Meath come good in second half to land Tailteann Cup

Meath claimed the Tailteann Cup in Croke Park on Saturday with a terrific second-half performance against Down.

Goals were the difference in the end – the first incredibly lucky and the second late on proving to be the icing on the cake.

While there were five points in it at the final whistle, this was a tight tussle and Down will rue some missed goal opportunities.

But it was Meath's day and overall they deserved their victory, while Jack Flynn was well worth his Player of the Match accolade.

After a cagey start, Down looked to be pulling away when they led 0-04 to 0-01, but a fortuitous Meath goal on 17 minutes changed the complexion of the game.

Flynn lobbed a shot in from distance with a point in mind, but the ball pounded off the upright and dropped in front of goal where it deflected off Ronan Jones and into the net.

Aaron Lynch tagged on a point and with that, Colm O’Rourke’s men took the lead for the first time.

Pat Havern levelled from a free, but it was nip and tuck for the rest of the half with the swirling wind resulting in five wides for Meath and four for Down in the half with only two more scores to come.

Matthew Costello nudged the Royal County in front 1-03 to 0-05 with 20 minutes on the clock but despite Down being reduced to 14 men on 29 minutes when Ceilum Doherty was black carded, Meath couldn’t capitalise and it was Liam Kerr who levelled for Down with a low shot over the bar, that really should have been a goal, seconds before the half-time whistle.

The Mournemen could in fact have had led at the break, but Ryan Johnston missed a sitter when one-on-one with Meath ’keeper Sean Brennan. The Kilcoo forward had too much time to place the ball and uncharacteristically fired straight at Brennan.

Down 'keeper Niall