Meath suffer agonising loss to Galway

Galway 1-12 Meath 1-11

Galway handed Meath their second one-point defeat in succession after a competitive Division 2 tussle in Salthill.

Niall Coleman nudged the hosts ahead early on and they held firm to take a 1-7 to 0-6 advantage into the interval.

It was an entertaining first 35 minutes with Nicky Joyce picking off three early scores for the Tribesmen, and Stephen Bray's second point briefly edging the Royals ahead at 0-4 to 0-3.

A key moment came with seven minutes remaining before the break. Galway went 1-5 to 0-5 in front following a goal from Paul Conroy, who darted in from the right and got away from full-back Kevin Reilly before planting the ball into the net from a tight angle.

Meath responded well with a point from Mark Ward, with his midfield colleague Tom Walsh also on the mark along with wing back Shane McAnarney.

The goal continued to be the difference between the sides. In the early stages of the second half, Cian Ward landed two '45s for the visitors, while Joyce took his own haul to 0-7 (from frees and from play).

Meath set up a nail-biting finish when, right on the hour mark, substitute Joe Sheridan fisted a shot from Ward that was going wide straight into the net.

The goal, which was awarded after referee Gary McCormack consulted with his umpires, brought Seamus McEnaney's men level at 1-11 apiece.

Both sides hit poor wides as the pressure got to them in the final minutes with Galway substitute Padraic Joyce, in his 15th season of senior inter-county football, guilty of missing the target.

But, fittingly the match-winning point came from the boot of goal scorer Conroy, who split the posts in injury-time from 35 yards out.

Scorers - Galway: N Joyce 0-7 (0-3f), P Conroy 1-1, D Cummins, N Coleman, G Bradshaw, G Sice 0-1 each

Meath: S Bray 0-4 (0-4f), C Ward 0-3 (0-2 '45'), J Sheridan 1-0, M Ward 0-2, S McAnarney, T Walsh 0-1 each

GALWAY: A Faherty; K McGrath, F Hanley, K Kelly; G Bradshaw, D Blake, G O'Donnell; G Higgins, J Bergin; G Sice, D Burke, N Coleman; N Joyce, P Conroy, D Cummins.

Subs used: T Flynn for Coleman (58 mins), J Duane for Blake (64), P Joyce for Cummins (67), M Hehir for Burke (70).

MEATH: D Gallagher; M Burke, K Reilly, B Menton; C Lenihan, S McAnarney, D Toibin; T Walsh, M Ward; C O'Connor, G Reilly, S Kenny; P Gilsenan, C Ward, S Bray.

Subs used: C McGuinness for Lenihan (27 mins), J Sheridan for O'Connor (30), G O'Brien for Toibin (half-time), J Queeney for Reilly (51), B Meade for Kenny (70+3).

Referee: Gary McCormack (Dublin).