Royal rally secures stunning opening victory

NFL DIV 2

Meath........................ 0-5-9(19)

Derry .........................1-2-9 (16)

There were no trophies or promotions handed out in Croke Park on Saturday evening, but Meath produced a statement performance as they opened their NFL Div 2 campaign with a magnificent victory over Derry at Croke Park.

Off the back of last year's stunning campaign, much was expected of Meath and they delivered in style with a second-half display in difficult conditions to curtail a Derry side that failed to win a game in 2025 and who were relegated from Div 1.

There were times in the opening quarter when Derry looked like a side on a mission to make amends for last year's anomaly, but once Meath got to grips with the Ulster men's movement and physicality they produced a controlled, dominant performance filled with flair, exuberance and measure.

Central to Meath's recovery from their bamboozled start was Jack Flynn. The giant midfielder has shown glimpses of his potential in a green and gold shirt over the last three years, but on Saturday he produced a performance for the ages that included a superb two-pointer from play with the wind and then two magnificent long range scores after the break into the breeze.

Flynn was the architect of Meath's victory. He drove the side on when Derry threatened to get an upperhand around the middle and he inspired those around him.

It was by no means a one man show either.

After a handling blunder that gifted Derry their goal Sean Brennan was sublime. He showed character of marble to not let that mistake impact him as he produced a stunning to deny Shane McGuigan a goal and landed a two-point free from over 55 metres to keep Meath in the ascendancy as half-time approached.

It was a magnificent victory for team football, and a hugely enjoyable spectacle. It was refreshing to see such invention, determination and hunger so early in the year and victory provides Meath with the perfect platform to build on.

A spell of patient football against the wind led to McGuigan opening the scoring in the fourth minute and when Ethan Doherty ghosted in to fist over his side's second it was hard to envisage how Meath might curtail a Derry side with their tails up.

At that stage McGuigan was causing Sean Rafferty problems. Meath's rearguard were being pulled out of shape and the ball just wasn't sticking up front.

Jordan Morris did find his range in the eighth minute, but it was another 10 minutes before Meath scored again and in that spell Derry looked to be in total control as Brennan brilliantly tipped Gareth McKinless's dipping effort over the bar before he then failed to grasp Paul Cassidy's short point attempt and let the ball spill over the line for a 1-3 to 0-1 lead.

Eoghan Frayne, back from injured, played a captain's part as he dispossessed Conor Glass before clipping over Meath's second point and even though McGuigan responded with a point Meath showed signs of settling a Morris was fouled and after Derry refused to give ground the ball was moved to the 13-metre line for a tap over free for Mathew Costello.

A harsh overcarry call on Costello let to a swift counter by Derry and a 23rd minute point for McGuigan, but they failed to score again for the remainder of the half and got flustered by Meath's movement.

After the were caught for not keeping four in defence Derry conceded another free which Costello opted to take, and convert, from outside the two-point arc.

That score was the first of 11 successive points for Meath either side of half-time.

Morris picked out Flynn brilliantly and the Ratoath man took his point to make it 0-6 to 1-5.

A foul by Glass on Morris brought Brennan forward to kick a superb two-point free and after Menton took his point from a half goal chance Meath added another two-pointer with Flynn capping a magnificent spell to ensure a 0-11 to 1-5 interval lead for the Royals.

The consensus at half-time was that a three-point interval lead might not be enough for Meath turning to face into the teeth of a strong wind for the second period but a magnificent two-pointer from Morris within 24 seconds of the restart was followed by a converted '45' from Flynn which stretched Meath's lead to 0-14 to 1-5.

Derry took advantage of a poor call by referee Barry Tierney to penalise Sean Coffey after he clearly won the ball as McGuigan landed a two-point free eight minutes after the restart.

Just over a minute later Cassidy stepped back outside the 40-metre arc to land another two-pointer and when substitute Matthew Downey kicked a point Meath's lead was down to the minimum 0-14 to 1-10.

However, instead of letting their heads drop Meath responded brilliantly. Flynn landed a 41 metre two-point free to restore a three-point cushion. McGuigan had a goalbound effort brilliantly tipped over by Brennan and Cassidy made it 1-12 to 0-16 in the 60th minute.

Again Meath showed amazing character to not panic as Derry closed to within one point. Flynn lofted a huge ball into the fading evening sky and when the ball dropped over the bar it sparked a huge cheer. Ciaran Caulfield set up James Conlon to re-establish Meath's three-point lead, but Derry panicked as they needed a goal late on.

McGuigan did close to within a point when he benefitted from another harsh call by the referee, but Caulfield had the last word with a fine point to take a two-pointer out of the equation for Derry as they needed a goal to salvage a draw.

That goal never looked like arriving as Meath defended superbly and claimed a merited victory that puts them in a great position ahead of next Sunday's trip to Breffni Park to face Cavan.

Meath - Sean Brennan (0-2 one two-point free); Seamus Lavin, Sean Rafferty, Brian O'Halloran; Donal Keogan, Sean Coffey, Ciaran Caulfield (0-1); Bryan Menton (0-1), Jack Flynn (0-7 one two-pointer, one two-point free, one '45'); Conor Duke, Mathew Costello (0-3 one two-point free, one free), Ruairi Kinsella; Jordan Morris (0-3 one two-pointer), Adam O'Neill, Eoghan Frayne (0-1). Subs - Cian McBride for Duke 49m, James Conlon (0-1) for O'Neill 54m, Jack O'Connor for Frayne 64m, Jason Scully for Kinsella 70m, Ronan Ryan for O'Halloran 73m.

Derry - Shea McGuckian; Conor Cluskey, Padraig McGrogan, Diarmuid Baker; Conor Doherty, Gareth McKinless (0-1), Ruairi Forbes; Conor Glass, Brendan Rogers; Ethan Doherty (0-1), Niall Toner, Paul Cassidy (1-3 one two-pointer); Conor McAteer, Shane McGuigan (0-7 one two-point free, one free), Niall Loughlin. Subs - Matthew Downey (0-1) for McAteer 43m, Shea Downey for Toner 56m, Patrick McGurk for Loughlin 64m, Sean Kearney for Baker 69m, Sean Young for Cassidy 75m.

Referee - Barry Tiernan (Dublin).