Sensational finish secures Ring Cup for Royals

Substitute Sean Quigley scored 1-1 in the closing minutes to help Meath secure a sensational 2-18 to 1-20 victory over Antrim and claim the Ring Cup for the first time at Croke Park this evening. 

The youngster came off the bench late in the game and found the net with a powerful shot on 69 minutes to draw the sides level and added what proved to be a match-winning point on the 70th minute. 

However there appears to be some confusion over what exactly the final score was and the powers-that-be may look at how Meath ended up with 2-18 when observers felt they had actually scored 2-17, leaving the teams level. 

The first time Meath led was when Quigley scored his point and Antrim were left shell-shocked at the end wondering how they let this game slip from their grasp after leading almost all the way. 

At the final whistle Meath players, members of the management team and officials did a jig of joy on the pitch as they celebrated an historic victory for the county. 

Up in the stands the supporters also danced with joy because as the game moved into the closing stages even the most optimistic of them must have felt the game was up. 

In his speech after acceptinig the trophy, captain James Toher spoke about the team's great spirit and how the players were 'really close.' This, he felt, 'made a difference in the end.'

That spirit was severly tested throughout a game played in very warm conditions. 

After 18 minutes Antrim led 1-7 to 0-1 and looked to be on the way to a big win with Conor Johnston getting their goal. 

At the break Antrim led 1-10 to 0-7 but a suberb goal from Neil Heffernan early in the second-half gave Meath hope. 

However with players such as Niall McKenna, Eddie McCloskey and James Connolly causinig problems Meath struggled to get a firm foothold. 

While Meath proved their fitness in the heat they struggled with Antrim's physicality. 

Meath kept in touch during the course of game through Toher's free-taking and a series of fine points from play with Adam Gannon, Sean Heavey, with a stunning long-range effort, Heffernan, Keith Keoghan, Joey Keena and Kevin Keena among those to split the posts with fine efforts.  

However, Antrim looked relatively comfortable going into the closing stages and led by three until Quigley struck with a tremendous goal and a point from an awkward angle under the Cusack Stand to complete a sensational comeback for his team. 

Read about the strange and wonderful happenings in Croke Park today in Fergal Lynch's report from the stadium in next week's Meath Chronicle.