Joe Sheridan and Mairtin Doran hit eight points between them as Meath beat last year's league champions Armagh by 0-19 to 1-09 - condemning Joe Kernan's side to their second defeat of the current NFL Division 1A campaign.
The Royals made up for losing last week in Down as centre forward Sheridan (0-05) and full-forward Doran (0-03) took the plaudits in Navan. The result sees Meath lie in fourth place in the Division 1B table.
So impressed were the Pairc Tailteann faithful that they afforded Eamonn Barry's charges a standing ovation as they came off at the finish.
Against the wind, Meath led 0-09 to 0-05 at half time with Rory Maguire slotting three early points. They were 0-04 to no score ahead after only 12 minutes as Sheridan, Brian Farrell, Doran and Maguire found their range.
Injury-hit Armagh, who brought Oisin McConville in off the bench during the opening 35, were aided by overs from Peadar Toal, Stephen McDonnell (0-02), Stephen Kernan and Paddy McKeever before the end of first half.
With Barry Lynch and Nigel Crawford on song in midfield, Meath looked comfortable and had enough in the tank to allow Sheridan dink a second half penalty over the bar.
Armagh boss Kernan reacted by replacing Gareth Swift with the more experienced Philip Loughran at centre-field, but the latter could do little to help the Orchard cause.
While the visitors vented their frustration in the first half when an umpire appeared to award them a goal, only to change his mind, they could have been further behind but for two brilliant saves by 'keeper Ciaran McKinney. He twice saved at the feet of Maguire to spare the Ulster champions' blushes.
Crawford got off the mark to help Meath into a 0-14 to 0-06 lead, and while McConville, back from injury, did snatch a late Armagh goal - cheekily taking a quick 59th-minute free and blasting it to the home net - to cut the deficit to 1-08 to 0-18, the score was a meaningless one with many of the travelling supporters already on the long journey home.
