CORK 0-12
MEATH 1-13
MATTHEW HURLEY REPORTS
NOT the start Cork were hoping for, as defeat away to Meath leaves the Rebels on the back foot in Group 2 of the All-Ireland series. It doesn’t get easier from here, with Kerry and Roscommon to come.
In a poor game at Páirc Tailteann in Navan on Saturday, and played in dire weather conditions, Cork seemed to be coping well against the wind in the first half. The Rebels led 0-5 to 0-2 after Chris Óg Jones pointed, but then the home side scored 1-3 without reply to turn the game on its head.
After Mathew Costello pointed a free, Ciarán Caulfield ran down the heart of the Cork defence before laying it off to an onrushing Jordan Morris for the game’s only goal. Costello and Eoghan Frayne added extra points to leave Cork in a tricky situation.
‘It was disappointing. Taking the first half, we had plenty of the ball. We had too many turnovers. There was a strong wind there and turnovers killed us. They went down and got a goal and a couple of points before half time,’ Cork boss John Cleary admitted.
‘They’ve got good forwards when they get in one-on-one. We had a couple of goal chances and we didn’t take them. They had about two and scored one. After the goal, ultimately we were chasing it all day after that. We did get back to level but it gave them a cushion when they went three points up again. It was that goal that was in it all day.
‘The game was there for the taking with 20 minutes to go. Meath took it and we didn’t.’
This game was slow to spark, the first score from play coming after 21 minutes courtesy of Cork forward Jones, and Meath had seven misses in that time. The game’s first score had arrived after five minutes from Mark Cronin, although both sides had goal opportunities on 13 minutes. For Cork, Cathail O’Mahony had his effort saved by Billy Hogan before Meath’s James Conlon had his palmed effort saved by Mícheál Aodh Martin. Hogan got the second score of the contest from the resultant 45 before Frayne and Jones swapped points.
Cronin and Jones (2) scores had Cork in a good position until the Meath purple-patch. With the breeze, Cork leveled the contest thanks to scores from Matty Taylor and Colm O’Callaghan (two-pointer). However, Meath started to purr and scored 0-5 without reply. Substitute Ruairí Deane eventually broke a 17-minute barren spell for Cork on 55 minutes to make it 1-10 to 0-9.
A two-pointer from Cronin and another score from Jones suddenly had Cork just a point down as the rain started to pour heavily. The home side finished well though as Costello and Conlon ensured that the two points would be going to the Royals.
‘In the second half, we came back and levelled it but they bossed the game from there to the end,’ Cleary admitted.
Scorers
Cork: Chris Óg Jones, Mark Cronin (2f, 1tp) 0-4 each; Colm O’Callaghan 0-2 (1tp); Matty Taylor, Ruairí Deane 0-1 each.
Meath: Mathew Costello 0-5 (1f); Jordan Morris 1-1; Eoghan Frayne 0-3 (3f); James Conlon 0-2; Billy Hogan (‘45), Seán Coffey 0-1 each.
Cork: MA Martin; S Meehan, D O’Mahony (captain), M Shanley; S Powter, B O’Driscoll, M Taylor; I Maguire, C O’Callaghan; P Walsh, E McSweeney, S McDonnell; M Cronin, C O’Mahony, C Óg Jones.
Subs: R Deane for S Powter, R Maguire for E McSweeney (both 49); E O’Hanlon for C O’Mahony (55); C Cahalane for P Walsh (62); L Fahy for M Taylor (temp, 63-ft); H O’Connor for M Cronin (67).
Meath: B Hogan; S Lavin, S Rafferty, R Ryan; D Keogan, S Coffey, C Caulfield; J Flynn, B Menton; C Duke, R Kinsella, M Costello; J Morris, J Conlon, E Frayne (captain).
Subs: A O’Neill for J Flynn, K Curtis for E Frayne (both 45); C Hickey for C Duke (49); S Walsh for J Conlon (63); J McEntee for R Kinsella (temp, 66-68).
Referee: Noel Mooney (Cavan).
