Red card ruins Royal redemption run

Meath exit All-Ireland race following second-half fade out against Mayo

Mayo ..................0-3-16 (22)

Meath .................2-0-13 (19)

FERGAL LYNCH

It was like deja vu all over again as Meath exited the All-Ireland SFC race at the third round hurdle following a second-half collapse at Castlebar on Saturday.

Leading by seven points at the break, similar to the position they found themselves in round one against Cork (where they led by eight), Meath excelled an opening period where they played sublime football and blunted the majority of whatever Mayo tried to muster.

However, after the resumption things got progressively worse and culminated with a harsh red card for Ronan Jones following a harmless retaliatory clash with Jack Coyne.

At that stage, with around 16 minutes still left on the clock, Meath led by 2-12 to 0-14, but the oxygen Mayo got from a couple of earlier unforced turnovers and that red card gave them new life and within three minutes of Jones's dismissal they were level with Jordan Flynn kicking his second two-pointer before Ryan O'Donoghue and Tommy Conroy drew the Connacht side level.

Jack O'Connor did edge Meath back in front after Ciaran Caulfield had a goalbound shot saved by Jack Livingstone, but that was Meath's last score as Mayo kicked on with the extra man and closed out the game comfortably as Meath's surrender of their half-time advantage was complete.

As opening halves of football go, Meath hit perfection for 25 minutes as they raced into a 2-7 to 0-3 lead with Sean Coffey's brilliant goal.

However, Mayo kept themselves in the game by kicking four of the last five points to close the gap to 0-7 to 2-8 at the interval.

After Ciaran Caulfield was off target in the opening seconds Meath did hit the front in the first minute when Jordan Morris won the resulting kickout and lofted over. Mayo were awarded a free out after Cian McBride bundled Livingston over the line under Morris's short two-point attempt and a minute later O'Donoghue equalised for the hosts.

A strong run by Jack O'Connor drew a fine save from Livingstone and Sean Brennan landed the '45' to restore Meath's lead in the sixth minute. Things got even better in the next three minutes as James Conlon, Mathew Costello and Cian McBride, from a goal chance which he palmed over the bar from Bryan Menton's centre, stretched Meath's lead to 0-5 to 0-1.

Kobe McDonald gave a first glimpse of his brilliance as he raced away from Jack O'Connor to reply for Mayo, but two minutes later a stunning, blistering counter-attack by Meath led to a superb goal from Caulfield and by the 24th minute Menton and Morris added points to make it 1-7 to 0-2.

McDonald forced Sean Brennan into a magnificent save before converting the resultant '45', but Meath's second goal from Coffey put them in a strong position.

Mayo were stunned, but a couple of shrewd moves and substitutions settled them and a quickfire brace from Enda Hession closed the gap to 0-5 to 2-7.

Caulfield replied by firing goalwards with his shot clipping the crossbar on the way over, but Mayo responded superbly with Jordan Flynn and McDonald closing the gap to 0-7 to 2-8 at half time.

That closing 10 minutes of the opening half gave Mayo just enough confidence to kick on after the resumption, but Meath started the second period well with Jack O'Connor fisting over and Conlon adding another score to make it 2-10 to 0-7 just five minutes into the second period.

It was a case of game management for Meath at that stage, but Mayo got on a roll, aided by some poor decision making in possession by Meath and some equally disappointing executions that gifted the hosts simple possession.

Jordan Flynn kicked a two-pointer unchallenged to wipe out Meath's positive start to the second period and a minute later Bob Touhy added a single point with similar ease to make it 0-10 to 2-10.

Jack Flynn punched the air after he responded for Meath, but then a harsh call for a foul by Eoghan Frayne on Cian McHale gifted O'Donoghue a free and then a poor pass by Flynn allowed Conroy clip over a point to close the gap to five points.

A brilliant save by Brennan denied Hession a certain goal and when Coffey clipped over two minutes later to restore Meath's six-point lead at the three quarters stage, Meath looked in a reasonably good position.

Then it all started to go wrong.

Mathew Costello turned over possession and McHale pointed, Conroy followed suit almost immediately and after Jones clashed with Coyne he was shown a red card with Meath still 2-12 to 0-14 ahead.

Flynn's two-pointer and O'Donoghue's and Conroy's subsequent scores were like daggers in the heart of Meath's challenge.

Almost immediately after O'Connor restored a lead for Meath Jack Carney kicked a two-pointer to edge Mayo in front, and they never looked back.

Defending 11 against 10 and attacking with similar numbers Mayo controlled the game for the remainder.

O'Donoghue and McDonald stretched their lead out to three points and with Meath players out on their feet they struggled to muster a late goal saving chance with their challenge fading away in the late evening sun.

Mayo: Jack Livingstone; Jack Coyne, Donnacha McHugh, Eoin McGreal; Sam Callinan, David McBrien, Enda Hession (0-2); Jordan Flynn (0-5 two two-pointers), Jack Carney (0-2 two-pointer); Paddy Durcan, Conor Loftus, Bob Touhy (0-1); Darragh Beirne, Ryan O’Donoghue (0-4 one free), Kobe McDonald (0-4 one '45'). Subs: Diarmuid O'Connor for Durcan 16m, Tommy Conroy (0-3) for Beirne 30m, Cian McHale (0-1) for Loftus 40m, Matthew Ruane for Touhy 56m, Stephen Coen for Flynn 68m.

Meath: Sean Brennan (0-1 one '45'); Seamus Lavin, Sean Rafferty, Killian Smyth; Donal Keogan, Bryan Menton (0-1), Sean Coffey (1-1); Cian McBride, Jack Flynn (0-2); Jack O'Connor (0-2), Mathew Costello ((0-1), Ciaran Caulfield (1-1); Jordan Morris (0-3), James Conlon (0-1), Eoghan Frayne. Subs: Brian O'Halloran for Smyth 45m, Ronan Jones for Flynn, Charlie O'Connor for McBride both 54m, Cathal Hickey for Costello 56m, James McEntee for Frayne 63m.

Referee: Paul Faloon (Down).