Promotion hopes die without much of a fight

With a place in NFL Div 1 on the line Meath failed to find any sparkle as they finished with 13 players and lost this Div 2 promotion play-off by 0-14 to 1-14 against a Kildare side that played with 14 men for most of the second-half in Newbridge today.

Kildare were ahead by eight points when they lost Luke Flynn to a straight red card in the 50th minute and when play resumed they extended that lead to nine.

Even with their numerical supremacy Meath still struggled to break down their hosts dogged defence and it wasn't until the closing 15 minutes that they started to eat into Kildare's lead and set up an exciting finish.

That thrilling conclusion included a mini-melee that saw Conor McGill and Brian Conlon pick up straight red cards, Ethan Devine and Andy Colgan get booked and only one Kildare player, Alex Beirne, who prompted the row by kicking the ball away, getting a yellow.

There were also allegations of spitting by a Kildare player in the face of McGill and that accusation will warrant further investigation.

Meath managed to close that nine-point deficit to three and almost snatched a draw in the dying seconds as Darragh Campion's scrambled effort was smothered by Mark Donnellan, but there was no way back and Meath got what they deserved for their poor showing.

Kildare started well and their quick delivery into the Meath full-back line caused problems with Kevin Feely, who started at full-forward, claiming a fourth minute mark and opening the scoring.

Less than two minutes later Neil Flynn mis-hit a long pass, but it fell into the arms of Jimmy Hyland and as Seamus Lavin slipped Hyland finished to the net from close range.

That goal knocked the stuffing out of Meath and they struggled to create clearcut openings before a fine move involving Matt Costello and Shane McEntee ended with Fionn Reilly scoring on his first start in the 10th minute.

Brian McLoughlin, who replaced the injured goalscorer Hyland, traded points with Jordan Morris, but it was Kildare who extended their lead to 1-3 to 0-2 at the water break when McLoughlin converted a free from a tight angle.

When play resumed Meath hit back with quickfire points from Cathal Hickey and Bryan McMahon, but they failed to score in the final 21 minutes of the half as Neil Flynn (two), McLoughlin and Beirne gave Kildare a 1-7 to 0-4 interval lead, which could have greater if Feely had taken his goal chance which sailed wide.

When play resumed Meath threatened a recovery with points from Devine and Cillian O'Sullivan either side of another McLoughlin free, which was awarded for no apparent reason, closed the gap to 0-6 to 1-8, but then Meath toiled through another barren spell where they failed to score for 19 minutes.

Feely restored Kildare's six point interval cushion, but Meath did have a goal chance when Reilly was denied by a brilliant save from Donnellan which bizarrely the umpire decided was a wide!

Darragh Kirwan and Neil Flynn capitalised on poor Meath play to stretch Kildare's lead to 1-11 to 0-6 before the hosts lost Luke Flynn to a red card following an off-the-ball clash with Conlon.

That setback didn't change the course of the game as Kirwan and McLoughlin (free) pointed, while down at the dressing room end McMahon kicked a 20-metre free wide for Meath.

The scoring drought ended in the 57th minute when Eamon Wallace pointed and two minutes later Mickey Newman converted a free to make it 0-8 to 1-13.

Shea Ryan closed Kildare's account with a fisted point in the 60th minute and it looked set to be plain sailing. However, in typical Kildare fashion they didn't make it easy on themselves as they allowed Meath back into the game with Hickey, Joey Wallace and Morris making it 0-11 to 1-14.

Needing a goal to get back in the game, Reilly had a decent shot that appeared to be blocked by Ryan Houlihan's foot, but referee Barry Cassidy waved away appeals for a penalty.

Morris closed the gap to five and as Newman stood over another free to make it 0-13 to 1-14 a row erupted which led to the two red cards and three bookings.

Another free from Morris, seven minutes into injury-time, made it a one-score game, but that goal that Meath craved never arrived with Donnellan denying Campion and ensuring it is Kildare who will play Div 1 football next year.

SCORERS

Kildare - Brian McLoughlin 0-5 three frees; Jimmy Hyland 1-0; Neil Flynn 0-3 one free; Kevin Feely 0-2 one; Darragh Kirwan 0-2; Alex Beirne 0-1; Shea Ryan 0-1.

Meath - Jordan Morris 0-4 two frees; Mickey Newman 0-2 frees; Cathal Hickey 0-2; Cillian O'Sullivan 0-1; Fionn Reilly 0-1; Bryan McMahon 0-1; Ethan Devine 0-1; Eamon Wallace 0-1; Joey Wallace 0-1.

TEAMS

Kildare - Mark Donnellan; Mark Dempsey, Mick O'Grady, Eoin Doyle; Kevin Flynn, David Hyland, Ryan Houlihan; Luke Flynn, Kevin Feely; Fergal Conway, Neil Flynn, Paul Cribbin; Jimmy Hyland, Aaron Masterson, Darragh Kirwan. Subs - Brian McLoughlin for Hyland 8 mins, Alex Beirne for Cribbin 15m, Shane O'Sullivan for Feely 41m, Shea Ryan for Conway, Conor Hartley for N Flynn both 55m, Darragh Malone for Kirwan 71m.

Meath - Andy Colgan; Seamus Lavin, Conor McGill, Cathal Hickey; Donal Keogan, Shane McEntee, Fionn Reilly; Bryan Menton, Padraic Harnan; Ethan Devine, Bryan McMahon, Mathew Costello; Jordan Morris, Thomas O'Reilly, Cillian O'Sullivan. Subs - Brian Conlon for Menton 31 mins, Joey Wallace for O'Reilly half-time, Eamon Wallace for Costello 38m, Jason Scully for Keogan 44m, Ronan Ryan for Lavin, Darragh Campion for Harnan, Mickey Newman for McMahon all 54m.

Referee - Barry Cassidy (Derry).