Meath mauled by Monaghan despite strong finish

Don't let the final deficit cloud just how easy this 1-17 to 1-14 win was for Monaghan as Meath exited the All-Ireland SFC race with a tame, insipid and uninspiring performance at Kingspan Breffni today.

Already comfortably clear with 12 minutes of the 70 remaining Monaghan banged in their goal to stretch their lead to 1-16 to 1-7, then, and only then, did Meath start to rise to the challenge, but it proved too little too late.

Seven points in succession closed the gap back to two three minutes into injury-time, but apart from one narrow angled effort from Mathew Costello that was well saved by Rory Beggan, Meath never looked like getting the second goal they needed.

That late burst proved there is plenty of ability and spirit in this Meath team when they throw off the shackles, but what preceded those closing 15 minutes posed far more questions than answers.

There was also a spell in and around Cathal Hickey's 22nd minute goal when Meath went from 0-3 to 0-5 in arrears to 1-4 to 0-5 ahead that suggested some promise, but the opening 20 minutes and from the 29th minute to the 55th was dire.

At one stage during that middle third one of the large group of Gaeil Colmcille kids who proved brilliant vocal support throughout from the back of the stand issued a loud and clear plea "don't give up lads".

His frustration was borne out of Meath's timidness in the tackle, carelessness in possession, wastefulness in attack and lack of cunning and guile up top that made a very, very ordinary Monaghan side look like world beaters.

It was only when James Conlon was introduced that Meath started to show a little fizz up front. His positioning on the inside line caused Monaghan a few issues and with Ronan Jones also providing impetus from the middle Meath looked decent in that closing spell.

That's the frustration.

When they are good, and play with a freedom and exhuberance, Meath look more than decent, but when they play without structure or a plan, like they did early on, they looked like a collection of lost individuals devoid of ideas or inspiration.

No one is questioning the commitment to the cause. Every one of the Meath players went out in every game this season, including Sunday's clash with Monaghan, to give their best, but the world and its Mother knows they should be better than this.

Monaghan hadn't won a game in league or championship since the end of January. Sure, they were All-Ireland SFC semi-finalists last year, but they were short a lengthy list of key players and should have been ripe for the picking in Kingspan Breffni.

However, Meath also looked like a team devoid of confidence. They looked nervous, timid and at times overwhelmed and disjointed.

That was very much the case in the opening quarter when Monaghan controlled possession.

There were a few questionable calls that went against Meath and if it weren't for bad luck, Meath would have had no luck at all.

There was a harsh call against Darragh Campion for overcarrying in the second minutes just before he slotted the ball over the bar.

That score was ruled out and a minute later Campion fouled Jason Irwin and Jack McCarron converted the simple free - a two-point swing.

McCarron added another free after the troublesome Killian Lavelle was fouled and when Cathal Hickey lost possession blood sub Barry McBennett pounced to make it 0-3 to 0-0.

Cillian O'Sullivan eventually opened Meath's account with a fisted point in the 11th minute, but Monaghan responded with a Conor McCarthy score to restore their three-point cushion.

After Costello pulled a point back from a free Meath almost got in for a goal when Brian O'Halloran's long ball was knocked down by Conor Gray into Eoghan Frayne's path, but his shot lacked conviction and was cleared off the line before Hickey fired the follow up wide.

Monaghan were also denied a point when Billy Hogan stopped Ciaran McNulty's mark from going over the bar and after Costello and McCarron (free) traded points Meath produced a turnover in midfield and galloped forward at pace wth Jordan Morris, Gray and Costello combining to set up Hickey for the goal as Rory Beggan scrambled back to his goal line.

Four minutes later Costello added another pointed free after Adam O'Neill was fouled as he raced through on goals, but that was Meath's last score for 17 minutes.

Monaghan closed the half with easy scores from Micheal Bannigan (two, one free) and Lavelle to lead by 0-8 to 1-4 at the break.

Two minutes after the restart Billy Hogan made a brilliant save to deny Stephen O'Hanlon, but the referee spotted a foul in the build up and awarded a free which Bannigan converted.

McBennett stretched Monaghan's lead to 0-10 to 1-4 before Frayne eventually responded with a point for Meath.

Monaghan continued to dominate and added two more points from O'Hanlon before Costello stopped the rot with a converted free, but then Monaghan hit another four on the trot from Andrew Woods (mark), Irwin, McCarthy and McCarron to make it 0-16 to 1-6.

Ronan Jones pulled a point back, but the game was effectively put to bed in the 59th minute when McBennett fired to the net to make it 1-16 to 0-7.

With only pride to play for Meath did at least manage to salvage some of that as Frayne (two frees) and Hogan from a '45' after Costello was denied by a fine save from Beggan made it 1-10 to 1-16.

A sweeping move resulted in a point for James Conlon with five minutes of the 70 remaining and a minute later he hit the upright from a difficult angle.

Jones, Conlon and Frayne kept the scoreboard ticking over in injury time to whittle the deficit down to two, 1-14 to 1-16.

However that was as close as it got and Conor McManus settled Monaghan's nerves with their closing point from the last kick of the game that leaves Meath supporters with more questions than answers about their progress.

SCORERS

Monaghan - Barry McBennett 1-2; Jack McCarron 0-4 frees; Micheal Bannigan 0-3 two frees; Stephen O'Hanlon 0-2; Conor McCarthy 0-1; Killian Lavelle 0-1; Andrew Woods 0-1 mark; Jason Irwin 0-1; Conor McCarthy 0-1; Conor McManus 0-1 free.

Meath - Mathew Costello 0-4 three frees; Eoghan Frayne 0-4 two frees; Cathal Hickey 1-0; James Conlon 0-2; Ronan Jones 0-2; Cillian O'Sullivan 0-1; Billy Hogan 0-1 '45'.

TEAMS

Monaghan - Rory Beggan; Ryan Wylie, Killian Lavelle, Jason Irwin; Ryan McAnespie, Ryan O'Toole, Conor McCarthy; Gary Mohan, Joel Wilson; Stephen O'Hanlon, Micheal Bannigan, Michael Hamill; Ciaran McNulty, Jack McCarron, Andrew Woods. Subs - Barry McBennett for Wilson blood sub 2m to 6m, Barry McBennett for Wilson 28m, Thomas McPhillips for O'Toole 50m, David Garland for McNulty 54m, Conor McManus for McCarron 59m, Micheal McCarville for Hamill 67m, Stephen Mooney for Woods 70m.

Meath - Billy Hogan; Donal Keogan, Adam O'Neill, Ronan Ryan; Sean Ryan, Brian O'Halloran, Sean Coffey; Conor Gray, Cathal Hickey; Ciaran Caulfield, Darragh Campion, Cillian O'Sullivan; Jordan Morris, Mathew Costello, Eoghan Frayne. Subs - Cian McBride for Ryan, Ruairi Kinsella for O'Sullivan half-time, Ronan Jones for Gray 49m, James Conlon for O'Halloran 54m, Daithi McGowan for Hickey 62m.

Referee - Joe McQuillan (Cavan).