MEATH… 0-21
ROSCOMMON… 2-15
Meath teams have a glorious history of doing great things on Saturdays. In my lifetime at least, any such commentary must begin on July 6th, 1991. When Kevin Foley put the finishing touches to the greatest goal ever scored in Croke Park.
Which in itself was the prelude to Liam Hayes and PJ Gillic combining to place David Beggy in to essay the winning score in the greatest football comeback ever witnessed in the big field.
Jump forward then to 2002 and the night of Graham Geraghty’s ‘Helicopter Goal’ against Louth in Pairc Tailteann. On any other occasion, what was absolutely Richie Kealy’s finest hour in a Meath jersey would’ve been the headline story.
The brave Dunshaughlin warrior having cracked home two goals to pull Meath rumps out of the bacon slicer after ‘majors’ from Mark Stanfield and Ollie McDonnell at the other end appeared to have primed those then under the direction of Walterstown’s Paddy Carr for a first Championship win in The Battle Of The Boyne for the red corner since 1975.
All I can remember of what happened next is my brilliant but slightly crazy old mate Cormac ‘Spud’ Murphy coming charging up the field on a solo run before offloading to namesake Ollie.
Now, the man who had no hair but we didn’t care could have taken the handy option and fisted over a leveller. But there were other matters at play.
So he squared the ball to the other half of our dynamic duo of the time, Mr Geraghty, who blasted it to the net, whipped off his jersey and hopped aboard the Kepak helicopter back to the wedding in Wexford at which he was doing Best Man.
The next super Saturday one can recall involving a Meath team were the Minor footballers of 2006. For whom a brilliant individual display by Brian Sheridan got those who were then Dudley Farrell’s charges out of a right pickle against obstinate Antrim.
A year on from that – almost to the day – it was that man Geraghty again as his volleyball-spiked goal beat Tyrone ‘keeper John Devine to set up the most unlikely of All Ireland semi final appearances.
Now factor in that our hurlers’ Nicky Rackard and three Christy Ring Cup triumphs all came on the sixth day of the week and you’ll understand the fondness for matches thereon in the Royal County.
And the most recent one produced a trilogy of chapters to be added to the annals thereof, but, while the other pair of stanzas will be documented in this space in due course, our tale of the latest Super Saturday must begin in King & Moffatt Dr Hyde Park in Roscommon.
Or perhaps even before that. Being honest, did anybody think we’d beat Dublin and thereby go to a Leinster Final? Did anybody think we’d do anything in the All Ireland SFC? Any realistic answer to either of the above has to be ‘No’.
Thus, as I sit up typing this at 4:39am on the 34th anniversary of the first of the four games between Meath and Dublin, a view could be taken that we have already been in bonus territory for quite some time. To me, though, that take on things is far too self depricating.
We are where we are wholly on merit. There would be a view in certain places that we missed our main objective by not attaining promotion in the league. In the immediate aftermath of the defeat by Louth in Inniskeen, it will be admitted that those were the initial thoughts in this seat too. But, as a great man once said, on mature recollection, the conclusion must be that we have made great progress to get to where we are and gut feeling is there is still more ahead.
Something vindicated right from the off on Saturday last when Ruairi Kinsella used his own incarnation of the Lee Keegan patented slicer, starting the ball at the post way off to his left before allowing the gusty wind take it between the posts at the famed graveyard end. However, Robbie Brennan’s side were then rocked back on their haunches as both Diarmuid Murtagh and Ben O’Carroll got in for a pair of goals with a worrying level of ease.
Still, conversely, Meath found a way to regain their composure and close out the first half with scores from Bryan Menton, Conor Duke, Mat Costello and Jordan Morris let the visitors take a 0-16 to 2-05 to the dressing rooms behind the stand.
It was steady as she went at the start of the second half as Billy Hogan and Sean Coffey posted fine scores for Meath, before Enda Smith notched the first of a phalanx of two pointers as Davy Burke’s charges whittled away at the deficit in front of them until the dynamic Diarmuid Murtagh struck the brace which saw in the primrose and blue hit the front for the first time since the opening quarter of the contest.
Indeed, the green and gold could count themselves decidedly fortunate not to be ensiled in an steeper pit because of Billy Hogan’s heroic stopping of Smith’s penalty and, even more so, his catching of what would’ve been a sixth two pointer for those newly promoted to Div. 1 for next season’s National League. Mind you, the green corner could definitely consider themselves even more fortunate the typically elderly umpire obviously hadn’t gone to Specsavers, because my auld pals the bookies may well have offered you short enough odds on whether Billy The Kid stepped back over the line or not in apprehending the football from mid air.
Anyway, it’s about time officialdom were remotely nice to Meath, so, fair play to the Longwood lad, he began the move which culminated in Kinsella – whose brilliance had illuminated the contest throughout – lofting over what transpired to be the final score of the contest with fully nine minutes remaining.
Yes Meath were awry with a few opportunities to have snaffled a winner, but, placed against the plethora of frees referee Paul Faloon awarded to the locals that were so soft they’d make Andrex seem like sandpaper, the rearguard action by our lads to hold what we had now looks even more commendable.
Not least because, in particular, the free awarded to home custodian Conor Carroll after he caught Mat Costello’s point attempt underneath his own crossbar was nothing short of scandalous. The Meath players attendant to the phase of play did exactly as they would have been coached – swarm and surround the ball carrier, thus forcing them into overholding, which Carroll absolutely did.
But sure, of course, just like Martin McNally in the Leinster Final, the Ulster whistler had to have a different interpretation of the rules to 99.9% of others. And so, the Rossies’ stopper got his marshmallow textured free, and then three more as garnish followed. Leaving it seemingly odds on that the Royal goose was cooked.
But then – the name’s Rafferty, Sean Rafferty. Our latest king of the square conjured an intervention every bit as iconic as that by Gordon Banks in another lifetime or Conor Gormley in the 2003 All Ireland Final.
To put the ball dead and keep his side’s championship expedition very much alive. They may as well give the full back All Star to the Na Fianna man now!
SCORERS – J. Conlon (0-6, 1x2PT), R. Kinsella (0-3, 1x2PT), E. Frayne (0-2), B. Hogan (2PT), B. Menton (2PT), C. Duke (2PT) and J Morris (0-2 each), S. Coffey and M. Costello (0-1 each).
MEATH – B. Hogan; S. Lavin, S. Rafferty, B. O’Halloran; D. Keogan, S. Coffey, C. Caulfield; B. Menton, M. Costello; C. Duke, R. Kinsella, A. O’Neill; J. Morris, J. Conlon, E. Frayne.
SUBS – C. Hickey for Duke, K. Curtis for Frayne, C. Gray for Menton, J. McEntee for Lavin, E. Harkin for O’Neill.
Referee – Paul Faloon (Down)
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