Meath 3-7 Armagh 1-6:DON'T WRITE off Meath yet. Following some less than impressive league displays, Colm Coyle's side put the smile back on the faces of their supporters when ending Armagh's promotion hopes with a much improved performance at Páirc Tailteann on Saturday night.
Apart from the return to form by the home team, the main talking point was the referee's obsession with flashing yellow cards; Sligo's Michael Duffy booked 13 men, seven from Meath.
It was not a mean contest, and while Coyle did not wish to be overly critical of Duffy, he was surprised so many were censured.
"The exchanges were hard and physical but it was not a dirty game," he said.
Meath fans went away with more cause for optimism than after the disappointing defeat by Monaghan six days earlier. They had won despite losing their outstanding forward Cian Ward, who retired with a recurrence of a hamstring injury late in the first half. And with Brian Farrell sidelined and their 2007 All Star Stephen Bray struggling to recapture last year's brilliance, it was left to the returning Joe Sheridan to spearhead the attack.
He bagged two goals and his strike from a penalty after 63 minutes was the deciding score. It was the game's second converted penalty, Aidan O'Rourke having fired his kick to the net eight minutes into the tie.
That was soon answered by Sheridan following a Graham Geraghty pass and Meath's second goal after 16 minutes was a fortunate score that left them leading by 2-1 to 1-1. A Ward free from the left was knocked past netminder Paul Hearty, and having netted at the other end, the Armagh centre back O'Rourke found himself with the own-goal to his name.
It was 2-3 to 1-4 at the break and was anyone's game until Geraghty was hauled down for the second penalty and Sheridan made no mistake. Armagh could add only two points in the second period.
MEATH:B Murphy; N McKeigue, D Fay, C McGill; S Kenny, E Harrington, C King; N Crawford, M Ward; P Byrne (0-2), G Geraghty, A Nestor; S Bray (0-1), J Sheridan (2-2, goal pen, two pts frees), C Ward (0-1, free). Subs: G Reilly for Ward (32 mins), S McAnarney for McGill (half-time), S O'Rourke (0-1) for Nestor (44 mins), C O'Connor for Fay (65 mins), B Meade for O'Rourke (70 mins).
ARMAGH:P Hearty; B Shannon, B Donaghy, F Moriarty; A Kernan (0-1), A O'Rourke (1-0, pen), C McKeever; P McGrane, G Swift; S Kernan, M O'Rourke (0-1), K Toner; S McDonnell (0-2, one free), R Clarke, T Kernan (0-1). Subs: C Vernon for Swift (half-time), O McConville (0-1, free) for T Kernan (43 mins), F Bellew for Shannon (51 mins), G O'Neill for Clarke, B Mallon for M O'Rourke (both 62 mins).
Referee:M Duffy (Sligo).
