Disappointing Down fail to seal the deal

1 April 2015

DOWN, but not out, as Meath snatched the two points at Páirc Esler but there will be redemption for the Red and Black if they can get past Laois this Sunday.

It’s a game which could see them secure promotion back to Division 1 of the National League.

It was Meath sub Bryan Menton who made all the difference. He hit 1-2 in the second half, including a crucial 56th minute goal, with Padraic Harnan adding a second goal two minutes from the end.

Meath actually led by two points at half-time as Down’s abysmal conversion attempts in front of goal cost them dearly.

A bigger, stronger, more physical Meath side adapted better to the wet conditions, while Down looked a pale shadow of the team that had been so impressive the previous week.

Despite creating numerous point-scoring opportunities in the first half, they only managed four points, with many shots ping wide or short.

Meath led for almost the entire game and were composed throughout. They looked organised, efficient and decidedly sure of themselves in what they were trying to achieve.

The visitors led by 0-6 to 0-4 at the end of a first half memorable only for mediocre shooting and sloppy passing.

Kevin McKernan’s excellent long-range point just before the break was the first scored by any of the Down forwards, who were off target in the opening period.

Meath established a 0-4 to 0-1 lead after ten minutes. Paul Devlin’s early free was followed by scores from Padraic Harnan, Eamon Wallace and two Mark O’Sullivan frees.

Mark Poland had the best goal chance of the first half, but his low shot was blocked by O’Rourke in the 16th minute.

Conor Gillespie, a late replacement for Bryan Menton in the Meath team, showed off his fielding skills by winning a number of kick-outs, but poor passing and wasteful shooting meant that primary possession wasn’t converted into enough scores.

Gillespie and Shane O’Rourke scored two quality points for the visitors, Gillespie’s a fine 40-metre effort from near the sideline, while Down had to wait until the 33rd minute for a point from play.

Shane O’Rourke’s spectacular catch in the square counted for nothing as he failed to win the free when he hit the deck and the Mourne men broke downfield. Darragh O’Hanlon’s shot crashed off the crossbar and over for the home side’s first score from open play.

The driving rain made playing conditions difficult and after a mediocre enough first half, and only two points separating them, both teams must have felt they could do a whole lot better.

The third quarter was just as scrappy, with an O’Sullivan free and Paddy O’Rourke ‘45 stretching Meath’s lead to 0-8 to 0-4 before McKernan grabbed his second point of the game.

Points from play were a rarity, yet Down had closed to within a point, trailing 0-8 to 0-7, when Menton hit the back of the net for Meath in the 56th minute. Before the goal it looked as if Down may have hit the comeback trail, but Menton dampened any hopes of that happening.

Three Meath subs combined for the goal. Stephen Bray’s first touch was a pass to Newman, who fed Menton, and his low, confident strike beat Stephen Kane.

Meath’s replacements had a big impact with Joseph Wallace also fisting over to put the Royals 1-10 to 0-08 ahead, the first time they had a five-point cushion.

Down sub Caolan Mooney came up with an instant response, but it was only temporary relief to Meath’s running game, with Menton fisting over another point.

Meath clinched the points with Padraic Harnan’s palmed goal in the 68th minute after Down failed to clear the danger to cap off a miserable evening for the Mourne men.

This goal summed up Down’s defence who looked very unsure of themselves for most of the contest.

While it didn’t come close to matching the intensity of their rivalry of the early 90s, this duel did produce some battling moments, but Meath were definitely the better side and full value for the two points.

Down: S Kane; G Collins, L Howard, D Turley; P Devlin (0-3, 2f), D O’Hanlon (0-1), C Maginn; P Turley, R Mallon; C McGovern, K McKernan (0-2), M Poland; C Laverty, A McConville, D O’Hare (0-2f). Subs: R Johnston for Maginn, C Mooney (0-1) for McConville, J Johnston (0-1) for Poland (BC), B McArdle for Turley.

Meath: P O’Rourke (0-1 ‘45); D Tobin, C McGill, D Keogan; M Burke, K Reilly, B Power; C Gillespie (0-1), A Flanagan; G Reilly, P Harnan (1-1), J McEntee; E Wallace (0-1), S O’Rourke (0-1), M O’Sullivan (0-3f). Subs: B Menton (1-2) for K Reilly, M Newman for S O’Rourke, D Dalton for Power (BC), S Bray for Wallace, J Wallace (0-1) for O’Sullivan, S Tobin for Gillespie.

Down 0-10

Meath 2-11

NFL DIVISION 2

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