Published: Wednesday, 31st March, 2010 5:00pm
Third defeat on the road
by Fergal LynchDonegal 1-12 Meath 0-10
Brain Meade receives his departure notice from referee Martin Sludden during Saturday night's NFL Div 2 game against Donegal at Ballybofey.
Pic by==: 97
The Meath version of the Rocky Horror road show rolled into Ballybofey on Saturday evening where the NFL Div 2 misery continued with a defeat to hosts Donegal.
Meath's struggles on the road continued and on this occasion it was discipline that let them down with both Peadar Byrne and Brian Meade red-carded.
Ironically, some of Meath's best football came when they were reduced to 14 men after Byrne received a second yellow card two minutes before the end of the first-half, but it was when Meade was dismissed for a high tackle with 11 minutes remaining that the chances of victory evaporated.
It is hard to accentuate the positives from such a defeat. However, the Meath management will have to be happy with the effort and commitment shown by the players to twice drag themselves back into contention.
Meath got off to a rotten start and found themselves 0-0 to 0-4 adrift after just seven minutes. They recovered superbly in the second-quarter to be level, 0-6 each, at half-time, but then the concession of a goal six minutes after the restart left them with a mountain to climb again.
Meath had no answer to the threat posed by magnificent full-forward Michael Murphy. The Donegal talisman contributed 1-6 , 1-4 from play, and made it an evening to forget for Anthony Moyles deployed to mark him after an early injury forced Niall McKeigue off.
Manager Eamonn O'Brien went with the same starting 15 for consecutive games for the first time this year, but his plans were spoiled when McKeigue's hamstring gave way in the 14th minute which saw Byrne enter the fray. The Ballinlough man lasted all of 23 minutes.
Both red cards were harsh as over-fussy Tyrone official Martin Sludden seemed intent on spoiling the flow of the game. He issued 14 yellow cards and two reds in a game that didn't see a dirty blow.
Byrne's first caution came within nine minutes of his arrival following a heavy challenge on Anthony Thompson, 14 minutes later Sludden went back to a foul committed by the Ballinlough man as Donegal attacked and sent Byrne for an early shower.
That red card galavinised Meath and apart from the slow start to the second-half they coped well with most things that Donegal threw at them.
Mickey Burke stepped up with a solid defensive performance while Cormac McGuinness also worked hard. However, once Meade was dismissed for a high tackle, that warranted a yellow card at worst, Meath's chances faded.
They battled bravely subsequently and claimed two points which closed the deficit to the minimum, 0-10 to 1-8, with just six minutes remaining. However, the exertion of 13 men against 15 told, Donegal took advantage and pulled clear to remain on track for promotion.
For Meath it is back to the drawing board. While the commitment, hunger and spirit was evident, there is still that X factor missing from the forward division. There was no flair, ingenuity or invention and very few clear-cut scoring opportunities.
Stephen Bray had an off day and was replaced at half-time as much of the attacking threat rested on Joe Sheridan's shoulders, he was by far Meath's best player.
Mark Ward enjoyed sporadic periods of dominance at midfield and occasionally produced some outstanding passes, but too often Meath struggled to get on the ball with Donegal winning the majority of the breaks.
The 130-mile journey into the north west looked to have left Meath lethargic. They fell from the traps with a limpness and fatigue that suggested they were in for a hammering.
A foul on Stephen Griffin enabled Colm McFadden open the scoring inside a minute and then a mistake by Chris O'Connor and McKeigue allowed Murphy open his tally and double Donegal's advantage.
A Murphy free after McKeigue handled on the ground was followed by a superb point from Donegal captain Kevin Cassidy. Meath were on the ropes, but Sheridan settled the nerves with an excellent score before another foul by McKeigue on Murphy allowed the giant full-forward make it 0-5 to 0-1 after just 10 minutes.
A brilliant piece of defending by McKeigue left the O'Mahonys player injured as he helped set up Sheridan for a second brilliant point, but again Donegal responded with Michael Maguire lofting over.
Donegal failed to score in the final 18 minutes of the half as Burke pointed superbly and then Byrne added to Meath's tally before Shane O'Rourke closed the gap to 0-5 to 0-6. Byrne was then sent-off, but Meath remained on the front foot as a Cian Ward free with the last action of the half ensured the sides were level at the break.
Meath squandered several scoring opportunities early in the second-half with O'Rourke hitting the upright and Ollie Lewis, Mark Ward and Cian Ward (free) firing wide.
A harsh decision by Sludden to call a foul by Moyles on Murphy allowed McFadden restore Donegal's lead. Four minutes later substitute Gary O'Brien was penalised for a hand pass offence and from the resultant Cassidy free, Murphy was left unchallenged to rifle his shot beyond Paddy O'Rourke for a goal.
Murphy made it 1-8 to 0-6 with another point four minutes later, but Meath refused to buckle. Great scores from Mark Ward and O'Connor were followed by Meade's straight red card, but despite being two men down a Jamie Queeney free and a spectacular score from Burke left the minimum in it, 0-10 to 1-8.
The numbers game finally caught up with Meath and after chasing the game for so long they never got their noses in front as Murphy (two), Conall Dunne and David Walsh tagged on points in the final four minutes.
Donegal - P Durcan; S Boyle, N McGee, K Lacey; M Maguire (0-1), A Thompson, F McGlynn; N Gallagher, B Boyle; B Dunnion, C McFadden (0-2, frees), K Cassidy (0-1); C Dunne (0-1), M Murphy (1-6, two frees), S Griffin. Subs - D Walsh (0-1) for Dunnion 50 mins, A Hanlon for Griffin 56m, L McAloone for Boyle 64m.
Meath - P O'Rourke; C O'Connor (0-1), N McKeigue, E Harrington; A Moyles, C McGuinness, M Burke (0-1); N Crawford, M Ward (0-1); S Kenny, J Sheridan (0-2), O Lewis; C Ward (0-1, free), S O'Rourke (0-1), S Bray. Subs - P Byrne (0-1) for McKeigue 14 mins, G O'Brien for Bray half-time, B Meade for Lewis 44m, J Queeney (0-1, free) for C Ward 50m.
Referee - Martin Sludden (Tyrone).
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