High score a pleasing aspect but Meath must improve defensively

HOW Meath has yearned for this sort of scoring tally after averaging a little over 12 points per match in the recent NFL campaign.

Of course, there had to be a fly in the ointment and the concession of 3-12 against a Division 4 side in this opening round Leinster SFC at Glennon Brothers Pearse Park will be of huge concern as the Royals prepare for Sunday’s quarter-final clash against All-Ireland champions Dublin in Croke Park.

Two players returning from injuries, James Conlon and Jordan

Morris accounted for 1-6 and 0-4 respectively and maybe the absence of that duo was one of the reasons why progress was stifled in the league.

At no stage did Longford look like pulling off a shock as they did in 2018 but the concession of three goals in particular certainly took the gloss off this Meath victory.

Meath, with the advantage of the elements in the opening half, scored at will and their entire tally of 1-13 came from open play. The game could have been over as a contest at half-time but Longford struck for a goal and then a point late in the half to finish with 1-6 and give themselves a chance on the restart.

The Longford goal was a poor one to concede from a Meath viewpoint. Jayson Matthews was left unmarked and the number 23, who was a late addition to the starting line-up, looped a shot over the head of ’keeper Seán Brennan who was caught in no man’s land.

Longford’s two goals in the second half also arrived late on and they, too, were of the sloppy variety with Brennan again not covering himself in glory before Mark Hughes finished with a simple tap-in. A repeat of those defensive lapses could leave Meath with a very bloody nose next Sunday evening.

Conlon was on the top of his game from the opening whistle and had accounted for two of Meath’s four points inside six minutes. Cathal Hickey and Morris were also on target as Longford had scores from Daniel Reynolds and Darren Gallagher (free).

The lead stretched out to 0-7 to 0-2 as Morris added another brace. Midfielder Ronan Jones hit a great effort between the posts from distance before Conlon added to his tally with a point and then a goal, getting on the end of a move involving Ross Ryan and Mathew Costello to slap to an unguarded net on 25 minutes.

That left it 1-10 to 0-3 but Longford responded with quickfire points from Dessie Reynolds, an effort that could easily have gone under the crossbar as over it, and Matthews, following a wayward kickout. Shane Walsh became the fifth Meath forward to score on 29 minutes and at that stage, Meath could have been forgiven for thinking that victory would come at their ease.

Matthews’ goal put a slightly different complexion on the scoring and Joseph Hagan added a point after the ball hopped on the crossbar before going over.

Meath, though, finished the half with a brace by Eoghan Frayne to be seven clear at the break.

To have a chance, the hosts needed to get off the mark early in the second half when they had the wind in their favour but, instead, it was Meath who continued where they had left off with the opening three points.

Frayne (free), Conlon and Ciarán Caulfield were on target for those scores before Mark Hughes opened Longford’s second half account from a free on 45 minutes.

The longer the half progressed the more evident it became that Longford didn’t have the quality in attack to cause serious harm even though they reduced the deficit to seven after Matthews was again on the mark on 55 minutes.

Frayne was denied a goal by the foot of ’keeper Patrick Collum but made amends soon after when he dispatched a penalty to the net following a foul on Shane Walsh. That made it 2-17 to 1-10 and while the game may have been over as a contest at that stage, Meath will not be happy with the concession of two goals, the second of those scored by Gallagher.

In between those two goals, Meath also found the net with substitute Cian McBride getting the vital touch to a ball that hopped around the danger area.

Overall, it was never anything less than comfortable for Meath but hardly the morale booster they were seeking ahead of a clash with Dublin.

LONGFORD: Patrick Collum; Patrick Fox, Oisín O’Toole, Liam Hughes; Bryan Masterson, Ryan Moffett, Dessie Reynolds 0-1; Darren Gallagher 1-1 (0-1f), Paddy Kiernan; Jayson Matthews 1-3 (0-1f), Michael Quinn 0-1, Joseph Hagan 0-1; Daniel Reynolds 0-1, Daniel Mimnagh 0-1, Cathal McCabe. Subs: Mark Hughes 1-2 (0-2f) for Masterson (HT), Dylan Farrell 0-1 for McCabe (46), Ruairí Harkin for Fox (61), Darragh Finlass for L Hughes (70), Dáire Duggan for Kiernan (70).

MEATH: Seán Brennan; Donal Keogan, Adam O’Neill, Harry O’Higgins; Ciarán Caulfield 0-1, Ross Ryan, Seán Coffey; Ronan Jones 0-1, Daithí McGowan; Shane Walsh 0-1, Eoghan Frayne 1-5 (1-0 pen, 0-1f), Cathal Hickey 0-1; Jordan Morris 0-4, Mathew Costello, James Conlon 1-6. Subs: Jack O’Connor for Costello (HT), Cian McBride 1-0 for McGowan (50), Darragh Campion for Ryan (55), Keith Curtis for Morris (56), Ronan Ryan for O’Higgins (66).

REFEREE: Niall Cullen (Fermanagh).