Updated at 21.28
Meath 1-14
Down 1-11
MEATH BEAT DOWN 1-14 to 1-11 in an entertaining Allianz League Division 2 game in Navan this evening.
A Graham Reilly goal put the Royal County ahead early in the second half, before Down produced a quick-fire response in the form of an Ambrose Rogers goal.
It was a tight final few minutes, as the scores stood at 1-9 apiece with 15 minutes remaining.
Nevertheless, Meath showed composure under pressure in the dying stages, with Reilly, Stephen Bray and Shane O’Rourke grabbing points late on to ensure their win.
It had been an even enough first half, with Down establishing a sizeable 0-7 to 0-4 lead in the opening stages, before their opponents reduced the deficit to one point on the brink of half-time, thanks to efforts from Reailly and Bryan Menton.
Down, who were reduced to 14 men when Conor Laverty was given a black card, got the first two points of the second period, before a score from Séamus Kenny and Reilly’s fantastic goal from distance put the hosts ahead.
Damien Carroll scored two consecutive points for Meath, following Rogers’ goal, before Down received another black card — Conor Garvey was the culprit on this occasion.
It was relatively plain sailing for Meath from thereon in, as despite hitting three wides in the final minutes, they won it late on with a series of crucial points.
