Meath's Malachy Fisher goes on a surging run for Meath against Down in the Leinster MHC Tier 2 at Trim today.

Ennis' points seals Meath's mighty comeback

Ger O'Neill had plenty of sweet victories to savour during his distinguished playing career with Kilmessan (with whom he won a slew of SHC medals).

He also had some good days with Meath - but you suspect none, or at least few, were as sweet as today's 2-15 to 2-13 victory over Down in the Leinster MHC Tier 2 at Trim.

The Meath manager certainly conveyed a great sense of quiet, but profound, satisfaction after his team had come back from the abyss to win.

Well beaten by Westmeath last week O'Neill's troops looked to be heading for a another tanking in this game only to stage a rousing comeback that put the local support into raptures with Kyle Ennis (who finished with 1-11) firing over the last three points of the game to help turn victory into defeat; bitter disappointment into utter delight.

"Today really tested us but we stood up to the challenge, the game could have been over at half-time, I'm just over the moon to get over the line, brilliant," O'Neill said after all the drama was over.

The victors certainly deserved the warm applause and vocal commendations from supporters as they made the way from the pitch into the dressingroom afterwards. They earned their standing ovation.

The manager had reason to be pleased. What a turnaround this was, what a Royal revival, built as it was on hard graft and a deep-rooted desire to not be bowed down. What spirit, craft and enterprise the home side showed as they turned what appeared to be a hopeless scenario into one a notable triumph.

Consider the facts for a moment. With 20 minutes played the young Royals trailed 0-3 to 1-7. After 21 minutes it was 0-3 to 2-7. At the interval it was 0-6 to 2-8. Granted Down had the breeze behind them in the opening half but that was only part of the reason why the Ulster side led. They were the better team. They won more dirty ball around midfield, had a sharper cutting edge in attack, knocked the ball around with more assurance, especially Patrick Coleman, their talented forward.

However there was an incident in the lead up to half-time that, in hindsight, might be construed as a turning point; the spark that lit Meath's sustained second-half revival. The incident unfolded midway through the opening half when Meath's impressive centre-half Anthony Healy was left lying on the ground after an off-the-ball incident.

After referee Brian Kearney had lengthy consultations with his umpires at the town-end goals and booked Down's Shea Pucci but the Meath players and management were incensed. A minute or two later O'Neill was shown a yellow card as he reacted to a decision given against his team.

Meath players also seemed fired up by that event although that new-found motivation did not manifest itself until a few minutes into the second-half.

Behind by those eight points at the interval the home team needed a bright start to the second-half but instead it was Down who scored the opening two scores, one from Pearse O Lochlann. The other from the highly influential Coleman, who finished the game with 2-7. That meant they were now 10 points down.

Then the Royal revival got underway in earnest. Soon after Coleman's point Meath put together a sweeping move. Healy and Eoin Kellegher had efforts blocked down in a crowded Down goalmouth. The ball broke to the switched on, alert Ennis and he fired home from close range. Game on.

Meath kept pressing. Now they had something to build on. With 47 minutes played the home said staged another attack. This time Patrick Jordan passed to Malachy Fisher. His attempt to find the net was foiled. The ball instead broke to Luke Ennis and he also fired home from close range. That left Down still ahead, but only just, 2-11 to 2-9.

Both sides added to their accounts as the drama increased and the tension mounted. By the 59th minutes Down edged back in front. It was then Kyle Ennis took centre stage converted a free (after Mark Leavy was fouled) to haul the sides level. He added another beauty from out near the sideline to put his side ahead as the game moved into added time before tagging on another point from very calmly converted free from distance.

There were so many heroes for Meath with Conor McNally, Fergal Flynn, Conor Murphy, Fisher, Fergal Flynn and of course Kyle Ennis among those who sparkled but this was a victory for grit and team spirit.

"I'm so proud of the players, they are giving me everything, they are training four nights a week. I'm over the moon with this win," manager O'Neill added.

"They are a great bunch of lads mad for hurling and that's what we need in this county. We need county boards, all the clubs rowing behind these teams and pushing them forward because it's all about the youth."

Yes, this was certainly one for the manager to savour.

SCORERS

Meath - Kyle Ennis 1-11 eight frees; Malachy Fisher 0-2; Conor Murphy 0-1; Patrick Jordan 0-1;

Down - Cathal Coleman 2-7; Shea Pucci 0-2 two frees; Ben Teggart 0-2; Pearse Loughrey 0-1; David Morrissey 0-1.

TEAMS

Meath - Darren O'Higgins; Patrick Moran, Fionn McHale, Conor McNally; Sean Howley, Anthony Healy, Eoin Kellegher; Fergal Flynn, Tiernan Anderson; Mark Leavy, Rian Fay, Malachy Fisher; Conor Murphy, Odhran Daly, Kyle Ennis. Subs - Patrick Jordan for Anderson 21 mins, Luke Ennis for Howley 37m, Michael Heffernan for Murphy 45m.

Down - Cian Clarke; Manus Gilmore, Conaire Monan, Padraig Mac Garraidh; Rory Teggart, Leigh Morgan, Joe Dynes; Pearse Loughrey, Sean McCarthy; Sean Doyle, Shea Pucci, Ben Teggart; Finbarr Blaney, Cathal Coleman, David Morrissey. Subs - David Morrissey for Blaney 45 mins, Luke Morris for Morrissey, Dara Rogers for Monan both 48m.

Referee - Brian Kearney (Kildare).