MEATH… 1-20
MONAGHAN… 1-29
Let’s get the ugly business out of the way first. The four game unbeaten run has come to an end. In all honesty, that such is the case wouldn’t be that big of a shock. Now read on…
It is beyond question that Meath have made significant progress thus far this season. Winning four games on the spin is evidence enough of same. It’s a long time since we achieved such a thing. Not to mention clocking up a couple of wins on the road.
Of more significance, though, in my opinion at least, is the moulding and emergence of new(ish) troops like Billy Hogan and Sean Rafferty and Conor Duke and Jack Kinlough. Not to mention the re-integration of more experienced infantry such as Seamus Lavin and Eoin Harkin and Jack Flynn and Bryan Menton.
However, what some observers have been either oblivious to or wilfully ignoring is the swathe of front rank troops the new management have had to at least partially if not totally do without throughout the campaign to date. Including but not limited to Ronan Ryan, Ronan Jones, Mat Costello, Conor Gray and Sean Coffey and, I think it would be fairly widely accepted both within Meath and without that, such is the class of Costello alone that being short of his services would be a fatal blow to most teams ambitions on a given day.
Thus, the results achieved in the absence of some of those listed above definitely count as positives, yet, events of Sunday last illustrate that, while there remains much work to be done, the glass is still very much half full with regard to the development and evolution of this group of players.
Essentially, the outcome on Sunday last boiled down to the fact the visitors converted five two-pointers as opposed to Meath’s three as the ten points which accrued from them were basically the winning of the match for the Farney men.
To their credit, Meath got away to a fast start with points from Jordan Morris and Eoghan Frayne but, while not in any way seeking to detract from the efforts of Jack Flynn and/or Bryan Menton, a fair appraisal would have to conclude that Gary Mohan and Micheal McCarville had the better of the aerial exchanges. That, in turn, allowed the white and blue half forward duo of Stephen O’Hanlon and Micheal Bannigan cause the Meath rearguard no end of problems.
With the result that, after a plethora of two-pointers, a goal from bustling full forward Andrew Woods gave the visitors a whopping and scarcely believable 1-20 to 0-08 half time lead.
However, reverting to a need to latch onto whatever morsels of positivity can be attained from a given situation, Meath’s last score of the first half, a classy effort from Jack Kinlough gave a glimpse of what these players are capable of when the ball breaks for them.
It was even more on show when, immediately after the break, Royal skipper Frayne got on the end of a great move to palm the ball to the net.
To a certain extent, the green and gold dominated large phases of the second half as Morris, Frayne and substitute Ruairi Kinsella (2 x 2PT) gave the scoreboard a slightly better look but the reality is that the damage was well and truly done prior to the short whistle.
Still, I would reiterate my contention after the Cork game when they registered 0-21 that, if you are scoring as freely as Meath currently are, you’re always giving yourself a chance of achieving your desired outcome.
Conversely, though, at the highest level, depending on whether you want to emulate Al Paccino or Paidi O’Se, it’s the ‘Inches’, the “F*****g grains of rice” that tip the scales one way or the other.
As the late and loved publican from Ventry put it to Alan Mangan – who last year led Castletown-Geoghegan on quite the run in the Leinster Club SHC – “No Westmeath man is to get f****d out over the side line like a sack of spuds again Alan, is that clear? No more”!
Now, there were at least two Meath players summarily defenestrated from the playing arena in ways which wholly warranted frees kicks that never came. And, as bad as that was, at a time when the locals – on and off the field – had their dander up, referee Anthony Nolan overruled the line umpire and reversed what was blatantly a Meath ball. So obviously a wrong call was it that the two match officials could be seen animatedly debating.
Of course, that raises the question of whether referees know what they’re doing. As in, have they received enough training in the different variations of the rules that have been trialled and, ultimately, what has been settled upon. I have grave doubts. Or if they have, it calls into question the competence of some of those practising officialdom.
On at least two occasions frees against Meath were brought forward to a ridiculous extent. Yes, I am aware that penalties for dissent – an offence which has now been upgraded to near mortal – now carries a sanction which is the equivalent of having a free awarded in the carpark of the hospital and having it moved to Kilcairn Bridge. Except in Meath’s case it went all the way out to Garlow Cross. If you know, you know.
Mind you, in the interest of fairness, it must be pointed out that, for once, the bad refereeing decisions weren’t just against Meath. Which makes a change. But, not only was Jack McCarron done out of what should have been a perfectly good goal having taken a tap and go from a free and being about to fill the Meath onion bag, the Scotstown forward was hauled back.
Then, as if all the brouhaha about when is full time not full time in Mullingar last weekend wasn’t enough, when a Monaghan player lashed the ball out of play at the hospital end with the Hooter well gone, that was considered to be that. But no, Meath’s Billy Hogan was summoned forth to execute the final phase of play for the day.
Though how or why the Longwood clubman was made take the correctly awarded 45 from a position which may as well have been three rows up on the terrace is a matter for Inspector Morse.
Finally, regarding the stipulation – about which there was very little said – pertaining to goalkeepers only having 20 seconds to kick the ball out from the time they’ve placed it – was scrapped before most people knew it existed. Whatever about that though, the punishment for a goalkeeper getting ‘done’ for time wasting – 13m free to the opposition – does not fit the crime. What was wrong with the hop ball? Or, if a free is the desired rebuke for the transgression in question, then surely a 45 is a fairer punishment than a gimme of a 14 yard free for what is, in all fairness, a fairly frivolous foul.
However, there was one factor which Monaghan had in their favour which no amount of new rules or contentious calls from officialdom had any influence on – experience.
Not only in terms of the Ulster side having spent seven consecutive seasons in Div. 1, but also having the luxury of being able to bring in experienced heads like Kieran Duffy, Darren Hughes and, in particular, Jack McCarron off the bench. In contrast, only Donal Keogan and Bryan Menton have anywhere near commensurate inter county mileage.
Experience, though, is accumulated in the midst of a journey. To be still in what a shout for promotion heading into the final round? Glass definitely half full.
Scorers – E. Frayne (1-6, 3F, 1x2PT), R. Kinsella (0-4, 2x2PT), J. Morris (0-4, 1F), J. Kinlough and A. Lynch (1M) (0-2 each), J. Flynn and B. Menton (0-1 each).
Meath – B. Hogan; S. Lavin, S. Rafferty, D. Keogan; E. Harkin, S. Ryan. C. Caulfield; J. Flynn, B. Menton; C. Duke, J. Kinlough, C. McBride; J. Morris. K. Curtis, E. Frayne.
Subs – B. O’Halloran for Ryan, A. Lynch for McBride, R. Kinsella for Curtis, S. Walsh for Harkin.
Referee – Anthony Nolan (Wicklow).
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