Meath come through in dramatic cup climax
THERE was a free for all (well almost) to decide the outcome of this O’Byrne Cup semi-final at Pairc Tailteann last Sunday and it was the Meath men were were ‘dancing in the dark’ at the end of it!
The outcome of this novel ending, Meath winning 2-1 on free kicks after the sides finished level after extra time, edged Andy McEntee closer to his first trophy with the Royals and set up a final meeting with Colin Kelly’s Westmeath at Portlaoise (4.0) this Sunday.
After 90 minutes of the good and the bad failed to separate the teams it all came down to a free taking contest, with both counties having to nominate five players to take frees from the 45-metre line into an unguarded goal, with only points counting.
Some of the efforts from the 10 contestants were real ‘pot shots’ with only three finding the target. Meath’s third kick from Cillian O’Sullivan proved the crucial score and Longford’s Paddy Collum, Barry Gilleran and James McGivney all spurned efforts after that to send it to sudden death.
Earlier Mark McCabe succeeded with Meath’s second attempt while Sean McCormack was the only Longford player to hit the target.
With no floodlights the concluding stages of extra-time and the shoot out was played out in semi darkness.
This game was a dress rehearsal to the Leinster championship clash later in the year and on the evidence of this outing both sides have plenty of room for improvement if they are to have aspirations of leaving their mark on the Leinster campaign.
Meath trailed by five points in the second half of normal time and then led by three before Longford’s Robbie Smyth accounted for the equalising point in the fourth minute of added time, leaving it 1-12 each and forcing the game to extra-time.
The hosts gained a stranglehold in that additional 20 minutes and seemed to have secured a final spot after surging into a four point lead. However in the final minute of extra-time Longford’s outstanding player Michael Quinn struck for a goal, after Darren Gallagher’s earlier effort had rebounded off the butt of a post. Quinn then sent over the equalising point, thus forcing the game into new territory.
The Royals adopted a defensive strategy throughout the opening half but at the break it was Longford who deservedly led 1-5 to 0-4. Robbie Smyth netted for the midlanders after Rian Brady had pounced on a mistake in the Meath rearguard on 32 minutes.
Indeed the visitors could have been ahead by much more at that stage as Sean McCormack should have done better after being presented with a goal opportunity on two minutes. However his poorly struck effort was blocked by the advancing Andy Colgan.
Both sides were guilty of some woeful finishing in the early stages and it took Meath a full 15 minutes to get off the mark, David Toner pointing following a quickly taken free by Ben Brennan.
Meath also spurned a goal opportunity in the half when Bryan McMahon pounced on a misdirected kickout by Paddy Collum but the Longford keeper made amends with a save.
The poor showing in the opening half forced Andy McEntee to send on some of his ‘big guns’ and Meath made three changes at the break introducing Cillian O’Sullivan, James McEntee and Brian Power. Coupled with a much more direct and attacking approach and the bearing the subs had on proceedings the home side came more into contention the longer the half progressed.
O’Sullivan set up another sub Sean Tobin for a 57th minute goal and it left Meath leading for the first time in the game. The home side seemed to have weathered the Longford storm at that stage and a point from Joey Wallace on 60 minutes left them 1-11 to 1-8 clear.
Meath though were unable to hold on to their lead and Robbie Smyth spurned an opportunity to win it for Longford in the last action of normal time after he had shot the equalising point moments earlier.
With sub Daniel O’Neill popping over two points Meath gained the upperhand in extra-time to go three clear. Joey Wallace increased the lead two minutes from
the end but the hosts still managed to relinquish their advantage in the final minute.
MEATH: A Colgan; S Lavin, L Moran, M Burke; D Keogan, B Conlon 0-1, S McEntee; B Menton 0-2, A Flanagan; P Kennelly, D Toner 0-1, G Reilly; B McMahon 0-4 (1f), B Brennan 0-1f, T O’Reilly 0-2. Subs: B Power for Conlon, C O’Sullivan for Toner, J McEntee 0-1 for Kennelly (all h-t), S Tobin 1-2 (1f), for O’Reilly (50), J Wallace 0-2 for Reilly (56), D O’Neill 0-2 for Moran (70), H Rooney for McMahon (72), S Glynn for S McEntee, M McCabe 0-1 for Brennan, Toner for Keogan (all et).
LONGFORD: P Collum; P Fox, P McCormack, P Foy; M Quinn 1-1, B Gilleran, R McEntire 0-1; D Gallagher, A Farrell; B McKeon, S McCormack 0-4 (1f), D Reynolds 0-2; R Smyth 1-4 (2f), R Brady 0-2, D Mimnagh. Subs: P Gill for Reynolds (h-t), D McElligott for Gilleran, C Barry for Gallagher (both 48), J McGivney 0-1 for McEntire (53), D Quinn 0-1 for Mimnagh, S Donohoe for Fox, M Nally for Farrell (64), Farrell for Nally, Reynolds for Gill, Gilleran for Donohoe, Gallagher for Foy, J Matthews for Brady (all et)
REF: D Sheppard (Dublin)