Meath 2-6 Down 2-6
The Tailteann trapdoor got stuck in Navan this afternoon, as neither Down nor Meath could find a way to win this strange, weather-dictated - and destroyed - contest. Both were under pressure to win this so they could move away from the bottom of the table and escape relegation and its sundry complications but despite glimmers of opportunity, neither managed to do so.
There will be regrets on either side. Down, after a second half on the ropes, finished the stronger and Caolan Mooney had late chances. In the 68th minute he had the ball taken off his boot by Pádraic Harnan and then in one of the last plays, he fisted the ball off the bar.
Meath were able to bring back Ronan Jones after injury and he had an excellent match, getting tirelessly involved and helping his midfield to dominate the area. After two disappointing defeats, this was better from the home team but they were surely targeting more.
You would have got long odds on the visitors’ half-time total being sufficient to avoid defeat but that’s what happened. It wasn’t hugely surprising in that the gale that was blowing effectively dropped a curtain down the centre of the pitch.
Down simply couldn't get out of their half during the second period. Rory Burns, their fashionably adventurous goalkeeper, who at one point was contesting possession at centrefield, tried everything to get the ball to teammates but after some early success, Meath took everything and had a platform for victory.
They simply couldn’t create an abundance of chances and couldn’t convert those that they did.
Yet the first half had been a blast. The wind almost appeared to play to the strengths of the teams. Meath’s patience on the ball created immediate pressure and ultimately clever, close passing movements got them goals. When Down got their hands on possession they looked surprised by Meath’s swarming attentions and conceded early turnovers.
For their part, the visitors harnessed the elements to play quick ball up front where Pat Havern and Andrew Gilmore made hay. Between them they scored 2-4 from play.
Goals were abundant. Meath also got two, the first finished by corner back Robin Clarke after good interplay between Jordan Morris and Thomas O'Reilly to grab the lead, 1-2 to 0-3. Gilmore was in immediately to wrest back the initiative after Meath lost possession in the middle and he then took a mark to score a quick point.
Jason Scully was next and converted a chance created by Matthew Costello and Donal Keogan. Two minutes later, in the 22nd, Havern replied in kind. It was like watching a tennis match, heads swivelling from side to side in the small attendance.
Havern went in at half-time with 1-3 to his name and his team with a three point lead after a Gilmore free and point from the busy Darren O’Hagan, who lost no opportunity to press forward.
There was much pondering amongst the technically minded as to how many points the wind was worth on the GAA’s Beaufort scale but the consensus was that it had to be worth more than three.
Meath coach Colm Nally, who was deputising for suspended manager Andy McEntee, accepted that the odds were stacked in their favour.
“Yeah, they sure were but the breeze, although it was very, very direct down into the scoreboard end, we were probably a bit slow in our attack play and that allowed Down set up.
“When we tried to swing the ball from left to right we were too slow in doing that, and that was allowing Down to get out and put pressure on us and we couldn’t work the ball into the shooting areas that we wanted to. A little bit disappointed in that, but hopefully we can learn from that and improve the next day.”
The weather was worse and there was a sequence of play in which handling errors and apparently inexplicable turnovers were exchanged.
Meath managed to claw back the deficit by the 60th minute after Jordan Morris' free finally levelled the match. They couldn't get ahead. Goalkeeper Harry Hogan was unable to replicate the impressive accuracy of the first half against the wind and missed a few dead-ball kicks after half-time.
Matters also got heated. There had been a couple of rash, head-high challenges on Down players and in the rising temperature of injury-time, their manager James McCartan was yellow-carded.
By then the visitors were picking up tempo, as the pace of Liam Kerr and Mooney carved out a few chances that came to nothing.
Morris did have a late chance but the wind lifted his free high in the air and dropped it more or less beside him.
A draw was probably not what either team had hoped for but both Nally and McCartan were prepared to put a positive spin on it, suggesting that point might be useful in the shake-up.
The Meath coach had less cheery news when disclosing that long-term injuries Brian Menton and Conor McGill would miss the league altogether.
McCartan was asked about any possible return of Kilcoo players after their All-Ireland club victory.
“I genuinely can’t answer that question. Look, I’ve a few calls out and I’m waiting for calls back. There’s none of them here today; I think they’re entitled to a wee break. Hopefully, over the next couple of weeks, you might see some of them.”
Next up for Meath is Offaly away and for Down, Roscommon at home.
Meath: H Hogan (0-2, frees); E Harkin, J Muldoon, R Clarke (1-0); D Keogan, S McEntee, C Hickey; R Jones; E Devine, P Harnan, T O'Reilly, M Costello; J Morris (0-2, frees), S Walsh (0-2, one free), J Scully (1-0).
Subs: C O'Sullivan for Scully (45 mins), E Wallace for Devine (62 mins), J O'Connor for O'Reilly (65 mins), B McMahon for Walsh (71 mins).
Down: R Burns; P Fegan, F McElroy, G Collins; D O'Hagan (0-1), N McPartland, R McCormack; A Doherty, C Poland; C Mooney, L Kerr, O Murdock; R McCormack; J McCartan, A Gilmore (1-2, 1m), P Havern (1-3).
Subs: B O'Hagan for McCartan (21 mins), P Laverty for McCormack (29 mins), K McKernan for Havern (47 mins), A Lynch for Collins (58 mins), C Quinn for B O'Hagan (63 mins).
Referee: N Mooney (Cavan).
