Meath secure second win with dogged display

Meath.....2-22

Tyrone....2-14

Victory was hard earned for Meath in Tyrone GAA's Centre of Excellence at Garvaghey as the visitors had to show plenty of character and endeavour to get the better of Tyrone in today's NHL Div 2 encounter.

Having scrapped past Donegal in their round one clash, Meath had a bye last weekend, while Tyrone were comprehensively beaten by Donegal.

That line of form suggested the possibility of a comfortable afternoon for Johnny Greville's Royal charges, but it was far from easy for Meath who trailed by a point at the break and were only four points up as the clock hit 70 minutes.

There was a significant gulf in class with Meath playing almost all the positive hurling, but Tyrone had their threats and with Meath struggling in the discipline department they conceded 12 points from frees with the lively Aidy Kelly inflicting most of that damage.

In contrast all bar six points of Meath's tally came from open play as they knitted together several excellent passages of play, but just struggled to pull away until the final quarter.

Meath got dragged into a dog fight and almost paid the penalty, but the class eventually told with Daire Shine, James Cooke, Nicky Potterton, James Kelly, Jack Regan and especially Evan Fitzgerald producing fine performances.

Playing into the teeth of a stiff breeze Meath started well with Fitzgerald pointing after 11 seconds and Regan adding the first of his six frees two minutes later.

Ciaran Magill replied with the first of just two points from play for Tyrone and after Shine restored Meath's two-point cushion Kelly clipped over two frees to restore parity after 10 minutes.

Regan (free), Joey Cole and Cian Rogers settled Meath with fine points, but again ill-discipline allowed Tyrone stay in contention as Kelly sandwiched a pointed free from Michael Little to make it 0-6 each.

James Kelly edged Meath ahead for the third time and when Nicky Potterton cut in from a tight angle to fire the opening goal in the 26th minute it suggested Meath would move through the gears.

However Tyrone continued to battle and spoil the Royals. Tiernan Moran, who was later sent off for two yellow card offences, scored his side's second, and last, point from play before Little converted a free after Jarlath Ennis had handled on the ground.

Regan with a massive free into the wind made it 1-8 to 0-8, but Tyrone finished the half strong as Kiefer Morgan made a spectacular fetch before turning and batting to the net and then Kelly added another free to give the hosts a surprise interval lead, 1-9 to 1-8.

That was the only time Tyrone had their noses in front as Fitzgerald restored parity 40 seconds after the restart and then Regan popped over a fine point a minute later to make it 1-10 to 1-9.

Rogers put two points between the sides before Tyrone had a let off when Conall Molloy misjudged Regan's long range free, but the ball hit Little on the line behind the goalkeeper and was cleared.

Two more points from Potterton extended Meath's lead to four and that advantage was maintained as Fitzgerald struck a magnificent point to cancel out another Kelly free.

The next six points were shared by Regan and Kelly and when the Kiltale man added another it pushed Meath's lead out to 1-18 to 1-13 before Tiernan Morgan was sent-off in the 66th minute.

Another free from Regan and a scrambled point from Darren O'Higgins made it 1-20 to 1-13 in Meath's favour.

Kelly (free) and Regan traded scores before Tyrone gave themselves brief hope with a scrambled goal from Ciaran Magill.

A minute later Fitzgerald neutralised that goal with a fine finish of his own to restore Meath's comfortable advantage and Regan had the last word as Meath made it two wins from two.

Meath - Philip O'Brien; Jarlath Ennis, Mickey Burke, Ben Holden; James Kelly (0-1), Daire Shine (0-1), Simon Ennis; James Cooke, Joey Cole (0-1); Evan Fitzgerald (1-3), James Toher, Kris Gorman; Nicky Potterton (1-2), Jack Regan (0-11 six frees), Cian Rogers (0-2). Subs - Mikey Cole for Gorman, Domhnall Rogers for Holden both half-time, Darren O'Higgins (0-1) for C Rogers, Damien Healy for Toher both 47m, Kyle Donnelly for Burke 61m.

Tyrone - Conall Molloy; Fionn Corry, Dean Rafferty, Michael Coyle; Francie Hurson, Fionn Devlin, Tiernan Morgan (0-1); Turlough Mullin, Correy Bell; Aidy Kelly (0-10 frees), Ciaran Magill (1-1), Kiefer Morgan (1-0); Aidan Woods, Michael Little (0-2 frees), Branan Molloy. Subs - Lorcan Devlin for Bell 47m, Mark McCann for Woods 54m, Conal McKee for Mullin 59m, Ronan Maguire for B Molloy 62, Cian McGuigan for Morgan.

Referee - Caymon Flynn (Westmeath).