Meath seal promotion and final ticket v Donegal

Meath did the business at Pairc Tailteann today and sealed a return to the NFL Div 1 in 2020 with a merited 2-12 to 0-11 win against Fermanagh.

An estimated 5,000 spectators flocked to the ground and the majority of them, the Meath supporters, had endure a nervy few minutes as Fermanagh dictated the early exchanges.

Fermanagh raced from the traps and had four wind-assisted points on the board in as many minutes with Conall Jones, Ciaran Corrigan, Ultan Kelm and Sean Quigley splitting the posts at the O'Mahonys end.

Fortunately, for Meath, Fermanagh's radar was way off for the remainder of the half as they tallied 11 wides and had to endure 31 barren minutes on the scoreboard before Quigley and Ciaran Corrigan added late points.

Meath worked hard throughout the half and got off the mark at the end of the first-quarter when Cillian O'Sullivan sent over.

There was an upsurge in belief when Ben Brennan converted a free soon after and then Barry Dardis finished to the net.

Meath continued in the ascendancy and took a 1-4 to 0-6 interval lead when O'Sullivan fisted over and then in added time Mickey Newman opened his account.

Fermanagh opened smartly against the wind and were on terms from a Ryan Jones point, but that was as good as it got for the Ulster side and Meath gradually asseretd their superiority.

By the three-quarter stage Meath were ahead by 2-9 to 0-8 with Bryan McMahon's shimmy making the opening for the goal from James McEntee who also pointed in that spell along with Newman and Bryan Menton.

All Fermanagh could muster was a solitary Jones point and the game was effectively over at that stage.

Meath kept a tight grip on the exchanges and eased to victory with extra points from man-of-the match Cillian O'Sullivan (free), Newman (free) and James Conlon.

Meath will play Donegal in the NFL Div 2 final next weekend.

Meath - Andrew Colgan; Seamus Lavin, Conor McGill, Ronan Ryan; James McEntee (1-1), Donal Keogan, Shane Gallagher; Bryan Menton (0-1), Shane McEntee; Cillian O’Sullivan (0-4 one free), Ben Brennan (0-1 free), Barry Dardis (1-1); Bryan McMahon, Michael Newman (0-3 one free), Thomas O’Reilly. Subs – Graham Reilly for Brennan half-time, Darragh Campion for McMahon 55mins, Adam Flanagan for S McEntee 62m, Gavin McCoy for Gallagher 63m, James Conlon (0-1) for O'Reilly 69m.