Allianz FL D2: Meath return to Division One

Allianz Football League Division Two

Meath 2-22 Offaly 0-18

By Kevin Egan at Glenisk O'Connor Park

After 20 minutes, traces of doubt might have started to creep into the crowd of 3,250 supporters, the vast majority of which were Meath fans who made the trip in anticipation of rounding off what has been a dismal season thus for the Offaly footballers.

They needn’t have worried, as Meath took control of the game in the lead up to half time and enjoyed a comfortable second half from there, briefly moving 14 points clear before four late Offaly points gave a very small measure of consolation to the beleaguered home side.

An early goal for Bryan Menton only added to the party atmosphere among the visitors, but what followed was a sustained spell of Offaly control that saw the midlanders move two points in front, while holding their own at midfield.

Conor Melia and Daire McDaid fired over two-pointers with the aid of a very slight breeze, Cormac Egan acted as playmaker and quarterback, and up front Shane Tierney and Darragh Flynn were lively and energetic, keeping the Meath full back line moving.

Jordan Morris winning and converting a free was followed by a Seán Coffey point at the end of a breakaway move in the space of 60 seconds, and Meath never looked back, moving six points clear at half-time as Jordan Morrus netted from a penalty.

McBride and Menton were now much more prominent under the kickout on both sides, while all three Meath half-backs got on the scoresheet as the Royals started to spill forward and punch holes in the Offaly rearguard.

James Conlon came off the bench to score a point with his first touch and later add another, with Cian McBride and Jason Scully also tacking on late points.

With five minutes to play, the margin was out to 14 points, but late scores from Harry Plunkett (two), Jordan Hayes and Eoin Sawyer reduced the margin for an Offaly side that will be next into action in the Leinster championship against Laois in three weeks’ time.

For Meath, a league final against Cork at the weekend now awaits.

Scorers for Meath: Jordan Morris 1-6 (1-0 pen, 1f), Bryan Menton 1-0, Aaron Lynch 0-3, Donal Keogan 0-2, Eoghan Frayne 0-2, Seán Brennan 0-2 (1tpf), James Conlon 0-2, Seán Coffey 0-1, Ciarán Caulfield 0-1, Ruairí Kinsella 0-1, Jason Scully 0-1, Cian McBride 0-1.

Scorers for Offaly: Darragh Flynn 0-4, Daire McDaid 0-3 (1tp), Harry Plunkett 0-3 (1f), Jordan Hayes 0-3, Shane Tierney 0-2 (1m, 1f), Conor Melia 0-2 (1tpf), Eoin Sawyer 0-1.

Meath: Seán Brennan; Seamus Lavin, Seán Rafferty, Brian O’Halloran; Donal Keogan, Seán Coffey, Ciarán Caulfield; Bryan Menton, Cian McBride; Jack O’Connor, Ruairí Kinsella, Jack Flynn; Jordan Morris, Eoghan Frayne, Aaron Lynch.

Subs: Cathal Hickey for O’Connor (47), James Conlon for Lynch (51), Conor Duke for Flynn (56), Jason Scully for Menton (60), Killian Smyth for Caulfield (60).

Offaly: Conor Melia; Shane O’Toole Greene, David Dempsey, Lee Pearson; Daire McDaid, Diarmuid Egan, Cormac Egan; Jack McEvoy, Ed Cullen; Rory Egan, Jordan Hayes, Marcas Dalton; Darragh Flynn, Shane Tierney, Niall Furlong.

Subs: Dylan Hyland for Cullen (half-time), Eoin Sawyer for D Egan (half-time), Harry Plunkett for Tierney (51), Eoin Dunne for Furlong (58), Robbie Gallagher for Flynn (66).

Referee: Séamus Mulhare (Laois).