Meath toppled in madcap encounter

Despite scoring enough to win most games comfortably Meath lost out to Galway 5-22 to 7-17 in a roller-coaster, madcap All-Ireland JFC semi-final at Dr Hyde Park, Roscommon today. 

What a game this turned out to be as Meath, who were in commanding positions several times,  somehow ended up losing. 

At half-time in normal time Meath led 3-9 to 2-5 and even going into the closing seconds of normal time they were still ahead by three only to concede a goal scored by Galway's Enda Tierney and it was on to extra-time. 

Even then the sides were neck and neck but Galway found that little bit extra to win out and progress to the final. 

Kevin Ross was one of the Meath players who sparkled for most of the warm afternoon ending up with 2-6 while Jason Scully, who had an excellent game, Sean Reilly, and Michael Flood, with super goal, also found the net for the Leinster champions. Stephen Coogan also had a big impact with six points, three frees, one '65'. 

Meath's sharpness in attack was matched by a vulnerability in defence and that was highlighted most cruelly in the final stages of normal time. Ahead by 4-17 to 5-11 with time almost up Galway launched a final atttack and Tierney knocked the ball to the net. 

Flood got Meath's final goal in extra-time to edge them brifely ahead but Galway were able to conjure up a stronger finish with their full-back Colm Brennan getting the third of his hat-trick of goals.  Gary Kelly was also a big player for the Connacht side with 2-7, one of his goals from a penalty, Padraig O'Donnell was another to find the net for the men in maroon as well as Tierney.  

Meath manager Davy Nelson sought to apply some logic afterwards to a crazy game but it was one of those occasions when the normal laws of the game, or indeed logic, simply didn't apply.

See match report, quotes and photograph from an extraordinary game in next issue of the Meath Chronicle.