MEATH… 1-11
CORK… 1-15
Including stoppage time, Meath failed to score for the final 21 minutes of this Allianz NFL encounter in Pairc Tailteann. Which ended as drab and disappointing as the weather it was played in.
Mind you, there was an ominous feel about the entire day when, seconds after the again outstanding Eoghan Frayne had kicked the locals in front, the equally excellent Conor Corbett drilled low past Sean Brennan to begin the Rebel rising.
Moreover, the ease with which Cork – and experienced wing back Mattie Taylor in particular – broke at speed from the back should have had the warning lights flashing.
But then, the accuracy of the aforementioned Frayne and custodian Brennan from placed balls kept them on the coat tails of John Cleary’s side. With the result that when Shane Walsh sent over a huge point on the call of half time it send the sides in deadlocked at 0-07 to 1-04.
The point for point nature of affairs continued for a while after the restart with Daithi McGowan, Mat Costello and Rua’iri Kinsella on target before Costello did what he always does, cut in from an acute angle and rattled the Cork net.
Four up with seventeen minutes to go, job done surely? Alas no. Within minutes of the day’s captain raising the green flag, two incidents occurred which should have foretold there were potholes ahead.
Firstly, and most unusually, Eoghan Frayne dropped his point attempt short from a Mark he had done brilliantly to manufacture for himself. Then, rather bizarrely, Kinsella had just kicked the point which turned to be Meath’s last when he was given the ‘curly finger’ treatment and summoned to the sideline.
A very curious move and one which halted the considerable momentum the green and gold had built up. Cork didn’t half grasp it when it was presented to them.
With alarming ease and frequency, Cork’s wing backs Luke Fahy and Mattie Taylor and either contributed scores themselves or aided in the construction thereof for Corbett, Brian Hurley and Steven Sherlock as Meath seemed unable to rouse from their slumber.
SCORERS – M. Costello (1-2), S. Brennan (45s) & E. Frayne (1F) (0-3 each), R. Kinsella (0-2), S. Walsh (0-1).
MEATH – S. Brennan; D. Keogan, A. O’Neill, B. O’Halloran; C. Caulfield, D. Campion, S. Coffey; C. McBride, C. Hickey; D. McGowan, E. Frayne, J. O’Connor; S. Walsh, M. Costello, R. Kinsella.
SUBS – M. Murphy for Campion (in), D. Dixon for O’Connor, A. McDonnell for Kinsella, D. Moriarity for McBride, H. O’Higgins for Caulfield.
Referee: T. Murphy (Galway)
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