MEATH WON THEIR Allianz league battle in Navan with five late points in a row but frustratingly still lost the war overall as promotion to the top flight narrowly eluded them.
Both teams began the afternoon at Pairc Tailteann knowing promotion to Division 1 was a possibility and an expectant 8,500 crowd turned out as a result.
But while Meath came good with five unanswered points in the last 11 minutes to take the win, it ultimately counted for nothing in promotion terms as results elsewhere went against them.
Manager Mick O’Dowd will take consolation from signing off the campaign with back-to-back wins over Down, who were promoted, and now Cavan.
But they didn’t truly get going until late on and it was a poor game that yielded 31 wides in total between the teams, 16 for Meath.
The three-in-a-row Leinster finalists led narrowly at half-time, 0-6 to 0-5 thanks to back to back Shane O’Rourke points late in the half.
They took a two-point advantage early in the second-half at 0-8 to 0-6 before Cavan took over for a 20-minute spell.
Mick O'Dowd will pleased with how his side finished their league campaign. Tommy Grealy / INPHO
Tommy Grealy / INPHO / INPHO
Cavan outscored Meath by 0-6 to 0-1 in that period and opened up with their best play to moved 0-12 to 0-9 clear approaching the finale.
They couldn’t kick on from there though and Mickey Newman points, two, as well as one from sub Bryan Menton levelled it up. Stephen Bray’s second of the game put Meath ahead late on before another sub, Eamon Wallace, sprinted clear and fisted over the insurance point in injury-time.
Scorers for Meath: Mickey Newman 0-6 (0-4f), Shane O’Rourke and Stephen Bray 0-2 each, James McEntee, Mickey Burke, Bryan Menton and Eamon Wallace 0-1 each.
Scorers for Cavan: Martin Dunne (0-2f) and Martin Reilly 0-3 each, Thomas Corr, James McEnroe, Damien O’Reilly, Gearoid McKiernan, Dara McVeety and Niall Murray 0-1 each.
Meath
1 Paddy O’Rourke (Skryne)
3 Conor McGill (Ratoath)
2 Donnacha Tobin (Blackhall Gaels)
4 James McEntee (Curraha)
7 Brian Power (Ratoath)
17 Davy Dalton (Summerhill)
5 Mickey Burke (Longwood)
8 Conor Gillespie (Summerhill)
9 Adam Flanagan (Clonard)
10 Graham Reilly (St Colmcille’s)
11 Padraic Harnan (Moynalvey)
15 Mark O’Sullivan (Moynalvey)
26 Shane O’Rourke (Simonstown Gaels)
14 Stephen Bray (Navan O’Mahony’s)
18 Mickey Newman (Kilmainham)
Subs:
12. Bryan Menton (Donaghmore-Ashbourne) for Flanagan (26)
24. Joey Wallace (Ratoath) for O’Sullivan (27)
13. Eamon Wallace (Ratoath) for S O’Rourke (56)
20. Damien Carroll (Ballinabrackey) for Harnan (69)
Cavan
16 James Farrelly (Kingscourt)
20 Killian Brady (Mullahoran)
2 Jason McLoughlin (Shannon Gaels)
3 Rory Dunne (Redhills)
5 James McEnroe (Ramor United)
7 Damien O’Reilly (Belturbet)
6 Fergal Flanagan (Butlersbridge)
8 Thomas Corr (Denn)
9 Gearoid McKiernan (Swanlinbar)
10 Dara McVeety (Crosserlough)
4 Ronan Flanagan (Castlerahan)
12 Martin Reilly (Killygarry)
13 Cian Mackey (Castlerahan)
14 Martin Dunne (Cavan Gaels)
15 Brendan Fitzpatrick (Belturbet)
Subs:
23. Christopher Conroy (Lavey) for Brady (h/t)
11. Michael Argue (Bailieboro) for Fitzpatrick (50)
Meath narrowly get past Cavan but promotion to Division 1 still eludes them
Meath 0-14
Cavan 0-12
Meath
Cavan
As it happened: Kerry v Tyrone, Dublin v Monaghan, Mayo v Donegal – Sunday GAA
Two legends of Gaelic Football are back in the Kerry squad to help them avoid relegation
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Bittersweet All-Ireland Senior HC Comp:Allianz Football League Division 2 Cavan Meath