Battling Meath downed in Ballycran thriller

Hurling can be a cruel game. Meath travelled to the remote stronghold of Ballycran today to take on Down in the opening game of the Joe McDonagh Cup, but left with nothing to show for their battling display as they lost out 0-25 to 3-23.

Outscored by just one score, it was the concession of soft goals at crucial junctures that ultimately proved Meath's undoing, but they can be proud of the shift they put in against the backdrop of a turbulant build up.

With just seven training sessions under the new management team of Steven Clynch, Trevor Cummins and Declan Murray following the departure of Seorise Bulfin and his backroom team, there was always going to be errors here and there.

Those little mistakes did have major consequences, but such was the battling qualities of the Meath players and their hunger and commitment to try to do the right thing that the future could be bright for this group.

Leading the way for Meath against Down was the outstanding Podge O'Hanrahan.

The Ratoath player tallied 17 points as he clipped over 15 frees from a vast variety of distances and angles. He also scored from play and from a '65' and was a constant threat to the Down defence.

O'Hanrahan's unerring accuracy kept Meath in the game for long periods and every time Down capitalised on a Royal mistake invariably it was O'Hanrahan who kept Meath in touch with punishing frees.

Despite O'Hanrahan's heroics, it was the concession of goals that proved costly.

Meath got off to a flying start and had Down rattled when they raced into a 0-6 to 0-3 lead. Then a miscalculation under a breaking ball in midfield saw the hosts pounce for an equalising goal.

Down threatened to kick on from that score and by early in the second-half they had pulled 2-17 to 0-14 clear.

Meath were hanging on in, but then a mistake coming out from defence saw them turned over and again Down took full advantage to grab their second goal and move nine clear.

Instead of giving up Meath responded positively and got themselves back to within three points with 13 minutes remaining.

Then Kris Gorman picked up a second yellow card and was sent off, a minute later they shipped a third goal. Another turn over of possession in attack and Down cleared the danger with a long ball and hit their third goal.

With seven minutes of normal time remaining Meath surrendered several easy point scoring opportunities from placed balls in an effort to create a match-saving goal chance, but instead Down managed to clear the danger every time and keep the scoreboard ticking over.

It was only when there was six minutes of additional time announced that the realisation dawn that had they taken their points in that closing quarter then it might have set up a grandstand closing few minutes - but it wasn't to be.

The disappointment at the end was in sharp contrast to the joy of the fine start.

Eamon Og O Donnchadha marked his return with a magnificent point from the left in the opening minute and even though Pearse Og McCrickard sandwiched a Sean Martin point with a brace of frees Meath still looked to be moving well.

James Toher with a monster point from inside his own 65 and O Donnchadha with a replica of his first made it 0-4 to 0-2 to the visitors, but the signs of Meath's vulnerability were there.

A mistake by Jarlath Ennis allowed Finn Turpin in for a goal, but Charlie Ennis made a smart save.

A short puck-out put Toher under pressure and Daithi Sands punished the mistake, but two points from O'Hanrahan, one from a '65' and one from play, stretched Meath's lead to 0-6 to 0-3 after 14 minutes.

All that good early work was undone when a mistake led to Tim Prenter firing Down's equalising goal and a minute later they took the lead for the first time when Eoghan Sands pointed.

Points from Paul Sheehan (free) and Tom Murray sandwiched a Simon Ennis score as Down went three clear, but Meath's response was excellent as they piled the pressure on the Down defence and converted three frees from O'Hanrahan and clipped one from Niall McLarnon to lead 0-11 to 1-7 in the 28th minute.

However the energy expended to get their noses in front again told in the run-in to the break as Down outscored Meath by 0-8 to 0-2 with Sheehan (two), Liam Savage, Pearse McRickard, Donal Hughes, Eoghan Sands, Daithi Sands and Prenter on target in reply to scores from O'Hanrahan frees to open up a 1-15 to 0-13 interval lead.

Finn Turpin stretched that lead with a point 15 seconds after the restart, but Meath never capitulated.

O'Hanrahan and Sheehan traded frees before Gorman picked up his needless first yellow card and then Prenter capitalised on a Toher error under pressure to grab Down's second goal and make it 2-17 to 0-14.

Meath replied with three of the next four points. Nicky Potterton got off the mark and O'Hanrahan land two frees either side of a Prenter point to make it 0-17 to 2-18.

Sheehan put eight between the teams heading into the final quarter with a converted free, but then Meath caused Down all sorts of issues and O'Hanrahan punished their indecision and ill-discipline with four massive frees from distance before Gorman landed a superb point to make it 0-22 to 2-19.

That score was Gorman's last act before he picked up his second yellow for a careless foul. Ruairi McCrickard had pointed for Down before the dismissal, but worse was to come for Meath as they failed to responded to Down's long clearance and were hit on the counter-attack with Daithi Sands blasting the third goal.

After surrendering a few point-scoring opportunities O'Hanrahan did clip over Meath's last three points from frees, but Down kept the scoreboard ticking over with scores on the break from Caolan Taggart, Marc Fisher and Oisin MacManus (two) to seal Down's win and leave Meath wondering what might have been.

SCORERS

Down - Tim Prenter 2-1; Daithi Sands 1-3; Paul Sheehan 0-5 four frees; Pearse og McCrickard 0-3 two frees; Eoghan Sands 0-2; Oisin MacManus 0-2; Tom Murray 0-1; Ruairi McCrickard 0-1; Liam Savage 0-1; Finn Turpin 0-1; Caolan Taggart 0-1; Donal Hughes 0-1; Marc Fisher 0-1.

Meath - Podge O'Hanrahan 0-17 15 frees, one '65'; Eamon Og O Donnchadha 0-2; Kris Gorman 0-1; James Toher 0-1; Niall McLarnon 0-1; Sean Martin 0-1; Nicky Potterton 0-1; Simon Ennis 0-1.

TEAMS

Down - Stephen Keith; Matt Conlan, Conor Cassidy, Dara Mallon; Tom Murray, Caolan Taggart, Ruairí McCrickard; Donal Hughes, Tim Prenter; Paul Sheehan, Eoghan Sands, Liam Savage; Daithí Sands, Finn Turpin, Pearse Óg McCrickard. Subs - Chris Egan for P Og McCrickard 43m, Phelim Savage for Turpin 55m, Oisin MacManus for E Sands 60m, Marc Fisher for Sheehan 62m, Barry Trainor for Prenter 68m.

Meath - Charlie Ennis; Jarlath Ennis, Seán Geraghty, Daire Shine; Kris Gorman, James Toher, James Kelly; Simon Ennis, Niall McLarnon; Tom Shine, Seán Quigley, Seán Martin; Padraig O'Hanrahan, Nicky Potterton, Éamon Óg Ó Donnchadha. Subs - Adam Kelly for Martin, Mark Horan for Quigley both 47m, Jack Walsh for T Shine, Mickey Burke for J Ennis 63m, Jamie Leavy for McLarnon 70m.

Referee - Colm McDonald,