Coyle falls on his sword after Limerick humiliation

The world caved in on Meath football on Saturday night as Colm Coyle"s side were humbled by Limerick in the first round of the All-Ireland SFC qualifiers and - as if that wasn"t enough - the County Committee is on the look-out for a new coach as Coyle stepped down from his role in the hot seat in the aftermath of the humiliating loss. The position of Meath manager has been a poisoned chalice since 2001. Sean Boylan, Eamonn Barry and Coyle have all aimed to bring Sam Maguire back to the banks of the Boyne since then, but none has been successful. Coyle"s departure, however, was something of a surprise, especially after he had guided the team to an unexpected All-Ireland SFC semi-final against Cork in his first year in charge. However, the 10-point drubbing inflicted by the Rebels in that contest has since been followed by a massive second-half collapse against Wexford and Saturday"s calamity in Limerick, and it was these results that have prompted Coyle to call time on his tenure as coach. 'It is results that count and that is what we are judged on, but they haven"t been good. It wasn"t a typical Meath performance in Limerick so there is obviously something wrong,' said Coyle yesterday (Tuesday) morning. 'We have all put a lot of time and effort into it, but it didn"t work. We all have to take responsibility, but at the end of the day, the buck stops with me.' As if Coyle"s departure wasn"t a enough of a blow for Meath football, veteran players Darren Fay and Graham Geraghty also announced that their inter-county careers have come to an end. With five All-Star awards between them and All-Ireland victors" medals garnered in 1996 and 1999, the pair have been the cornerstone of Meath football in recent times with over 100 games between them. There was some joy for Meath supporters last weekend, however, with the minor team enjoying success in the Leinster MFC final at Croke Park when they defeated Offaly by 1-14 to 2-10. This was the 10th provincial minor title claimed by Meath and victory was secured with a last-gasp point from David Ryan after the Offaly defence had struggled to clear a Mark Battersby free. Meath"s only goal was netted by Bective"s Darragh Smyth and what a crucial score it proved to be as the Royals marched to a welcome success.