Duke goal sparks wild scenes in Mullingar

NFL DIV 2 Meath leave it late to maintain promotion push

That old 'never-say-die' spirit is still alive and well in Meath as they produced a stunning smash and grab to claim the NFL Div 2 spoils with a dramatic 3-2-10 to 1-1-15 victory over devastated hosts Westmeath at Cusack Park today.

A sub-par first-half display saw wind assisted Meath go in at the break with just a five-point lead. Westmeath laboured to whittled down that deficit, but when they drew level in the 58th minute they looked the more likely winners.

However Meath had other ideas - and then some.

That menace of years gone by, Kieran Martin, sprung from the bench to persecute Meath once more and four minutes later he scrambled a goal to give the hosts a 1-16 to 2-11 lead.

Meath never panicked.

Bryan Menton and Eoghan Frayne from a tap over free drew the Royals level, but as the game entered injury-time Eoin Harkin was pinged for over-carrying and Robbie Forde converted to edge his side in front again.

Quick thinking from a difficult free by Jordan Morris set up Frayne for Meath's equaliser two minutes into injury-time and it seemed both sides were happy to settle for a draw.

Ciaran Caulfield did have a chance but pulled his effort. however, that wasn't the end of the drama.

As the stopwatch ticked into the 40th minute of the second-half the clock in Cusack Park showed just seconds left when Keith Curtis shot from a difficult. His effort clearly wasn't going to make it, but while others around his stood waiting for the final hooter Conor Duke gathered possession and let fly a rasper to the top corner just as the hooter blew.

Cue wild scenes of jubilation, consternation, confrontation and confusion.

The Meath players were swarmed by their adorning fans. The Westmeath faithful and their players and management went straight for the nearest match official they could find.

All sorts of accusations and protests were volleys at the referee, his linesmen and the fourth official.

The were adamant the goal was scored after the hooter had sounded and shouldn't have stood. Others argued that Meath only had two men back in their own half at the time.

However, all pleas and protests fell on deaf ears as the goal stood and Meath celebrated.

The arguments continued in the tunnel after the players had left the field. Westmeath manager Dermot McCabe was furious. He demanded answers, he wanted points of clarification on a number of issues including why the referee Barry Judge had appeared to award Westmeath a free in before changing it to a free out for Meath moments before Frayne's injury-time equaliser.

Laptops showing video evidence of some of the contentious calls were produced, but they didn't feature any of the harsh calls that also went against Meath, particularly in the second-half when they were called back on a number of occasions for overcarrying calls.

It was a tough defeat for Westmeath to take, but they can only have themselves to blame. They had Meath on the ropes in the second-half, but failed to deliver the knockout blow.

Meath showed magnificence composure, patience and resilience to defy their poor performance and still emerge victorious - what's is it that's said about a team that plays poorly and still wins?

Meath were poor from the off. Even with the wind at their backs they struggled to find their range in the opening half and found themselves 0-0 to 0-3 down inside eight minutes as Luke Loughlin (two) and Danny McCartan pointed for Westmeath.

Duke opened his side's account a minute later, but patience was the key for Westmeath as Matthew Whittaker and Brandon Kelly extended the hosts lead to 0-5 to 0-1.

Meath were struggling, but they were given the perfect boost when Duke was fouled and Bryan Menton's quick thinking from the free set up Jordan Morris who executed a brilliant finish to the net for a 15th minute goal.

That was just the spark Meath needed. Frayne pointed a free before Duke kicked his second point. Jack Flynn made it 1-5 to 0-5 with a two-pointer before Duke's third point pushed Meath's lead out to four points.

Westmeath replied with points from Forde and Whittaker, but those scores were wiped out by a two-pointer from Morris. Forde replied with a point, but then Meath were awarded a penalty when it appeared that a Westmeath defender had thrown the ball off the line as Shane Walsh tried to scramble a goal from Morris's centre.

Morris spot-kick was hip-height to Conor McCormack's right and the half-forward-come-goalkeeper saved well to deny the Meath man.

Westmeath replied with a point three minutes into injury-time to close the gap to two, but in the final attack of the half Morris's two-point attempt dropped short where Adam O'Neill gathered and fired to the net just before the hooter sounded to secure a 2-8 to 0-9 lead for Meath.

Westmeath closed that gap to two points within five minutes of the restart as Sam McCartan, Brian Cooney and Loughlin pointed. Flynn settled Meath with a point, but both sides were guilty of squandering decent chances before Loughlin (free) and Conor Dillon made it 0-14 to 2-9.

Morris's converted free was cancelled out by a two-point free from Loughlin that drew Westmeath level and even though Frayne restored Meath's lead in the 60th minute there only looked like one winner when Martin scrambled his side's lead goal.

However that was only the start of the late drama as Meath produced their stunning late 'smash-and-grab' to claim the spoils.

Meath - Billy Hogan; Seamus Lavin, Sean Rafferty, Donal Keogan; Brian O'Halloran, Adam O'Neill (1-0), Ciarán Caulfield; Jack Flynn (0-3 one two-point), Bryan Menton (0-1); Conor Duke (1-3), Jack Kinlough, Thomas O'Reilly; Jordan Morris (1-3 one free, one two-point), Shane Walsh, Eoghan Frayne (0-4 two frees). Subs - Cillian O'Sullivan for O'Reilly 26m, Eoin Harkin for O'Neill 47m, Aaron Lynch for Walsh 51m, Keith Curtis for O'Sullivan 62m, Michael Murphy for O'Halloran 73m.

Westmeath - Conor McCormack; Jamie Gonoud, Jack Geoghegan, Conor Dillon (0-1); Joe Moran, Robbie Forde (0-3 two frees), Sam McCartan (0-1); Ray Connellan, Fionn O'Hara; Danny McCartan (0-1), Brian Cooney (0-1), Matthew Whittaker (0-2); Lorcan Dolan (0-1), Luke Loughlin (0-6 one free, one two-point free), Brandon Kelly (0-1). Subs - Kieran Martin (1-0) for Kelly 54m, Ronan Wallace for Dolan 59m, Andrew Kilmartin for Cooney 68m,

Referee - Barry Judge (Sligo).