By Paul Keane

Ridiculed at one point yet ultimately redeemed and revered by the Royal County supporters, Meath manager Colm O'Rourke reflected on a rollercoaster first season in charge.

A terrific defensive performance provided the platform for a landmark Tailteann Cup success for Meath and manager O'Rourke couldn't have been happier.

"It's as satisfying as anything I was ever involved with," smiled the two-time All-Ireland winner and former International Rules manager.

Few perhaps expected Meath's season to end with such jubilation though, not when they were on a losing streak in the National League and particularly after they exited the Leinster SFC with an opening day defeat to Offaly.

Ironically, in light of their defensive strength against Down, who didn't score a single goal in the final despite blasting eight in the semi-final win over Laois, Meath were heavily criticised for their defensive play earlier in the season.

"Well sure we got plenty of criticism that we had no idea how to defend for most of the year," said O'Rourke. "But we were doing our best and it just wasn't working. So we did put a lot of effort into it over the last six months. But look, players who are new, it takes them a while to get used to a system and to get used to each other more importantly.

"I'm glad we stuck with all of those players because I think today they were brilliant in the way they covered and tackled and their discipline was first-rate as well. We knew after the goal threat that Down showed against Laois that anything other than absolute total concentration and commitment to the cause wouldn't be enough and we certainly got that in spades."

Level at half-time, Meath got on top in the third quarter before turning the screw around the hour mark with a series of sumptuous scores from Man of the Match Jack Flynn. Substitute Jack O'Connor weighed in with 1-2 and the stoppage time goal that killed off Down.

Asked if it was the best performance he has seen from Meath since taking over, O'Rourke nodded.

"Oh there's no doubt about it, definitely since we took over it was the best second-half performance but, again, we felt it was in them," he said. "Our fitness levels were very good and we knew that we'd last out the game. We also knew that we had a few subs that would make a difference whenever they came on and it turned out like that.

"I thought maybe we shouldn't have had to rely on the last goal, that maybe we could have settled the nerves a little bit earlier, but Down had a few good chances for goals as well and there wasn't much in it overall.

"It was a bit like our Parnell Park game in a lot of ways. Like Waterloo, as Wellington says, it was a close run thing."

Meath are guaranteed a place in next year's Sam Maguire Cup competition following the Tailteann Cup win. "It is nice to have banked that," said O'Rourke. "I hope that by next year the team will have improved again."

O'Rourke's opposite number, Down manager Conor Laverty, found it difficult to take much victory from defeat. The season overall was a productive one for the Kilcoo man who helped stabilise the county after going through all of 2022 without a win. But he still cut a disconsolate figure after the near miss.

"It's gutting in that dressing-room," said Laverty. "Nobody likes losing finals and probably the hardest thing to take is whenever you don't perform and you're beaten. If you're beaten but you've performed to the best of your ability, you can accept it that wee bit better but I suppose this is a foundation.

"In our first year we would have liked to have gotten out of Division 3 but just with results and that we didn't achieve it.

"That's what we'll be looking at next year and we seen this competition as a good stepping stone to get into the Sam Maguire because inevitably that's where everybody wants to be playing.

"We don't want to be a curtain raiser for other teams. The boys will go back to their clubs for a number of months and then we'll re-evaluate how our season has gone and then we'll regroup and get back later on in the year."