Skipper Frayne sure Portlaoise played its part in famous Meath victory

Frayne's final score in Portlaoise prompted scenes not experienced by Meath supporters since their side put five goals past Stephen Cluxton in 2010. 

Meath captain Eoghan Frayne at Oldbridge House, Battle of the Boyne Visitor Centre. Pic: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

It’s an unnatural thing to turn down the chance to score and sure enough Eoghan Frayne, Meath’s cub captain, didn’t. 

Last Sunday week, he sent over a close-range free to seal Dublin’s first championship defeat in 15 years.

With the hooter having sounded, the more sensible thing to do was kick the ball wide thus triggering the full-time whistle, and confirm a famous victory for The Royals. 

On a blustery afternoon in Portlaoise, had the ball struck the post and come back into play and Dublin won or forced extra-time, he mightn’t have forgiven himself.

Louth’s Craig Lennon escaped such a possibility in the other Leinster semi-final in Tullamore earlier that afternoon when he punted the ball beyond his end-line thinking that he had concluded the game only for Kildare to be awarded a 45.

But 22-year-old Frayne, who was fully aware of the repercussions, backed himself to convert his sixth free and bring his personal tally to 11 points. 

“If you start thinking don't hit the post, you're going to hit the post then,” he recalls. “So, I just had to pick a spot behind the goal and aim for it.” 

The score prompted scenes not experienced by Meath supporters since their side put five goals past Stephen Cluxton in 2010. 

Eoghan Frayne of Meath kicks a free during the Leinster SFC semi-final match between Dublin and Meath. Pic: Ray McManus/Sportsfile

“It was a bit surreal, to be honest,” smiles Frayne. “Before the game we had belief that we could win and then when it actually happens it's probably a different feeling. It's pure joy, it was unreal. Probably celebrated a bit too much at the end. It's hard to put into words.

“I'm only in the panel there three years but for the likes of Donal Keogan, Cillian [O’Sullivan] and Mento [Bryan Menton] and a few older lads, they've been getting hammered nearly every year. I haven't felt that but I'd say that's tough going. I was more happy for them than for me.” 

There is no question in Frayne’s mind that the fixture's Laois Hire O’Moore Park venue, which marked Dublin’s first Leinster semi-final outside Jones’s Road in 30 years, made a positive difference for Meath.

“If that game was in Croke Park, Dublin probably would have come back. Or maybe we wouldn't have got a biggest lead because there might not have been as strong as the wind. I definitely think that played into our hands a bit.

“Cluxton would be real familiar with Croke Park. He'd have his sweet spots of where he can get the ball off. I think he probably wasn't as familiar with Portlaoise. I think that probably helped as well. There was a swirly wind kicking in as well.” 

For Meath to now be within 70 minutes of a Delaney Cup is unusual given the developments of the last couple of months, where they missed out on promotion to Division 2, then lost their coaches Martin Corey and Joe McMahon.

“It could have went either way,” Frayne admits of the pair’s sudden departure. “It could have been detrimental. Luckily, it went the other way. We all knuckled down a bit and said, ‘Look lads, there's no point dwelling on this’.

“At the end of the day, it's us that's going to get the slack or the praise. We just had to move on from it and get back to the things you can control and back training. To be fair to all the lads, they didn't dwell on it too long and just got on with things.

“Shane [Supple] and Conor [Gillespie] would take most of the coaching now. Two really good fellas as well. We had full faith in them. There was obviously talk of would someone else come in or not. We had full confidence in the lads that they were able to do the job to the rest of the group.” 

Frayne was 21 when Robbie Brennan approached him to be captain. Even he was surprised by the invitation. 

“To come so soon was a bit of a shock. I didn't have to think about it. I said ‘yes’ straight away. It's a great honour for my family and the club as well. It is what you dream of. Especially now, we're in such a fortunate position to be in a Leinster final against Louth.”