Meath knocked 2005 champions Tyrone out of this year’s All-Ireland SFC race with a hard-earned victory in the second of today’s quarter-finals at Croke Park.
The Royals failed to score during the final quarter-hour but did enough to book a semi-final date with Cork, whom they memorably met in the 1987, 1988 and 1990 All-Ireland finals.
A stunning 24th-minute goal from Sean Cavanagh kept Tyrone in touch as they trailed 0-10 to 1-05 at half-time.
Owen Mulligan netted two minutes into the second half to send the Ulster men in front but a palmed goal finish from Graham Geraghty in the 45th-minute saw Meath reassume control in front of 52,049 spectators.
Old stagers Geraghty and Darren Fay, who both played in the Meath team that beat Tyrone in the 1996 All-Ireland semi-final, rolled back the years as they produced two brilliant individual performances.
Former captain Geraghty's goal, a lovely piece of instinctive finishing which caught out Tyrone goalkeeper John Devine, came at just the right time and full-back Fay's defensive clearances were simply heroic at times.
While Meath did have plenty of big performers, including corner-forwards Stephen Bray and Brian Farrell, it is important to note that injury-hit Tyrone could easily have snatched the win.
Had Cavanagh spotted the unmarked Ger Cavlan instead of going for his second goal, Tyrone could have sprung themselves back into the lead.
The Red Hands also missed a flurry of late point chances, as a mis-firing Mulligan, substitute Stephen O'Neill, Colm McCullagh and newcomer Damien McCaul all struck frustrating wides.
Tyrone skipper Brian Dooher was passed fit to start what was his 50th Championship match but his groin injury was clearly hampering him in the first half and Enda McGinley replaced him just before the interval.
The Meath management kept everyone guessing as to their likely line-up until shortly before the throw-in when it was revealed that there would be three changes to the side that saw off Galway in the qualifiers last month.
Cormac McGuinness and Chris O'Connor both came in on the right side of the Meath defence, replacing Eoghan Harrington and Seamus Kenny, while Geraghty took Peter Curran's spot in the half-forwards.
In stark contrast to the previous quarter-final between Cork and Sligo, the quality of this tie was high throughout, with Meath settling the quicker and cantering into a 0-03 to 0-00 lead.
Mulligan knocked an early free off the post and Meath took their cue with their direct style of football catching out the Ulster champions' re-jigged defence.
In the fourth minute, Brian Farrell nipped inside Damien McCaul to shoot over from the right, while Stephen Bray followed suit in the eighth minute, getting the better of Ryan McMenamin, and Farrell followed up with a pointed free.
In between, Shane O'Rourke struck the post with a curling effort from the sideline as the Royals sought to transfer their early dominance to the scoreboard.
It took a lightning burst forward from corner-back McCaul to ignite Tyrone's challenge as he teed up Cavlan for a 12th-minute point. Raymond Mulgrew fisted over soon after as Meath's lead was cut to the minimum.
Colm Coyle’s men quickly regrouped to knock over four of the game’s next five points. Peadar Byrne, who had a goal-bound shot saved by Devine, increased his influence by setting up another point for Bray and then sending over a towering point himself.
Some industrious build-up play allowed Mulgrew the time to flight over a monster score at the other end, but that was followed by overs for teenage star O'Rourke, who bisected the posts after a looping run, and Geraghty. The latter got through an amount of work in defence and attack.
Geraghty showed great anticipation to burst onto a knockdown and point in the 22nd-minute for a 0-07 to 0-03 Meath advantage. Mulligan, Dooher and Cavanagh were largely anonymous for Tyrone up to that point.
That quickly changed when, two minutes later, Dooher flicked a ball forward for Cavanagh to hare onto and the big Moy clubman gobbled up the ground before unleashing a pile-driver of a shot to the roof of the Meath net, giving Brendan Murphy no chance.
Still, the response from Meath was an instant one as between the 25th and 29th minutes they registered three points through Bray, Farrell and Geraghty. Tyrone bounced back with a deserved score for McCaul and a McCullagh free as despite playing in patches for much of the half, Mickey Harte’s side were only 0-10 to 1-05 down at the break.
They got the start to the second half that they desired when Mulligan made up for three bad misses in the opening 35 minutes by firing home his side's second goal.
‘Mugsy’ reacted quickest after a Cavlan free had crashed down off an upright and he beat Murphy with a measured finish low to the far right corner. Amazingly, Tyrone were now 2-05 to 0-10 ahead having never risen above third gear.
Farrell levelled from a free, though, and then played a crucial role in Meath’s only goal. He nudged Kevin Reilly's delivery into Geraghty's path and the 34-year-old forward, chased by two Tyrone defenders, held his nerve to palm the ball over the advancing Devine for an inspired finish.
McCullagh answered back for a Tyrone side that were teetering on the break of elimination from the Championship. Could they raise their game in the closing 20 minutes? The answer was no, as a brace of points from hard-working midfielders Nigel Crawford (48 minutes) and Mark Ward (55) was effectively enough to see Meath through.
Left trailing by 1-13 to 2-06, the Red Hands were left searching for scores to make up the difference that never came. Mulligan pointed from the left after a quickly-taken free from Mulligan. However, then came their series of misses as they took their wides tally to 13.
Ryan Mellon did point in the 70th minute after a McCullagh goal shot had been blocked, yet Tyrone's big men were marked absent, particularly former Footballer-of-the-Year Stephen O'Neill who, clearly not match-fit after hamstring and knee injuries, hit some glaring misses including one from an injury-time '45'.
So Meath march on and what money now on a rematch with their Leinster conquerors and arch rivals Dublin at Croke Park on 16 September?
For Tyrone, the regrouping and recovery from those pesky injuries will begin as soon as possible as Harte continues the hunt for the county’s third All-Ireland title.
Speaking to RTÉ Sport's Joanne Cantwell afterwards, Harte confirmed that he would be staying on as Tyrone manager.
'Maybe some people would like me to go but they are not going to get their way. I’m looking forward to the final year of my second three years in charge,' he admitted.
Meath: B Murphy; C McGuinness, D Fay, N McKeigue; C O’Connor, K Reilly, C King; M Ward (0-01), N Crawford (0-01); G Geraghty (1-02), A Moyles (capt), P Byrne (0-01); S Bray (0-03), S O’Rourke (0-01), B Farrell (0-04, 3f).
Subs used: S Kenny for Byrne (half-time), C McCarthy for O’Rourke (61 mins), C Ward for Bray (67), S MacGabhann for Fay (68).
Tyrone: J Devine; R McMenamin, J McMahon, D McCaul (0-01); D Harte, C Gormley, P Jordan; K Hughes, S Cavanagh (1-00); B Dooher (capt), R Mulgrew (0-02), R Mellon (0-01); C McCullagh (0-02, 1f), G Cavlan (0-01), O Mulligan (1-01).
Subs used: E McGinley for Dooher (35 mins), T McGuigan for Hughes (55), D Carlin for Jordan (60), S O’Neill for Cavlan (63).
Referee: Vincent Neary (Mayo).
