Magnificent Morris masterminds Meath's masterpiece

ALL-IRELAND SFC QUARTER-FINAL

Meath ............2-0-16

Galway ................2-2-11

FERGAL LYNCH

Never has the mettle and resolve of this Meath team been tested like it was in Croke Park today and just as they have done, more often than not, they responded to everything thrown at them with typical Royal resilience and magnificence.

For the first time since 2009 Meath will play in the All-Ireland SFC semi-finals as they took every punch Galway threw at them and responded with a few haymakers of their own to claim a stunning quarter-final victory.

Conor Gray's scrambled 58th minute goal, followed by Jordan Morris's point 70 seconds later, put Meath in the driving seat and six points clear.

It looked as if the Royals would cruise to the last four, but then the rock at the heart of the Meath rearguard, Sean Rafferty, departed with a tight hamstring and Galway pounced for 2-3 in less than five minutes.

The six-point lead quickly transformed into a three-point deficit and the hopes and dreams of the mighty Green and Gold army evaporated into the air with the green smoke from the flares on Hill 16.

However, Meath refused to lie down. Rafferty rose from the bench and returned to man the defences, Galway rarely threatened again.

Magnificent Morris turned nothing into a goal that reignited the voices on the Hill and with that gusto behind them Meath stormed clear and saw out the game in a mature and managed way.

It was a masterful performance from the off. The opening half was throw back to the game before the new rules were introduced. It was cagey, tactical, nervy and lacking spark.

Both defences were on top and brilliant, while up front both sides failed to sparkle, with the fear of making a mistake leading to more caution than carefree football.

After the break all that changed.

Galway went at Meath and threw the kitchen sink at them, but Meath took it all on the chin and absorbed the pressure before cutting for home with Morris leading the charge and Conor Gray playing a huge role in the effort.

It took almost eight minutes for the opening score, an effort from Shane Walsh to prove how dangerous he can be when given space.

Meath didn't register until the 12th minute and it was centre-back Sean Coffey who showed the way. Morris was denied by Hawkeye before a brilliant run by Rafferty helped set up the outstanding Mathew Costello for his opening score and Meath's first lead.

Matthew Thompson levelled it up in the 20th minute before Rob Finnerty edged Galway ahead seconds later.

Morris, who endured an erratic opening half, restored parity for the third time before a clever point from Bryan Menton and an outstanding score from Ruairi Kinsella put two between the sides for the first time with Meath 0-5 to 0-3 clear.

Matthew Tierney fisted over to close to within one, but two spins by Donal Keogan created the space for the Rathkenny man to restore Meath's two-point lead.

An errant ball from Ciaran Caulfield to Ronan Ryan who thought he might have breached the four-back rule led to Tierney pointing in the 33rd minute before Sean Kelly levelled it up for the fourth time a minute later.

From being two points down Galway took a 0-7 to 0-6 lead to the dressing room when John Maher fisted over after a patient spell following the half-time hooter.

The early stages of the second period replicated the majority of the opening half as both sides jabbed away looking for weaknesses.

Costello clipped over a free almost immediately after the restart to bring the sides level for the fifth time.

Parity remained when Costello and Thompson exchanged scores and by the 50th minute there was still nothing between the sides as Morris and Finnerty (free) traded points to make it 0-9 each.

Then Meath kicked for home with Costello's point awarded by Hawkeye before Morris started to show more consistent glimpses of his brilliance to make it 0-11 to 0-9.

Meath had other chances. Billy Hogan missed a two-point free, while Cathal Hickey saw a goal chance flash across the face of Connor Gleeson.

Then in the 58th minute Coffey released Gray who showed grace and balance to tip-toe into the Galway square. The ball was knocked from his grasp, but he moved his feet brilliantly and managed to scramble the ball to the net to spark wild celebrations on the Hill.

When Morris added another point to make it 1-12 to 0-9 the Meath celebrations had begun.

However, those celebrations were premature and after Rafferty went off Galway hit a devastating purple patch that yielded a two-point free from Walsh, a goal for Cillian McDaid following a poor kickout, a free for Finnerty and a goal for Liam Silke after a sweeping move.

Meath's six-point lead was turned into a 1-12 to 2-12 deficit - but Rafferty was having none of it, back he came to shut up shop.

Morris had a snap shot saved by Gleeson and Hogan arrowed the '45' wide. However, that second goal did come in the 69th minute when outstanding work by Morris to dispossess Johnny McGrath saw Coffey sweep up possession., Coffey returned the ball to Morris who played a quick one-two with Costello before firing to the net - all of a sudden Meath's lead was restored, 2-13 to 2-12, and this time they didn't let go.

Cathal Hickey cut in from the wing to put two between the sides just as 70 minutes expired, but there was still eight minutes until the hooter.

Hogan missed another '45' before more Morris magic left Galway chasing a goal five minutes into injury-time.

Damien Comer marked his introduction with a point, but Morris responded with a fisted score to close Meath's account.

Walsh narrowed the gap to the minimum with a two-pointer, but Meath retained possession and when Costello won a free in the shadow of the Hogan Stand Frayne took all the time he needed until the hooter blew before kicking the free dead and securing a famous win for the Royals and a place in the All-Ireland SFC semi-finals for the first time since 2009.

Meath - Billy Hogan; Seamus Lavin, Seán Rafferty, Ronan Ryan; Donal Keogan (0-1), Seán Coffey (0-1), Ciarán Caulfield; Bryan Menton (0-1), Adam O’Neill; Conor Duke, Ruairí Kinsella (0-1), Mathew Costello (0-4 one free); Jordan Morris (1-6), Keith Curtis, Eoghan Frayne (0-1). Subs - Cathal Hickey (0-1) for Curtis 42m, Conor Gray (1-0) for O'Neill 49m, Brian O'Halloran for Rafferty 59m, Rafferty for Lavin 66m, Eoin Harkin for Duke, Cian McBride for Menton 76m.

Galway - Connor Gleeson; Johnny McGrath, Sean Fitzgerald, Liam Silke (1-0); Dylan McHugh, Sean Kelly (0-1), Cian Hernon; Jack Glynn, John Maher (0-1); Cein Darcy, Matthew Tierney (0-2), Peter Cooke; Robert Finnerty (0-3 two frees), Shane Walsh (0-5 one two-pointer, one two-point free), Matthew Thompson (0-2). Subs - Paul Conroy for Hernon 42m, Cillian McDaid (1-0) for Cooke 44m, Damien Comer (0-1) for Tierney, Daniel O'Flaherty for McHugh both 55m, Kieran Molloy for Kelly 71m.

Referee - Martin McNally (Monaghan).