Flynn again as Meath leave it late to break Louth hearts

Valentine's night drama as Royals snatch victory from the jaws of defeat

Meath ................1-4-12 (23)

Louth................. 0-4-14 (22)

Cometh the hour, cometh the man. With 39 seconds left on the clock Meath looked destined for one of their greatest collapses in decades as Louth surged ahead late on in Saturday's NFL Div 2 encounter at Croke Park, but Jack Flynn had other ideas.

Just as he did in the dying moments of the round two win over Cavan Flynn launched a late, ;late two-point attempt into the sky and watched as the leather dropped over the bar to earn Meath a victory that seemed unlikely.

Louth had taken the lead for the first time in this enthralling contest just 90 seconds earlier, but Meath didn't panic.

The ball was orchestrated to Flynn and he once again worked his magic as he fired over the winning two-pointer that ensured Meath maintained their winning start to the campaign with a third successive win.

It was fitting drama at the end of a frantic, blockbuster contest that was the proverbial game of two halves.

Meath were sensational in the opening half as they opened up an 11-point interval advantage, then abysmal in the second period as they added just three points and allowed Louth whittle away at the deficit before clawing ahead in the 74th minute.

With defeat staring them in the face Flynn added points four and five of the second period as his two-pointer rescued a win from a turbulent contest that saw nine yellow cards and bizarrely four black cards, all of which were issued nine seconds after the game had started.

There was a niggle and, at times, nastiness about this Valentine's night date/ Neither side gave nor sought a quarter and that led to a full blooded encounter that had the crowd on the edge of their seats on a bitterly cold evening.

Meath were majestic in the opening half. The played with a freedom and fluidity, especially in a spell between the 26th and 32nd minute when they added 1-7 to their tally, that Louth simply couldn't handle.

Defensively they were almost flawless which just a couple of careless tackles and one or two lapses in concentration allowing Louth stay in the game.

However that was in stark contrast to to what they produced in the second period.

Louth must take credit for their more forward thinking and innovative approach after the break, but Meath didn't help their cause by gifting Sam Mulroy two-point opportunities from frees that were conceded when Jack Flynn was pinged for two poorly executed high challenges and then Donal Keogan threw the ball away after being penalised. There was also another two-point free conceded for a three-up breach in attack and those errors gifted Mulroy and Louth eight points and allowed them stay in the game.

As Louth grew into the game, Meath struggled to halt the momentum. The 11-point gap was reduced to six within 15 minutes of the restart.

In the 12 minutes directly before Flynn's late winner, Meath conceded seven points in a row and made error after error as they got turned over in attack and defence. Kicked poor wide after pooir wide. Lost midfield battles left, right and centre and struggled to get kickouts away to viable targets.

The whole second-half, with the exception of two or three very short spells including the one that led to the winning score from Flynn, was way below par and on 99 days out of 100 would have led to defeat.

Thankfully Saturday was the one it didn't.

The game started as we expected with both sides trying to lay down markers before the ball was even thrown in. As referee Brendan Griffin blew his whistle Seamus Lavin had his shirt pulled off and a scuffle ensued in front of the meagre few who braved the cold on Hill 16.

Nine seconds after sounding his first whistle the referee sounded his second to halt play and after discussions with his linesman he issued black cards to Meath's Sean Rafferty and Brian O'Halloran and Louth's Sam Mulroy and Ciaran Downey.

As they cooled their tempers in the sin-bin Meath exploited the space with Flynn, Morris and Eoghan Frayne (free) edging the Royals after seven minutes.

Craig Lennon, who was a handful all evening, opened Louth's account a minute later and after Cian McBride had a goal chance blocked by Conor Grimes Paul Matthews closed the deficit to the minimum.

Mathew Costello, from inches inside the arch, traded a point with Grimes and after the four players returned from their cooling off period in the sin-bin Ruairi Kinsella kicked a two-pointer to make it 0-6 to 0-3.

Mulroy responded with a tap-over 13-metre free, but Meath were well in control.

Donal Keogan was denied a penalty despite being fouled twice and two minutes later Jordan Morris centred when he should have shot for goal himself and the chance went abegging.

Bryan Menton added to Meath's lead with a fine score, but a two-pointer from Matthews kept Louth in touch, 0-6 to 0-7.

Then Meath enjoyed their best spell of mesmerising football.

Ruairi Kinsella lofted over before being hit late by Peter Lynch, which earned the Louth man a caution. A minute later Kinsella executed a perfect finish to the net after a surging run by Costello to make it 1-8 to 0-6.

Patient build up play created the chance for Costello to land a two-pointer before two excellent scores from the lively Aaron Lynch stretched Meath's lead to nine points.

Morris made it 1-14 to 0-6 with a two-pointer and after Dara McDonnell and Morris traded scores that gap was maintained.

Louth looked certain to narrow that gap when Grimes bore down on goal, but Costello's made a brilliant saving tackle which the referee deemed illegal and awarded the penalty after the hooter. Mulroy assumed responsibility, but Sean Brennan dropped low to his left to save the kick and ensure the 1-15 to 0-7 interval lead for Meath.

Meath struggled to get going after the break and the more they tried the more mistakes they made which Louth capitalised on.

After the impressive Downey opened their second-half account Mulroy landed a two-point free following Flynn's high tackle on Padraic Tinnelly.

Six minutes later Flynn went in high on Downey and Mulroy repeated the trick and when Tadhg McDonnell added a simple score in the 51st minute the deficit was down to 0-13 to 1-15.

Morris fisted over Meath's first score of the second half in the 52nd minute, but a lack of concentration in attack saw Meath fail to keep three in attack and gifted Mulroy another two-point free.

Morris (free) and Jack O'Connor looked to have settled Meath when they made 1-18 to 0-15, but that was their last score until Flynn's late intervention.

In the meantime Louth turned the screw and added points from Lennon, Downey and Ciaran Keenan to make it 0-18 to 1-18.

Keogan threw the ball away after a free was awarded against him and Mulroy moved the ball forward to the acr where he converted the two-pointer to leave just a point between the sides.

As the regular clocked ticked into the fourth minute of injury time Lennon landed the equaliser and following a poor restart Lennon then kicked his side in front for the first time with the stadium clock ticking towards 70 minutes.

Meath didn't panic, and when all seemed lost it was Flynn who came up with the goods and once again delivered to break Louth hearts and put a spring into the step of Meath fans.

Meath - Sean Brennan; Seamus Lavin, Sean Rafferty, Brian O'Halloran; Donal Keogan, Sean Coffey, Ciaran Caulfield; Bryan Menton (0-1), Cian McBride; Jack Flynn (0-3 one two-pointer), Ruairi Kinsella (0-3 one two-pointer), Mathew Costello (1-3 one two-pointer); Jordan Morris (0-6 one two-pointer, one free), Aaron Lynch (0-2), Eoghan Frayne (0-1 frees). Subs - Conor Duke for Cosdtello half-time, Jack O'Connor (0-1) for Lynch 50m, Adam O'Neill for Menton 59m, Killian Smyth for Keogan 68m.

Louth - Niall McDonnell; Padraic Tinnelly, Dermot Campbell, Donal McKenny; Emmet Carolan, Peter Lynch, Craig Lennon (0-4); Dara McDonnell (0-1), Conor Early; Paul Matthews (0-3 one two-pointer), Sam Mulroy (0-9 four two-point frees, one free), Conor Grimes (0-1); Tadhg McDonnell (0-1), Ciaran Downey (0-2), Ryan Burns. Subs - Conal McKeever for Lynch 35m, Kieran McArdle for D McDonnell half-time, Ciaran Keenan (0-1) for Burns, Eoghan Callaghan for Grimes both 49m, Daire Nally for T McDonnell 67m,

Referee - Brendan Griffin (Kerry).