For the first 60 odd minutes of the second match, and everything up to that point, everything was grand. But then it happened. Now read on…
For the last five minutes of last Sunday’s Leinster SFC Final between Louth and Meath, the only thing I could see was the backs of the handful of Louth supporters straight in front of me. I couldn’t blame them of course, jumping around like lunatics, it’s only been two years since Meath won something at senior level and I’d have been the exact same. Now consider that there are Louth people who were born and died without seeing their county win anything.
It wasn’t their fault. Rather, a recurring pain in the rear end which this writer has been banging the drum about for the better – or worst – part of two decades. That the disabled viewing facilities in Croke Park are so shambolic they are insulting to those of us who rely on them to attend fixtures in the big field.
What is so grindingly frustrating about the current farce is that the simplest of changes could and would make the greatest of differences. Namely, the removal of one row of seats at the back of the lower deck of the Cusack Stand which would mean that the disabled viewing platform would be above the nearest row of seating to it. Yes, as the Louth fans headed for deserved delirium on Sunday evening, the option was there to look at the big screens overhead – albeit with a five second delay from real time – but sure if I wanted to do that I could have stayed at home or gone down to the local.
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So to the action itself. Where to begin? Well, that we’ve been here before. Nearly 12 months to the day in fact. When the words “it had to happen sometime” were inputted onto this screen. Back then, reference was being made to Louth beating Meath in the Championship, in Grattan Park, Iniskeen. Where they repeated the dose in the final round of the NFL just a few short weeks ago.
Sunday was different though. There were hatchets to be buried, scores to be settled and, at a most basic level, one of the longest running droughts between drinks in the GAA to be quenched. Now, from a certain angle, Meath might feel that this was one which got away on them, but, in reality, they will know that any time you concede three goals in any match – let alone in the first half against a team for whom every replenishment of the onion bag is like a transfusion of oxygen – you can have very little complaint.
I must even concede that, where I initially thought the Louth penalty was about as valid as the chances of a cow getting a Bank Holiday off. But, on mature recollection, as a great man once said, it was a stone wall spot kick. The worst part of its concession being there was absolutely no need to have done so. It wasn’t Craig Lennon, Sam Mulroy or Ryan Burns in possession and, the individual in question, Kieran McArdle, had his back to goal and wasn’t going to get to the ball before Sean Coffey anyway.
Still, what was really Meath’s undoing – other than Louth brilliance – was a dearth of street wisdom and game management savvy. That only comes with experience and nous though, yet this Meath team are learning on the fly.
Truth be told, they were sublime after Ryan Burns had catapulted another rocket into Billy Hogan’s net. With points from Ruairi Kinsella, James Conlon, Eoghan Frayne and Sean Coffey leaving Robbie Brennan’s team clear by 0-13 to 2-03 as the klaxon got gassed up for its half time tour of duty when disaster struck.
For the Meath players, it must have been like their equivalent of the shower scene in Psycho – you know what’s coming, you can see it coming, but there’s damn all you can do about it.
That is to say, Craig Lennon charging at the Meath defence like a bull after being castrated before unleashing an exocet missile towards the top corner of Billy Hogan’s net. The Longwood clubman has been one of the stars of Meath’s season to date and very nearly clawed Lennon’s skud away, but, such was the power behind it, if it had hit Billy the kid, it might have landed him in the middle of Hill 16.
The sucker punch notwithstanding though, Meath managed to, in a workmanlike fashion, keep their noses in front via fine scores from Billy Hogan, Donal Keogan,, Keith Curtis and the returning Jordan Morris, while a Mat Costello goal – after a brilliant team move – as the non stopping clock hit hit 70 minutes appeared to ensure that it would be the 15-year-famine and not the 68 year old equivalent which was to be quenched.
Alas, one was again reminded of Con Houlihan’s immortal line that “Those whom the Gods wish to destroy, they first make mad”, as Monaghan referee Martin McNally somehow saw a foul that 65,786 other pairs of eyes at the venue didn’t. Credit where it’s due, though, Louth’s captain and talisman Sam Mulroy prompted the hoisting of the orange flag which ended what must be one of the longest famines in GAA history. Even the most ardent Meath fan, cough, would get hard to argue they didn’t deserve it.
Naturally, even as an ordinary Meath fan – let alone one privileged to be as close to the set up as is the case – the initial reaction was one of being crestfallen and, like a lot more, being of the view that it was one that got away. And the fabric softener of a ‘free’ awarded to Louth which ended up deciding matters would do nothing to assuage such inclinations.
However, taking a step – or roll of the wheels – back after a cooling off period, while the disappointment is absolutely as acute and if anything getting more so, the fact is that the glass is still very much half full from a Royal County perspective. Made more so out of a genuine feeling that this team turned up on Sunday’s stage a year ahead of schedule.
In such circumstances and within such a resilient group possessed of a winning culture, getting them back on track shouldn’t be much of an issue. In actual fact, the point made in this space before the Dublin game – that the three games in the All Ireland Series will bring them on a tonne regardless of what way they pan out.
Mind you, despite reservations as to whether the draws are as squeaky clean as one would hope (yes, they were done before eventual outcomes, but still) – Meath being paired with All Ireland favourites (with some) Kerry for their third consecutive appearance at this stage while media darlings Louth get the motorway to the next stage – I genuinely expect our lads to progress in second place behind Kerry at the very least.
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In almost every manner possible, the story for our lady footballers was the exact same as that of the lads. In that, Shane McCormack’s side got away to a flying start courtesy of scores from Emma Duggan and Vikki Wall (two each) and Marion Farrelly, but, whether notional or not, when the latter named St Michael’s clubwoman was forced off through injury after 26 minutes, Meath never appeared to play with the same fluency thereafter.
Similarly, also, even though they were hit with the off-the-ball dig, so to speak, of a Dublin goal right on the call of half time, the 13/2 underdogs regained their composure and, through the deadly Dunboyne duo and an exquisite goal from Dunshaughlin’s Niamh Gallogly with 11 minutes remaining appeared to have set them on the road for home.
Until, that is, something regrettably prophetically foretold here – the influence of Carla Rowe off the Dubs bench was indeed the deciding factor as those under the guidance of Paul Casey and Derek Murray held on for a victory that looked highly unlikely for a long time.
However, like the lads, with a relatively new ensemble of players, the All Ireland Series – whomever it may pit them against – will be a learning curve for this group of players whlch will undoubtedly stand to them in the longer term. Summer’s not over yet!
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