FL2: Royals rally to reel in Rebels
March 19, 2017
Left, Cork's Colm O'Neill and right, Donal Lenihan of Meath.
Meath came from nine points behind at Pairc Ui Rinn to rescue a 1-15 to 0-18 draw with Cork.
Peadar Healy's charges looked to be set for victory when ahead by nine points ten minutes into the second half and by double scores, 0-16 to 0-8, after 48 minutes, but the visitors notched 1-6 without reply inside 15 devastating minutes to set up a grandstand finale.
Colm O'Neill and Barry O'Driscoll edged the hosts back in front but Donal Lenihan converted a free five minutes into added time - with Meath feeling that the foul on Graham Reilly had taken place inside the square! - to tie the scores up for the final time.
Corner back Donal Keogan registered the only goal of the game in the 55th minute, following points from Eamonn Wallace, Alan Forde and Lenihan (free); further points from Reilly, Lenihan (free) and Sean Tobin had Andy McEntee's men ahead with five minutes left.
The Royals had notched the first point of the game through Bryan McMahon but the Leesiders replied with seven in a row, O'Neill, Mark Collins and Paul Kerrigan all on target.
The hosts led by twelve points to five at the break, having played with the wind, and it was their game to lose once O'Neill notched the first two scores of the second half from frees.
Cork - K O'Halloran; K Crowley, Tom Clancy, M Shields; Tomas Clancy, J Loughrey (0-1), S Cronin; A Walsh, R Deane (0-1); I Maguire, M Collins (0-3, 2f), K O'Driscoll; C O'Neill (0-9, 6f), P Kelleher (0-1), P Kerrigan (0-2). Subs: J O'Rourke for A Walsh, C O'Driscoll for I Maguire (BC), C Dorman for Tomas Clancy, Barry O'Driscoll (0-1) for K O'Driscoll, K Davis for P Kerrigan, N Coakley for P Kelleher.
Meath - P O'Rourke; D Tobin, C McGill, D Keogan (1-0); W Carry, B Power, P Harnan; B Menton, J Toher; R O Coileain, C O'Sullivan (0-1), A Forde (0-2); B McMahon (0-2), G Reilly (0-3), D Lenihan (0-5f). Subs: E Wallace (0-1) for R O Coileain, J McEntee for B Power, S Lavin for W Carry, S Tobin (0-1) for C O'Sullivan, S McEntee for A Forde, J Wallace for B McMahon.
Referee - F Kelly.
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