Francis Caldwell's 63rd minute goal snatched the Peadar O Liathain Cup for Down from Meath's grasp at sunny Pairc Tailteann early on Sunday afternoon. To view photos CLICK HERE

Down ....... 1-14

Meath ....... 0-15

Caldwell struck from close range when a long delivery broke to him for what proved to be the game's final flag.

This was a contest worthy of the Cork-native who did much to promote hurling in Boardsmill NS and the wider community during a 40-year spell.

Meath put it up to Down, who seemed have the edge in strength as well as having wind assistance in the second-half.

Ryan Byas' 62nd minute pointed sideline edged Meath in front in a contest where the sides were level 10 times.

The Kildalkey clubman pointed four times as did midfielder Joey Cole.

With wind advantage, Down seemed set to push on from the restart. Instead, it took the northeners 10 minutes regain the lead (0-10 to 0-9), courtesy of free from their joint top scorer Tom McGrattan. Four minutes later the team skipper doubled his side's advantage.

Down found it hard to find the posts in the second-half when they had seven wides. They had none in the first 30 minutes. Meath were off target nine times, registering more wides with the wind than against it.

The introduction of Kildakey's Matthew Cully lifted Meath. His trio of second-half points boosting their bid for silver. His first left the sides tied at 0-11-each at the water break.

Around this time Meath were further assisted with a brace of scores from Jack Meagher.

The prominent Justin Coyne assisted in Cully's second score. Meagher's second score, in the 47th minute, put Meath back in front (0-13 to 0-12). Down had to wait until Caldwell's late intervention to regain the lead.

En route to the decider Down had an emphatic win over Louth while Meath came in with an easy win away to Wicklow.

Despite playing into the strong wind blowing from the Athboy end, Down posted two points within as many minutes off the off. Finn Turpin got the first before team captain Tom McGrattan added the second from a free.

By the fifth minute the scores were tied for the first time thanks to points from Ryan Byas and midfielder Joey Cole (free).

The closeness of the exchanges continued with both sides enjoying minimum margin leads as the half progress.

But for stout Meath defending, Down might have had a couple of goals while at the opposite end Rory Fagan flicked narrowly wide from a Shaun Donnelly sideline in the last action before the water break when it was 0-3-each.

Meath added five points in the second quarter with Byas getting three while Simon Cunningham chipped in with one from the stand side. Jack Meagher surged through the middle created the opening for Byas' third.

Oisin Coulter pulled one back for Down just before the break when the home side led by 0-8 to 0-6.

Down scorers - Tom McGrattan 0-5 (4fs); Francis Caldwell 1-2 (0-1 f); Oisin Coulter 0-3; Michael Dorrian 0-2; Finn Turpin, Sean Milligan 0-1 each.

Meath scorers - Ryan Byas (one sideline), Joey Cole 0-4 (3fs)  0-4 each; Matthew Cully 0-3; Jack Meagher 0-2; Rory Fagan; Simon Cunningham 0-1 each.

Meath - Jack Fagan; Robert Ennis, Harry Cottrell, Evan Cole; Peter Connolly, Justin Coyne, Kris O'Gorman; Joey Cole, Eoghan Grehan; Ryan Byas, Jack Meagher, Shaun Donnelly; Rory Fagan, Josh Harris, Simon Cunningham. Subs - Matthew Cully for Harris (37), Eoghan McCormack for Donnelly (42), Dennis Darby for Cunningham (59).

Down - Pearse Smyth; James Higgins, Deaglan Mallon, Nathan Kelly; Finn Turpin, Ciaran Savage, Fionn McFall; Ryan O Neill, James Duggan; Michael Dorrian, Tom McGrattan (C), Jarlath McCollum; Francis Caldwell, James Clarke, Oisin Coulter. Subs - Sean Milligan for O'Neill (40), Fergal McManus for McGrattan (56).

Referee - Caymon Flynn (Westmeath).

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