Durnin completes a great escape for the Royals

Meath 4-8, London 0-10 There was a time when Meath footballers were noted for their powers of recovery, clawing their way back from near impossible situations to achieve a victory. Now the hurlers have shown that they are just as good if not better at transforming a seemingly hopeless situation into a victory as they did in the Christy Ring Cup at Pairc Tailteann on Sunday. London finished this game with only 14 men with full-back Brian Costello attracting his second yellow card on the hour for a foul on Noel Kirby. Yet even the dismissal of Costello can hardly explain London's collapse in the closing stages. The story of how the goal came that completed the comeback deserves to be told again and again. Three minutes into added time and trailing by a two points, Meath launched a last desperate attempt to save their day. Two points down they needed something special. Damien Healy played a ball into Peter Durnin who was hauled down on the edge of the 'square.' London put plenty of manpower on the goal-line. With the seconds ticking they just needed to keep their opponents out. Up stepped Stephen Clynch who blasted the ball low and hard from the 13m free. The sliotar was blocked, but London couldn't clear it out of the danger zone. Instead it broke to Durnin who fired home from about 12 metres out. There was further time allowed but neither side could manage a score. It was heartbreak for London. Joy for the home side. At half-time in Sunday's remarkable encounter anyone who suggested that Meath would ultimately go on to win would stand in danger of being carried away by men in white coats - and they wouldn't be the umpires. The Exiles led by 3-8 to 0-6 and were in cruise control with the umpires at the Meath goals busily waving green and white flags. Everything that London tried in that opening half seemed to work while nothing went Meath's way and their was the real prospest of a mother-and-father of a beating. The second-half turned out to be a remarkable affair with Meath steadily clawing their way back into contention and London somehow losing their way - and ultimately the game. It wasn't as if London in the first-half and Meath after the break had the advantage of a hurricane wind to aid them. On a calm, dry, sunny, if cool day, conditions were perfect yet somehow this amazing, topsy-turvy encounter turned out to be a classic game of two halves. A real 'Jekyll and Hyde affair' as Meath manager Cillian Farrell described it. It says a lot about how the drama unfolded that Meath made all their five substitutions either during the course of the first-half or at half-time as well as a rash of positional changes to try and find some sort of momentum. They were all made to try and halt a rapidly deteriorating situation and they did eventually help to turn the tide. Another feature of this game was the fact that all Meath's scores came from just four players with Clynch leading the way with 2-2. London's tally was concocted with contributions from nine players including the full-forward line of Jonathan Maher, Martin Finn and Kevin Walsh who bagged a goal apiece. One of the switches made by Meath manager Cillian Farrell was to move Clynch from midfield to a half-forward postion and that went a long way to discommoding the London defence that became increasingly harassed as the game went on. It was a goal from a Clynch free on 41 minutes that eventually launched his team's comebacks of comebacks. With 64 minutes on the clock the Kilmessan man made another huge contribution to the Lazarus-like revival taking a pass from the impressive Sean Heavey before firing to the net. He also contributed two points from frees in the first-half. And while Clynch's powerfully hit free at the end didn't breach London's defence it did cause problems and Durnin was on hand to fire home the loose ball for the winner. Clynch shared the free-taking duties with Noel Kirby who slotted over two points from placed balls and one from play with the Kildlakey man forced to kick the ball over the bar. Heavey typificed Meath's second-half display. Forced to feed of scraps in the opening half he never gave up always looking for openings, driven on by his competitive nature and will to win. Despite limited possession he did manage to get two points in the first 35 minutes and he snaffled a goal on 53 minutes. This time the ball was played in by Clynch and Heavey, from about 15 metres, did the rest with a stinging drive that left his side 'only' 2-8 to 3-10 behind. It was arguably that goal more than any other score that indicated Meath could turn this deficit around, that the impossible would be possible. By that stage the home players were winning their personal battles all over the pitch their play now filled with a new confidence and brio. That certainly wasn't the case in the opening half as London dominated. With a team bulked up with players from hurling strongholds such as Kilkenny, Cork, Tipperary and Clare they showed a far superior touch. They looked stronger, fitter and more focussed for the battle. Having travelled the day before and stayed in a Dublin hotel they showed they were up for this one - at least for the first-half. At times they sliced through the Meath defence with consummate ease their stickwork and quick-thinking carving out chance after chance. The danger signs for Meath were there from early on and the red lights should have been flashing after just 15 minutes when Finn dispossed Enda Fitzgerald and centred for Maher who had the time and space to pick his spot beyond Shane McGann. McGann had no chance with any of London's goals and he was also responsible for one of his by now characteristic wonder-saves when he somehow got a touch to a Walsh piledriver midway through the opening half. How crucial that save turned out to be. Willie Mahady also had a good game and a couple of neat interceptions denied opponents scores. London goalkeeper Tommy Williams also saved brilliantly from Colm " Mealóid on the stroke of full-time. It looked like Meath might miss the boat. Shortly afterwards Durnin stepped forward to fire home and complete the most unlikiest of comebacks. SCORERS Meath - S Clynch 2-2 two pointed frees; S Heavey 1-2; N Kirby 0-3 two frees; P Durnin 1-1. London - M Finn 1-2 pointed frees; J Maher 1-0; K Walsh 1-0; J Egan 0-3; M Walsh 0-1; C Quinn 0-1; E Cooney 0-1; P Sloane 0-1; H Vaughan 0-1. TEAMS Meath - Shane McGann; Cormac Reilly, Enda Fitzgerald, Willie Mahady; James Toher, Paul Fagan, Stephen Morris; Stephen Clynch, Stephen Donoghue; Sean Heavey, Noel Kirby, Colm O Mealóid; Keith Keoghan, Nicky Horan, James Kelly. Subs - Damien Healy for Horan 19mins; Ciaran Fitzsimons for Fagan; Ray Massey for Keoghan 32m; P Durnin for Kelly and M Burke for Donoghue both half- time. London - T Williams; E Walsh, B Costello, G Fennelly; M Walsh, P J Rowe, L Mackey; C Quinn, E Cooney; P Sloane, J Egan, H Vaughan; J Maher, M Finn, K Walsh. Subs - D Maher for Egan 52mins; G Hill for M Walsh 59m; T Hogan for Sloane 64m; S Ryan for Maher 68m. Referee - Patrick Murphy (Carlow).