Meath claimed the Tailteann Cup in Croke Park on Saturday with a terrific second-half performance against Down.
Goals were the difference in the end – the first incredibly lucky and the second late on proving to be the icing on the cake.
While there were five points in it at the final whistle, this was a tight tussle and Down will rue some missed goal opportunities.
But it was Meath's day and overall they deserved their victory, while Jack Flynn was well worth his Player of the Match accolade.
After a cagey start, Down looked to be pulling away when they led 0-04 to 0-01, but a fortuitous Meath goal on 17 minutes changed the complexion of the game.
Flynn lobbed a shot in from distance with a point in mind, but the ball pounded off the upright and dropped in front of goal where it deflected off Ronan Jones and into the net.
Aaron Lynch tagged on a point and with that, Colm O’Rourke’s men took the lead for the first time.
Pat Havern levelled from a free, but it was nip and tuck for the rest of the half with the swirling wind resulting in five wides for Meath and four for Down in the half with only two more scores to come.
Matthew Costello nudged the Royal County in front 1-03 to 0-05 with 20 minutes on the clock but despite Down being reduced to 14 men on 29 minutes when Ceilum Doherty was black carded, Meath couldn’t capitalise and it was Liam Kerr who levelled for Down with a low shot over the bar, that really should have been a goal, seconds before the half-time whistle.
The Mournemen could in fact have had led at the break, but Ryan Johnston missed a sitter when one-on-one with Meath ’keeper Sean Brennan. The Kilcoo forward had too much time to place the ball and uncharacteristically fired straight at Brennan.
Down 'keeper Niall Kane scored two super points, the first from a free and the second from a ’45, early in the second period before Doherty returned to the field, but Cathal Hickey and Jones cancelled those scores out and Jack O’Connor, who was only on as a sub, put Meath into a 1-06 to 0-08 lead.
That gap was soon widened to three points and as the clock ticked on it became the Flynn show with four points accompanied by fist pumps, while Havern tried desperately to keep up with a brace of frees and a point from play.
Ní chreidim é! Meath have the ball in the back of the Down net and while Ronan Jones will claim it, fair to say he knew very little about it.
— The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) July 15, 2023
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Meath led 1-12 to 0-15 when five minutes stoppage time was announced and it increasingly looked like only a goal would do for Down.
Chances for three-pointers came and went for the Mournemen but Meath finished with a flourish when O’Connor burst forward and shot for goal. Kane looked to have made the save but he couldn’t keep the ball out of his net and with that Meath claimed the Tailteann Cup.
Down: Niall Kane (0-02, 0-01f, 0-01’45); Patrick McCarthy, Pierce Laverty, Anthony Doherty; Miceal Rooney, Ceilum Doherty (0-01), Daniel Magill; Daniel Guinness, Odhran Murdock (0-01); Shealan Johnston (0-01), Liam Kerr (0-02), Rory Mason; Eugene Branagan, Pat Havern (0-04, 0-03fs), Ryan Johnston (0-02).
Subs: Shane Annett for Mason (42), Donach McAleenan for S Johnston (55), Andrew Gilmore (0-01) for Magill (58), Patrick Branagan for McCarthy (59), Ryan McEvoy for Guinness (62).
Meath: Sean Brennan; Adam O’Neill, Ronan Ryan, Ciaran Caulfield; Donal Keogan, Padraic Harnan, Sean Coffey; Ronan Jones (0-01), Conor Gray; Cathal Hickey (0-02), James McEntee, Jack Flynn; (1-04); Jordan Morris, Matthew Costello (0-03, 0-02fs), Aaron Lynch (0-01).
Subs: Jack O’Connor (1-02) for Lynch (46), Cillian O’Sullivan for McEntee (52), Harry O’Higgins for Caulfield (56), Donal Lenihan for Morris (65), Daithi McGowan for Hickey (68).
Referee: Noel Mooney (Cavan).
