Meath denied by late penalty drama
There was drama aplenty at Dr Hyde Park today as Roscommon rescued a NFL Div 2 point with a Donie Smith penalty from the last kick of the game making it 2-12 each and denying Meath victory following a pulsating finish to a hugely entertaining game.
For Meath the result must have felt like a point squandered as for the second game in succession they led by four points deep into injury-time and were pegged back as they failed to hold on for a win that looked very unlikely 17 minutes earlier.
With 57 minutes on the clock Meath were four points adrift and lucky not to be further behind as league debutante goalkeeper Andy Colgan made two stunning saves to deny Conor Devaney and Enda Smith.
Up to that stage Roscommon were full value for their lead and they looked on course for a winning return to NFL Div 2. However the Meath powers of recovery are alive and well as they hit 1-6 in a 10 minute spell to move four points clear and suddenly it was the Royals who were in pole position.
Eamon Wallace grabbed the crucial second goal, and he had a chance moments later to firmly put the issue beyond doubt and leave Roscommon chasing two goals but he fluffed his point attempt into Colm Lavin's hands.
Roscommon took advantage of that let off and made it a three-point game when Finbar Cregg pointed a free in the 72nd minute, then as the four minutes of announced injury-time expired Meath conceded a penalty which saw the Wallace brothers Eamon and Joey black-carded and Smith stroked the ball to Colgan's right as the goalkeeper dived to his left to rescue the draw.
Despite playing with the strong wind at their backs Meath laboured in the early stages and fell two points adrift as Diarmuid Murtagh made the most of the space afforded him by Seamus Lavin to point easily after 30 seconds and four minutes later he converted a 13-metre free after Brian Power fouled Niall Daly.
After taking their time to settle Meath eventually got off the mark with Ben Brennan pointing a free from a difficult angle despite losing his feet as he kicked.
Less than a minute later Cillian O'Sullivan blasted a brilliant goal to edge Meath ahead, but Roscommon continued to look the more fluid side with Enda Smith capitalising on an awful clearance by Shane McEntee to narrow the deficit and in the 18th minute Niall Kilroy restored parity 0-4 to 1-1.
That parity lasted just 90 seconds as a brilliant team move saw Diarmuid Murtagh release Sean Mullooly and he executed an excellent lobbed finish over the advancing Andy Colgan to bag Roscommon's first goal.
Meath's response to that setback was impressive as another free from Brennan was followed by a fine point for Bryan Menton, but the visitors continued to play second fiddle to the more creative hosts and after Power missed a point-blank goal chance Diarmuid Murtagh extended Roscommon's lead to 1-6 to 1-3 with two points, one from a free.
A scrambled clearance by the Meath defence prevented Smith bagging a second goal and in first-half injury-time Meath gave themselves hope with Thomas O'Reilly converting a 20-metre free and Joey Wallace pointing from a difficult angle to make it 1-5 to 1-6 at half-time.
It took Meath 15 minutes to add to their first-half tally through James McEntee and by that stage Roscommon had added points from Ciaran Lennon, David Murray, Diarmuid Murtagh and Ciarain Murtagh to stretch their lead to 1-10 to 1-6.
After Colgan's brilliant save to deny Devaney Meath failed to clear their lines and conceded a sloppy free which Ciarain Murtagh converted to make it 1-11 to 1-6.
Meath looked out on their feet, but between the 58th minute and the 66th minute Padraig McKeever pointed three times, while Sean Tobin (two) and Lavin also lofted over to put Meath 1-12 to 1-11 clear and when Eamon Wallace banged home a brilliant goal the turnaround looked complete.
However then Meath became sloppy again. The adventure the showed their get themselves back into the game disappeared as Roscommon piled on the pressure and that pressure eventually told as they rallied to ensure a share of the spoils.
Meath - Andrew Colgan (Donaghmore/Ashbourne); Seamus Lavin (Dunboyne 0-1), Conor McGill (Ratoath), Mickey Burke (Longwood); Donal Keogan (Rathkenny), Brian Power (Ratoath), Shane McEntee (Dunboyne); Bryan Menton (Donaghmore/Ashbourne 0-1), Adam Flanagan (Clonard); James McEntee (Curraha 0-1), Ben Brennan (St Colmcille’s 0-2 frees), Graham Reilly (St Colmcille’s); Joey Wallace (Ratoath 0-1), Cillian O’Sullivan, (Moynalvey 1-0), Thomas O’Reilly (Wolfe Tones 0-1 free). Subs – Brian Conlon (Simonstown) for Burke 30 mins, Padraig McKeever (Simonstown 0-3 one free) for O'Reilly half-time, Eamon Wallace (Ratoath 1-0) for Brennan 46m, Sean Tobin (Simonstown 0-2 one free) for Reilly 47m, Dan O'Neill (Wolfe Tones) for O'Sullivan 60m. Black card - B Power (replaced by Alan Douglas (Trim) 70m), E Wallace, J Wallace (not replaced) 74m.
Roscommon - Colm Lavin; David Murray (0-1), John McManus, Niall McInerney; Fergal Lennon, Sean Mullooly (1-0), Conor Devaney; Tadgh O'Rourke, Ian Kilbride; Niall Daly, Niall Kilroy (0-1), Enda Smith (0-1); Diarmuid Murtagh (0-5 two frees), Ciaran Lennon (0-1), Ciarain Murtagh (0-2 one free). Subs – Finbar Cregg (0-1 free) for Kilbride 26 mins, Conor Daly for Murtagh 46m, Cathal Cregg for Kilroy 52m, Ronan Daly for N Daly 55m, Donie Smith (1-0 penalty) for C Murtagh 64m.
Referee – Barry Cassidy (Derry).