Cavan 0-11
Meath 0-11
IN THE GRANDER scheme of the Division 2 promotion picture, this was a result that suited neither team.
Meath, who ultimately rescued a draw thanks to goalkeeper Sean Brennan’s 70th-minute point from a free, needed a win to keep alive their outside hopes of returning to Division 1.
Cavan, meanwhile, began the day knowing that three wins to round off their own campaign would result in a top-two finish.
They did lead after Paddy Lynch’s sixth point of the evening in the 68th minute too but, overall, were fortunate to even get a draw.
Meath led by four points at half-time, hit the woodwork with a point attempt from Ciaran Caulfield deep into stoppage time and had a gilt-edged goal chance from Shane Walsh earlier in the second-half expertly saved.
Mind you, Meath had to dig in the closing minutes as they had substitute Ruairi Kinsella black carded in the 66th minute.
Colm O’Rourke’s Tailteann Cup champions, a point behind Donegal and Armagh but with an extra game played, will return to duty in a fortnight against Cork, in Navan, while Cavan will travel to play Armagh.
Meath, seeking a first league or championship win against Cavan in Cavan since the 1960s, were unchanged from the side that defeated Kildare last weekend in Navan but Cavan brought Ryan Brady and Conor Rehill into their lineup.
Brady wore number five but lined out at midfield alongside Killian Clarke while Rehill slipped into the half-back line.
The match-ups were intriguing with Meath dangermen Shane Walsh and Costello picked up by full-back Killian Brady and Jason McLoughlin respectively.
The early Walsh-Brady battle was absorbing with Walsh, comfortable playing off either foot, winning plenty of ball.
Walsh only struck one first-half point though he consistently threatened and he played in Jack O’Connor for one tidy score. Eoghan Frayne was similarly influential as a creator, laying on passes for Costello and Walsh scores in the opening quarter.
At the other end, Cavan full-forward Lynch was picked up by Meath’s most accomplished defender Donal Keogan before Adam O’Neill later moved onto him.
Lynch struck Cavan’s first point from a 14th-minute free and added another from a free approaching the interval. Other than that, he was held scoreless from play and Cavan only scored once from open play as a team in the first period, a Cian Madden score in the 23rd minute.
Meath were 0-7 to 0-3 ahead at half-time but the real story of the opening half was of errant shooting and all the missed opportunities.
They shared 11 wides between eachother and Cavan were most guilty of wasteful play, shooting six of those misses into the town end and dropping another couple of score attempts short.
Meath moved captain Ronan Jones into the full-forward line for the second-half. But most of the action was at the opposite end as a much-improved Cavan outscored Meath by 0-4 to 0-1 in the first 20 minutes of the second-half.
Lynch and James Smith registered two points each though wides and point attempts dropping short continued to frustrate them.
Meath were profligate too and Walsh was denied a goal in the 40th minute when Cavan goalkeeper Gary O’Rourke pulled off a great save in a one-on-one.
McGowan had another goal chance for Meath 10 minutes later but his meek shot was blocked by a defender.
The sides were finally back level on the hour-mark following a Padraig Faulkner point for Cavan, leaving it 0-9 to 0-9.
They were tied again at 0-10 and 0-11 apiece and it ultimately remained that way despite both sides having stoppage time opportunities to steal a winner.
Meath came closest when wing-back Caulfield struck a left-footed kick from the left side of goals back off an upright after a lung bursting counter-attack.
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
1. Gary O’Rourke (Ballyhaise)
4. Niall Carolan (Cuchulainns), 3. Killian Brady (Mullahoran), 2. Jason McLoughlin (Shannon Gaels)
20. Conor Rehill (Crosserlough), 6. Brian O’Connell (Ramor United), 7. Padraig Faulkner (Kingscourt – Joint Captain)
5. Ryan Brady (Gowna), 8. Killian Clarke (Shercock)
10. Ciaran Brady (Arva – Joint Captain), 11. Cian Madden (Gowna), 12. Gerard Smith (Lavey)
15. Oisin Brady (Killygarry), 14. Paddy Lynch (Crosserlough), 9. James Smith (Crosserlough)
Subs
- 13. Caoimhin O’Reilly (Butlersbridge) for Oisin Brady (21)
- 23. Tiarnan Madden (Gowna) for Ryan Brady (HT)
- 19. Cian Reilly (Killygarry) for Rehill (HT)
- 25. Ryan O’Neill (Kildallan) for O’Reilly (53)
- 18. Oisin Kiernan (Denn) for Killian Brady (69)
Meath
1. Sean Brennan (Dunderry)
3. Adam O’Neill (Wolfe Tones), 2. Donal Keogan (Rathkenny), 4. Brian O’Halloran (Ballivor)
5. Ciaran Caulfield (Trim), 6. Darragh Campion (Skryne), 7. Sean Coffey (Ballinabrackey)
10. Daithi McGowan (Ratoath), 9. Cian McBride (St Ultan’s)
8. Ronan Jones (St Peter’s, Dunboyne – Captain), 11. Eoghan Frayne (Summerhill), 12. Jack O’Connor (Curraha)
14. Mathew Costello (Dunshaughlin), 13. Shane Walsh (Na Fianna), 15. Cathal Hickey (Seneschalstown)
Subs
- 21. Ruari Kinsella (Dunshaughlin) for O’Connor (49)
- 25. Danny Dixon (Boardsmill) for McGowan (57)
- 18. Michael Murphy (St Peter’s, Dunboyne) for Hickey (52)
- 24. Aaron Lynch (Trim) for Frayne (52)
- 19. Adam McDonnell (Summerhill) for Campion (65)
Referee: James Molloy (Galway).
***
National Football League Results
Division 3
- Limerick 0-14 Clare 1-16
Division 4
- Laois 2-12 London 0-9
- Carlow 0-7 Wexford 1-14
4th win out of 5 for Clare tonight in Division 3 of football league, well in promotion shake-up with two rounds left.
— Fintan O'Toole (@fotoole13) March 2, 2024
Of 20 players who featured during last year's Munster final, only 8 on Clare squad tonight. Brilliant start for Mark Fitzgerald in first season as manager.
Elsewhere tonight, Clare secured their fourth win in five games as they maintained their promotion push in Division 3.
Mark Fitzgerald’s side were nine points up against Limerick at half time in Rathkeale, with Brian McNamara’s 21st-minute goal key.
Emmet McMahon and Aaron Griffin led the scoring charge for Clare with 0-4 each.
In Division 4, Laois made it five wins from five with a comfortable win over London in Portlaoise. Evan O’Carroll and Kevin Swayne scored the goals for the O’Moore Couty. O’Connor finished with 1-2, while Mark Barry hit five points.
And Wexford ran out 10-point winners away to Carlow, with Niall Hughes scoring a late goal.
