Imposing Mourne County side prove too strong for Meath
Visitors unable to contain enterprising home side
Down...3-19
Meath...1-16
As a way of bringing the curtain down on their NHL Div 2A campaign Meath were, no doubt, hoping to do a whole lot better than the nine-point defeat which they shipped in Ballycran today.
Yet in the context of what happened to them the previous week - when they were the victims of a tanking against Laois - this latest setback in a blustery Ards Peninsula wasn't all that bad.
In fact it could even be looked on as something of a moral victory, all considering.
We have pointed out before how Seoirse Bulfin's side have been decimated by injuries and withdrawals for one reason or another this year and they lost another player ahead of this game when Ethan Devine who down to start in the programme but was deemed unfit after picking up a jaw injury in training during the week.
Down also lost a man but this time during the course of the game when Eoghan Sands was sent off early in the second-half.
Yet despite Down's numerical disadvantage, there was never doubt who would end up the winners. When Sands was red-carded the home side led 2-9 to 1-11 with the elements in their favour - and the momemtum very much with them also.
Those elements consisted of a wind, which brought with it a nasty wintry edge, and it blew strong and incessantly from the Strangford Lough direction.
Despite their numerical never Meath never looked like they would overcome the conditions and a physically-imposing, highly-motivated and skilled Mourne County side who were by some distance the better team.
The visitors, with the help of that wind, deservedly lead 1-4 to 0-2 after eight minutes with Jack Walsh smartly finishing from close range for the goal.
They could easy have got another soon after when James Kelly found himself in front of the Down posts with only their goalkeeper Stephen Keith to beat but the netminder made a splendid stop. That chance represented something of high point for the visitors as Down started to take control.
Considering the conditions Bulfin's troops needed to be well in front at the break. Ominously for them they trailed 1-10 to 2-9 with the powerful, prolific Daithi Sands firing home two goals in the 15th and 33rd minutes.
The cause of Meath's collapse in the second half of that opening moiety was partly down to a tendency to give the ball away; to concede turnovers. It was a major fault too in the second-half and Down had the quality take full advantage with Sands going on to complete his hat-trick of goals.
Meath had their heroes. James Toher capped a typically powerhouse performance with six points, five from play. Newcomer William Gleeson along with Nicky Potterton, Domhnall Rogers, Podge O'Hanrahan, Mark Horan and Tom Shine all hit fine scores but the Royals struggled to impose themselves for long enough to garner more.
Horan and Shine certainly didn't do their causes any harm with energetic, industrious displays when they did come on as substitutes. Simon Ennis, Kris Gorman, Potterton, Sean Geraghty and Ronan Byrne were others who showed tenacity and drive. Charlie Ennis also marked his day with a splendid late, reflex save.
Meath fought and battled hard as you might expect, that's never an issue, but the challenge of overcoming a Down side driven by sparkling, power-packed displays from the likes of Tim Prenter, Pearse Og McCrickard and Sands proved as steep as one of the mountains of Mourne.
With one victory over Kildare from their five-match campaign Meath finished bottom but this defeat once again indicated how much the Royals are behind other teams in their grade.
That gap, which Bulfin spoke about last week, appears to be widening if anything.
SCORERS
Down - Daith Sands 3-3; Pearse Og McCrickard 0-8; Tim Prenter 0-3; Paul Sheehan 0-1; Eoghan Sands 0-1; Matt Conlon 0-1; Daniel Toner 0-1; Tom McGrattan 0-1.
Meath - James Toher 0-6 one free; Jack Walsh 1-0; Podge O'Hanrahan 0-4 three frees; Liam Gleeson 0-2; Nicky Potterton 0-1; Mark Horan 0-1; Domhnall Rogers 0-1; Tom Shine 0-1.
TEAMS
Down - Stephen Keith; Matt Conlon, Cormac McAllister, Conor Cassidy; Paul Sheehan, Caolan Taggart, Ruairi McCrickard; Donal Hughes, Tim Prenter; Eoghan Sands, Pearse Og McCrickard, Liam Savage; Daniel Toner, Chris Egan, Daithi Sands. Subs - Finn Turpin for Egan 54 m, Phelim Savage for Sheehan 60m, Tom McGrattan for Toner 63m, Jordan Murphy for Prenter 71m.
Meath - Charlie Ennis; Sean Geraghty, Shane Whitty, Ronan Byrne; Michael Burke, Simon Ennis, Jarlagh Ennis; Kris Gorman, Nicky Potterton; Jack Walsh, James Toher, William Gleeson; Domhnall Rogers, James Kelly, Podge O'Hanrahan. Subs - Tom Shine for Burke 34m, Mark Horan for Kelly 44m, Eoin Donegan for O'Hanrahan 62m, David Murtagh for J Ennis 68m.
Referee - Thomas Gleeson (Dublin).