Cavan……………………….0-11

Meath………………………..0-11

Saturday, 1st March 2024

 

It would be easy to use the old cliche that a draw was a fair result in this Saturday night division 2 clash in Breffni Park.

Except for the fact it wasn’t. Meath will rue the missed opportunity to put three wins on the trot.

After leading  by 0-7 to 0-3 at the interval, and it should have been more, the visitors squandered two glorious goal chances in the second period.

In the 40th minute a precise delivery from Cian McBride put Shane Walsh clean through on goal but he hit his shot far too close to Cavan ‘keeper Gary O’Rourke, who saved with his leg

From the goalies viewpoint it was a top class save, and in fairness it was, but really he should have had no chance suck was the time and space Walsh had to pick his spot.

Ten minutes later O’Rourke denied Daithi McGowan using his chin to block the shot, the difference being that a posse of blue shirts were closing in on McGowan,

Add in three poor Walsh wides and a late Ciaran Caulfield effort that came back off the post and it is easy to argue Meath should have won.

It is also arguable that this was Meaths best display in the league so far as they made the most of a loose marking Cavan

It took until the hour mark before a Padraig Faulkner point for saw Cavan draw level  0-9 to 0-9.

In what could well be recalled as the goalies game, Meath number one, Sean Brennan, stepped up to kick a late equalising free, which added to two earlier ’45s made him his sides top scorer.

Two home wins on the trot and decent away draw that should have been a win suggest there is a decent Meath side beginning to emerge.

Another season in division 2 appears to beckon and it could be just what a youthful side needs.

The step up to face the big guns in the top tier can wait another twelve months, They’ll be ready then.

 

Cavan scorers: Paddy Lynch 0-6 (0-5f), James Smith 0-2, Cian Madden 0-1, Padraig Faulkner 0-1, Niall Carolan 0-1.

Meath scorers: Sean Brennan 0-3 (0-3 45), Daithi McGowan 0-2, Mathew Costello 0-2, Eoghan Frayne 0-1 (0-1f), Shane Walsh 0-1, Ronan Jones 0-1, Jack O’Connor 0-1.

CAVAN: Gary O’Rourke; Niall Carolan, Killian Brady, Jason McLoughlin; Conor Rehill, Brian O’Connell, Padraig Faulkner; Ryan Brady, Killian Clarke; Ciaran Brady, Cian Madden, Gerard Smith; Oisin Brady, Paddy Lynch, James Smith.

Subs: Caoimhin O’Reilly for Oisin Brady 21, Tiarnan Madden for Ryan Brady h/t, Cian Reilly for Rehill h/t, Ryan O’Neill for O’Reilly 53, Oisin Kiernan for Killian Brady 69.

MEATH: Sean Brennan; Adam O’Neill, Donal Keogan, Brian O’Halloran; Ciaran Caulfield, Darragh Campion, Sean Coffey; Daithi McGowan, Cian McBride; Ronan Jones, Eoghan Frayne, Jack O’Connor; Mathew Costello, Shane Walsh, Cathal Hickey.

Subs: Ruairi Kinsella for O’Connor 49, Danny Dixon for McGowan 57, Michael Murphy for Hickey 52, Aaron Lynch for Frayne 52, Adam McDonnell for Campion 65.

Referee: James Molloy (Galway).