Meath hold on to claim deserved Down victory

Meath 0-3-18 (24)

Down 1-3-12 (21)

Chaos, confusion and consternation were the order of the evening at Pairc Esler on Saturday, but while all around them were losing their heads Meath kept theirs to claim their second win of the NFL Div 2 campaign with a 0-3-18 (24) to 1-3-12 (21) point win over hosts Down.

Chaos was brought about by the frantic nature of the new rule enhancements. The whole game was awash with jeopardy and even with an seven point lead in the 58th minute Meath were still not safe, such is the value of the score from outside the 40-metre arc.

That lead was built between the 47th and 58th minute when Meath kicked seven scores, including two two-pointers to turn a one-point deficit into that seven point lead.

Just as they did against Cork in round two Down came rumbling back, but this time Meath defended well, although at times they lived by the seat of their pants.

Down kicked one two pointer and four other scores in the closing minutes that stretched to almost eight minutes of injury-time and caused Meath a few anxious moments, but despite Ronan Jones picking up his second black card in the closing passage of play to prevent a quick Down break and being sent-off, Meath held to claim the deserved win.

There was the fear that controversy might reign if the game had been even tighter. In the 10th minute Jones popped over a neat point from midway between the tip of the 20-metre arc and the 40-metre arc. The referee signalled for one point, but the umpire waved the orange flag for two.

Confusion over the half-time score wasn't made any clearer after the break when news was relayed to the press that the referee acknowledged that Jones's score was in fact a one-pointer, but to add further confusion he said the half-time score of 0-10 to 1-9 was also correct, even though that half-time score included Jones's score as a two-pointer - clear as mud.

As it transpired Meath's victory was more comfortable than one point and in reality it was easier than the final margin of three points as they dominated possession and played most of the game well inside Down's half.

Down were dangerous on the counter-attack and their more direct approach caused Meath problems at times, but with a huge amount of possession in their favour Meath were able to control the game well and with Jordan Morris and Eoghan Frayne kicking some magnificent scores they were able to play over the well-guard Down defence.

Despite owning the majority of the ball Meath found themselves 0-2 to 0-3 behind after nine minutes as Ceilum Doherty and the hugely accurate Pat Havern (free) added to an earlier Havern free to wipe out scores from Shane Walsh and Jack Flynn.

Jones's contentious two-pointer pushed Meath ahead and even though they were pegged back to parity by Odhran Murdock they kicked on again with scores from Billy Hogan ('45') and the magnificent Morris making it 0-6 to 0-4 before Jones received his first black card in the 15th minute.

With Meath down to 14 players they did well to limit Down to just a Havern free and superb score from Daniel Guinness which levelled the game up.

When Jones returned Bryan Menton restored Meath's lead before Frayne kicked one of the points of the night to make it 0-8 to 0-6.

Havern moved an advanced free, awarded because Meath were caught without three up, back out to the edge of the scoring arc and registered a two-pointer to restore parity, but another outrageous score from Morris edged Meath ahead again.

Down's direct style saw them hit the front with the only goal as Shay Millar's long ball dropped on the edge of the square where Ryan McEvoy gave a little Seamus Darby-esque nudge on Seamus Lavin before claiming possession and rifling to the net.

Havern (free) and Menton traded scores before the hooter sounded as Down led 1-9 to 0-10.

That lead was wiped out 90 seconds after the restart when Frayne landed a two-point free. What the free was awarded for is anyone's guess!

Havern (two, one from a free) restored Down's lead, but then came Meath's purple patch with Morris leading the charge with four huge scores, including one two-pointer.

The Kingscourt stars man could also have had a goal, but was denied brilliantly by Ronan Burns before Ciaran Caulfield and two scores from Frayne (one free) stretched Meath's lead to 0-21 to 1-11.

Under the old rules most teams would just shut up shop and [protect their big lead late in the game, but Down kept banging on the door and closed to within four with Doherty and Miceal Rooney on target.

Morris and Frayne (free) settled Meath, but a massive two-pointer from Guinness and one each from Danny Magill and Havern (free) closed the gap to 1-18 to 0-23.

However, Meath never panicked they continued to play their way and while there were a few nervous moments late on, they held on with Frayne adding the insurance score from a free after a brilliant move.

Meath - Billy Hogan (0-1 '45'); Seamus Lavin, Sean Rafferty, Donal Keogan; Brian O'Halloran, Seán Coffey, Ciarán Caulfield (0-1); Jack Flynn (0-1), Bryan Menton (0-2), Conor Duke, Jack Kinlough, Ronan Jones (0-2 one two-point); Jordan Morris (0-9 one two-point, one two-point free)), Shane Walsh (0-1), Eoghan Frayne (0-7 three frees, one two-point free). Subs - Adam O'Neill for O'Halloran 47m, James Conlon for Walsh 50m, Keith Curtis for Duke 63m, Daithi McGowan for Kinlough 70m, Ronan Ryan for Rafferty 75m.

Down - Ronan Burns; Peter Fegan, Pierce Laverty, Ceilum Doherty (0-2); Ryan Magill, Daniel Guinness (0-3 one two-point), Patrick McCarthy; Caolan Mooney, Ryan McEvoy (1-0); Danny Magill (0-1), Odhran Murdock (0-1), James Guinness; Hugh Pat McGeary, Pat Havern (0-9 six frees, one two-point free), Shay Millar. Subs - Miceal Rooney (0-2 two-point) for Mooney half-time, Aaron McClements for Millar 55m, Conor Francis for R Magill 58m, Eugene Branagan for J Guinness 63m, Patrick Brooks for Doherty 68m.

Referee - Sean Lonergan (Tipperary).