Meath beat Longford in high-scoring affair to set up Dublin clash

Conceding 3-12 points to a Division Four opponent has to be a major worry for Meath.

Jordan Morris of Meath in action against Bryan Masterson of Longford. Picture: Ray McManus/Sportsfile

Leinster SFC round 1: Longford 3-12 Meath 3-19 

Meath will face Dublin’s All-Ireland champions in Croke Park in a Leinster Championship quarter-final next weekend after a win over Longford that threw up some cause for optimism and, with it, reasons to fear.

The Royals suffered a catastrophic provincial defeat on this ground six years ago but there was never any fear of a repeat – or of their crushing four-point loss to Offaly 12 months ago – as they controlled the game for most of the normal 70 minutes.

Conceding three goals and 12 points to a Division Four opponent has to be a major worry ahead of the next date with the Dubs, but Meath looked slick and dangerous for large patches with only one point coming from a dead ball.

Meath were superb in attack in the opening half. Colm O’Rourke’s side made the most of the wind with some exceptional shooting in that period, racking up 1-13 against just two wides, and plenty of those scores were landed from distance.

Five of their six starting forwards got on the scoresheet in that first 35. The first goal from James Conlon, claimed after 23 minutes, was among at least half-a-dozen scores mined directly from turnovers in various parts of the pitch.

Eoghan Frayne of Meath in action against Ryan Moffett of Longford. Picture: Ray McManus/Sportsfile

Longford looked dead and buried after that Conlon goal, a score that left them trailing by 1-10 to 0-3, but they responded with a quickfire 1-2 to another Meath point, the timely three-pointer coming from Jayson Matthews.

It had shades of Seamus Darby’s famous goal against Kerry about it, the Mullinalaghta man catching a high ball, turning on a sixpence and firing a dipping ball over the keeper and into the far corner. The wind played an equal part in it but a beaut either way.

Meath rode the wave that generated with the last two points of the half to take a 1-13 to 1-6 advantage into the interval and claiming the first three scores of the second period, when facing into the wind, insulated them against any comeback.

Longford got the gap back to seven points entering the last ten minutes but no further. Eoghan Frayne put the seal on it with a goal from a penalty soon after but the entertainment wasn't nearly done.

Three goals in about two minutes followed in injury-time, two of them from the hosts. O'Rourke will be hoping that this was just a product of a dead game and not a symptom of something more concerning.

Scorers for Longford: J Matthews (1-3, 0-1 free); M Hughes (1-2, 0-2 frees); D Gallagher (1-1, 0-1 free); Dessie Reynolds, M Quinn, J Hagan, Daniel Reynolds, D Mimnagh, D Farrell (all 0-1).

Scorers for Meath: J Conlon (1-6); E Frayne (1-5, 0-1 free); J Morris (0-4); C McBride (1-0); C Caulfield, R Jones, S Walsh, C Hickey (all 0-1).

Longford: P Collum; P Fox, O O’Toole, L Hughes; B Masterson, R Moffett, Daniel Reynolds; D Gallagher, P Kiernan; J Matthews, M Quinn, J Hagan; Dessie Reynolds, D Mimnagh, C McCabe.

Subs for Longford: M Hughes for Masterson (HT); D Farrell for McCabe (45): R Harkin for Fox (60); D Finlass for Hughes and D Duggan for Kiernan (both 70);

Meath: S Brennan; D Keogan, A O’Neill, H O’Higgins; C Caulfield, R Ryan, S Coffey; R Jones, D McGowan; S Walsh, E Frayne, C Hickey; J Morris, M Costello, J Conlon.

Subs for Meath: J O’Connor for Costello (HT); C McBride for McGowan (49); D Campion for Ryan (55); K Curtis for Morris (56); R Ryan for O’Higgins (66);

Referee: N Cullen (Fermanagh).