Meath open with victory over Tipperary
It certainly wasn't pretty, but it was the result that mattered as Meath got their NFL Div 2 campaign off to a winning start with a 0-15 to 1-8 victory over Tipperary at Pairc Tailteann this afternoon.
The visitors finished with 13 players after Steven O'Brien picked up a second yellow card with five minutes remaining and two minutes into injury-time Josh Keane received a black card and was sent to the sin-bin for the remainder as Meath saw out the game in complete control.
There was a spell between the 46th and 56th minute when Tipperary clawed back a four-point deficit to restore parity and with the wind behind them they looked like going on to win, but Meath settled again with substitutes Graham Reilly and Cillian O'Sullivan playing key roles.
The opening quarter was as dull as ditchwater with the teams sharing two pointed frees. Mickey Newman opened the scoring in the fifth minute before Liam McGrath responded for Tipperary two minutes later after Shane McEntee fouled Brian Fox.
In the subsequent barren 10 minutes Tipperary went closest to adding to their tally when Andy Colgan punched Liam Boland's long ball straight to Dan O'Meara, but the goalkeeper then did well to keep out O'Meara's shot.
Newman eventually restored Meath's lead in the 17thminute from another free, but then the scores became more frequent with Shane McEntee hooking a fine effort over the bar before Newman (free) and Thomas O'Reilly made it 0-5 to 0-1.
Steven O'Brien and Conor Sweeney combined to set up Boland for a fisted point, but again Newman was on target, this time from play, to restore Meath's four-point cushion.
Four minutes before the break Tipperary were gifted a lifeline when Sweeney's free hit the upright and dropped in the square where Ethan Devine was deemed to have fouled O'Meara and from the resultant spot kick Sweeney converted brilliantly to narrow the deficit to the minimum.
Meath continued to press and when Shane McEntee was fouled Newman converted the 20-metre free to ensure a 0-7 to 1-2 interval lead for the hosts.
With the wind at their backs Tipperary closed the gap within two minutes of the restart when Fox pointed, but Meath produced their best spell with Ben Brennan scoring one before setting up Bryan Menton for his first score and then Thomas O'Reilly also found the target to make it 0-10 to 1-3.
Sweeney's first point from a free settled Tipperary and they hit the next three points with Sweeney converting two more frees and McGrath also on target to restore parity with 15 minutes remaining.
Within a minute of coming on Graham Reilly ended Meath's 13 minute barren spell and when James McEntee galloped forward to make it 0-12 to 1-7 the hosts were back in control.
McGrath and Newman traded frees to maintain the two-point gap before O'Brien picked up his second yellow card with five minutes remaining for a heavy challenge on O'Reilly.
Newman added his seventh point of the afternoon, his sixth from a free, to put three points between the sides and when Cillian O'Sullivan converted a free after he was fouled by Josh Keane, who picked up a black card and a sin-binning, it put the issue beyond doubt.
Meath - Andy Colgan; Seamus Lavin, Conor McGill, Ronan Ryan; James McEntee (0-1), Donal Keogan, Niall Kane; Bryan Menton (0-1), Shane McEntee (0-1); Ethan Devine, Ben Brennan (0-1), Mickey Burke; Darragh Campion, Mickey Newman (0-7 six frees), Thomas O'Reilly (0-2). Subs – Cillian O'Sullivan (0-1 free) for Burke half-time, Sean Tobin for Devine 47 mins, Graham Reilly (0-1) for Campion 55m, Bryan McMahon for Brennan 57m, Eoin Lynch for O'Reilly 74m.
Tipperary – Evan Comerford; Alan Campbell, John Meagher, Emmett Moloney; Kevin Fahey, Daire Brennan, Jimmy Feehan; Steven O'Brien, Liam Casey; Liam Boland (0-1), Liam McGrath (0-3 two frees), Brian Fox (0-1); Dan O'Meara, Conor Sweeney (1-3 1-0 penalty, three frees), Jack Kennedy. Subs – Philip Austin for O'Meara 45 mins, Josh Keane for Boland 55m, Colm O'Shaughnessy for Feehan 64m, Kevin O'Halloran for Kennedy 70m.
Referee – Niall Cullen (Fermanagh).