his tally to 2-02 with a crisply-struck penalty, after a foul on Byrne.

The Royals could also afford to take off lynchpin defender Darren Fay, to a hearty round of applause, as they looked ahead to their final game against neighbours Dublin.

McConville tapped over a free in the 69th-minute for Armagh's sixth point, only for Sheridan to reply in injury-time, and there could be further repercussions for Peter McDonnell's side from this game.

Martin O'Rourke could be in hot water after the referee was seen to show him two yellow cards during the course of the game.

But the Dromintee clubman was not sent-off and remained on the pitch before he was substituted shortly afterwards by the Armagh management.