Allianz FL D2: Meath strike late to take the points

​Allianz National Football League, Division 2, Round 2

Meath 2-17 Cavan 1-18

By Paul Keane at Kingspan Breffni

A whopping 61 years after they last beat Cavan in the League at Kingspan Breffni, Meath have finally done it again.

Jack Flynn was the man who made that little piece of history, coming good with a dramatic two-point score in the very last minute of the game to turn what looked like a lost cause into a memorable win.

Midfielder Flynn, man of the match in Meath's Round 1 win over Derry at Croke Park, took on the responsibility with a monster score into the town end to take the visitors from a point down to a point up.

The 2025 All-Ireland semi-finalists then won the subsequent kick-out and worked the ball to substitute James Conlon who scored his third point to seal a slightly flattering two-point win.

It's agony again for Cavan who were beaten by a point in Round 1 by Cork.

And it's hard not to feel for Breffni boss Dermot McCabe who managed Westmeath last year when they suffered a series of the same type of narrow losses.

Jordan Morris blasted 1-4 for Meath on a ground he is well used to as he plays for Cavan SFC title holders Kingscourt Stars. Ruairí Kinsella's 1-2 haul was significant too as Meath underlined their promotion hopes with another big win.

They'll return to action on Valentine's Day against old rivals Louth at Croke Park while Cavan will travel to play Tyrone in Omagh a day later.

Gearóid McKiernan starred for the hosts with 0-9 and was unfortunate to finish on the losing side while there were cameos too from goalscorer Peter Corrigan and the excellent Oisín Brady.

Noel Curran, father of Dublin great Paul, was among the Meath heroes when they last won a game at the Cavan town venue in 1965.

Cian McBride hoped he might be that figure this time, earning a recall following some terrific form in recent weeks for college and county.

The towering ex-AFL player, a Sigerson Cup player with TU Dublin, impressed as a sub in the win over Derry and made three terrific first half fetches here.

One of those catches led to a Kinsella point though McBride was unable to grab a goal with palmed efforts from close range in the 23rd and 35th minutes, the first cleared off the line and the second coming off the woodwork.

Earlier in the half, Seán Coffey and Bryan Menton had shots at goal blocked by the Cavan 'keeper and a defender.

Throw in Meath's six first half wides and you can understand why they were a little frustrated to be only on level terms at half time, 1-8 to 1-8.

Kinsella's goal came in the 14th minute when, already on an advantage from the referee, he cleverly lobbed the goalkeeper from the right.

That score left Meath 1-4 to 0-2 ahead and they retained that five-point lead approaching the half hour, 1-7 to 0-5.

Morris, Ciarán Caulfield and Mathew Costello buzzed with attacking intent for Meath too but they were undone by a leaky defence at the other end.

Cavan always looked capable of scoring when they ran at the Meath backs and they picked off 1-3 approaching the interval to level the game.

Corrigan's goal summed up just how direct they were, the newcomer bursting onto Cormac O'Reilly's lay-off and hammering to the net in the 31st minute.

Referee Kieran Eannetta pulled Meath for two technical fouls on kick outs early in the second half, one of which was converted by McKiernan.

Meath got on top in the third quarter, opening up a 2-11 to 1-11 lead, thanks in the main to Morris' 46th minute goal from a penalty after McBride was fouled.

Morris created the opening with a searching hand pass to McBride and he picked out Caulfield with a threaded kick-pass for another score.

But Meath continued to struggle with Cavan's movement at the other end and the Breffni were back on level terms by the hour, 2-13 to 1-16.

It was anyone's game with McKiernan stretching his tally to 0-7 for Cavan. Meath captain Eoghan Frayne, McBride and Costello were all called ashore as last year's Leinster finalists sought to regain control.

Cavan thought they'd won it when sub Caoimhán McGovern nudged them a point up in the 69th minute but it turned out Meath were just getting going and rescued a memorable win with that late two-pointer from Flynn.

Meath scorers: Jordan Morris 1-4 (1-0 pen), Ruairí Kinsella 1-2, James Conlon 0-3, Jack Flynn 0-2 (tp), Mathew Costello 0-2, Eoghan Frayne 0-1, Sean Coffey 0-1, Conor Duke 0-1, Ciarán Caulfield 0-1.

Cavan scorers: Gearóid McKiernan 0-9 (1 tpf, 0-4f), Peter Corrigan 1-0, Oisín Brady 0-4 (0-2f), Dara McVeety 0-2, Cormac O'Reilly 0-1, Gerard Smith 0-1, Caoimán McGovern 0-1.

Meath: Seán Brennan; Seamus Lavin, Seán Rafferty, Brian O'Halloran; Donal Keogan, Seán Coffey, Ciarán Caulfield; Jack Flynn, Cian McBride; Conor Duke, Ruairí Kinsella, Bryan Menton; Jordan Morris, Mathew Costello, Eoghan Frayne.

Subs: James Conlon for Duke h/t, Jason Scully for Frayne 52, Adam O'Neill for McBride 58, Jack O'Connor for Costello 59, Oisín Martin for Kinsella 68.

Cavan: Liam Brady; Cormac Brady, Paddy Meade, Jason McLoughlin; Gerard Smith, Niall Carolan, Ciaran Brady (Arva); Ryan Brady, Gearóid McKiernan; Conor Brady, Peter Corrigan, Tiarnan Madden; Cormac O'Reilly, Dara McVeety, Oisín Brady.

Subs: Ryan Donohoe for Ryan Brady h/t, Ciaran Brady (Corofin, Galway) for Corrigan 48, Caoimhán McGovern for O'Reilly 65, Eoin Clarke for Cormac Brady 65, Tristan Noack Hofmann for Oisín Brady 68.

Referee: Kieran Eannetta (Tyrone).