Meath turn the tables in fast-flowing tie

Meath 2-15 Mayo 1-15

It was a game full of controversy and fast-flowing football and in the end Meath turned the tables on Mayo in the final quarter to claim a three-point win in this All-Ireland SFC quarter-final at Croke Park.

Mayo will feel hard done by that they were not ahead at the interval after making an excellent start to this game, and being denied what looked a definite goal.

Just three points separated the teams at the finish, and no doubt Mayo manager John O'Mahony will be closely examining the TV replays in the coming days over a 27th-minute incident which looked like Mayo should have been awarded a goal.

The controversy arose when a dipping shot from Alan Dillon arrived into the hands of Meath goalkeeper Paddy O'Rourke, but the towering Skyrne clubman stepped backwards over the goal-line.

The replays showed that O'Rourke had taken the ball back behind his line and a goal should have been awarded - however match referee Joe McQuillan and his umpires, who were close at hand, allowed play to continue.

O'Mahony's charges led by 0-4 to 0-0 after 11 minutes, and for large periods of the opening half the Connacht champions oozed quality in attack.

Mayo, who drafted in Tom Parsons for the injured Barry Moran, drew first blood after just 41 seconds, with Aidan Kilcoyne slotting over the first of his two first half points.

Dillon was also in superb form, pointing two frees either side of a hard-earned Andy Moran score.

The forward-turned-defender made an energetic burst up-field from his half-back berth, to slot over one of the scores of the contest.

But as Mayo's midfield dominance began to come to an end, Meath awoke from their slumber and sprung to life.

The Royals' long ball tactic was not paying off early on, but points from Cian Ward and David Bray got them back on track.

Teenager Aidan O'Shea got a point for Mayo soon after, before David Bray thumped a well-taken goal to the westerners' net.

Mayo's defence was left exposed for the first time in this game, as Joe Sheridan fed the ball in for Bray to get loose and blast home.

Eamonn O'Brien's men out-scored their opponents by 0-3 to 0-2 before the break, nipping into a 1-5 to 0-7 half-time lead.

Mayo looked the better team on the restart with Kilcoyne and team captain Trevor Mortimer punishing the Meath rearguard with early scores.

Half-time substitute Conor Mortimer and defender Keith Higgins were also on target.

And Mayo seemed set to join Kerry in the last-four when O'Shea rounded off a period of dominance for his side by punching home a 52nd-minute goal.

That strike put them 1-12 to 1-8 ahead, but they were not prepared for Meath's final quarter onslaught.

David Bray won a penalty, two minutes later, which Cian Ward tucked away nicely to the right of goalkeeper Kenneth O'Malley.

Rising to the challenge, Meath scored 1-7 to Mayo's 0-3 over the course of the closing quarter.

Joe Sheridan, who used his strength as a target man, capped a fine performance with his fourth point of the day from play.

And substitute Jamie Queeney, who landed two terrific points, and Nigel Crawford also added to the Royals' tally as they pulled away.

Conor Mortimer bagged a brace of late scores for Mayo, deep in injury-time, to cut the gap to three points, but it was goals they needed at that stage and Mayo's exit from the 2009 Championship was sealed.

MEATH: P O'Rourke; C O'Connor, A Moyles, E Harrington; S Kenny, C McGuinness, C King; N Crawford (0-01), B Meade; P Byrne, J Sheridan (0-04), M Burke; D Bray (1-03), B Farrell (0-3), C Ward (1-02, 1-00pen, 1 45, 1f).

Subs used: J Queeney (0-02) for Byrne (55 mins), P Byrne for O'Connor (66), N McKeigue for Kenny (69).

MAYO: K O'Malley; D Vaughan, G Cafferky, K Higgins (0-01); P Gardiner, T Howley, A Moran (0-01); D Heaney, R McGarrity; P Harte, T Mortimer (0-02), A Dillon (0-03, 3f); A Kilcoyne (0-03), T Parsons, A O'Shea (1-01).

Subs used: C Mortimer (0-04, 2f) for Parsons (half-time), M Ronaldson for Kilcoyne (40 mins), L O'Malley for Vaughan (44), BJ Padden for O'Shea (64), T Parsons for Heaney (66)

Referee: Joe McQuillan (Cavan)