June 21, SFC qualifier: Boylans Royals roll on

Meath 2-10 Monaghan 0-12

But the Royals will be concerned at the manner in which they faded dramatically in the second half after racing into a 12 points lead.

Monaghan, totally outplayed in the first 35 minutes, were a transformed side after the break, their spirited fightback led by substitute Rory Woods, but had left themselves too much to do, finally losing out by four points.

Meath cut swathes through a static Monaghan defence throughout the first half, picking off scores at will.

And they hammered the first nail into the Farney coffin in the seventh minute when Shane McKeigue sent in the probing delivery for Graham Geraghty to rise majestically and punch to the net.

Geraghty and Trevor Giles were both playing deep, foraging for possession to keep the younger front men busy, but the veteran pair still managed 1-3 between them in that dominant opening period.

Each time Monaghan tried to get the ball forward, they found a blanket of defenders in their path, with Hank Traynor and Nigel Nestor particularly effective in the half back line.

A Paul Finlay free and a point from Thomas Freeman was their lot in 37 frustrating minutes, while Meath began to look like the Meath of old.

David Crimmins and Shane McKeigue floated over points with style and poise, and it was Crimmins who burst through to get on the end of a typical Giles through ball to blast low and hard to the net just before the break to give his side a 2-8 to 0-2 lead.

Colm Coyle clearly delivered a few home truths in the dressing room, for his adopted county found new reserves of energy and belief on the restart.

Subs Rory Woods (3) and Ciaran Tavey fired over points and Paul Finlay converted a free as the game turned around in remarkable fashion.

Meath could manage just one point in almost half an hour's football, but Monaghan had left themselves too much to do, and the Ollie Murphy's long-awaited return in the closing stages gave the Royals a much-needed lift.

Woods, the game's best attacker in the second half, brought his tally to five with two more converted frees, and Finlay narrowed the gap to five points, but Meath held on in less than convincing fashion.

Referee: Michael Collins (Cork).