A final quarter surge ensured Meath overcame Armagh in the Ring Cup at Trim on Saturday afternoon.

Meath ........ 1-20
Armagh ...... 2-10

Meath secured a second round spot by scoring 1-7 without reply in the latter stages of a game dominated by a strong wind.

Cillian Farrell's charges used to elements to their advantage to overcome last year's Rackard Cup winners. It was the Royals third competitve win - all on Meath soil - over Armagh this year. The others coming in the Kehoe Cup and NHL Division 2B.

A surprise outcome was a distinct possibility when Ciaran Reid's goal left Armagh 2-8 to 0-8 clear in the 43rd minute. Conor Corvan provided the assist for the vistors second major of the afternoon.

Meath registered 11 second-half wides but perseverence paid off when Barry Slevin's well-taken goal levelled matters for the fourth and final time in the 57th minute.

Eoin Marsh - who lined out instead of original selection Tom McGrath - created the opening for Slevin's goal work good work and a well-placed long delivery.

That left it 1-13 to 2-10 with Meath regaining a lead they held briefly in the opening half seconds later when Stephen Clynch pointed.

All of Clynch's six points came in the second-half during which time Meath outscored Armagh by 1-14 to 1-3.

There followed six points on the for Meath with the impressive Adam Gannon getting the pick of them. The Killyon-man scored five points from play after being drafted into the starting 15 instead of injured captain Stephen Donoghue.

Meath might have got a second goal before the end, following a foul on Gannon, but Clynch's 'penalty' effort was diverted for a '65' by Armagh 'keeper Joseph Burke.

Clynch landed the subsequent award for the game's final score to consign Armagh to the second chance saloon.

Wind-assisted Armagh were wasteful in the opening-half posting ten wides to Meath's six.

Less than 30 seconds passed when Cathal Carville pointed Armagh in front. Declan Coulter doubled their tally from a free shortly after.

Stephen Morris erased Meath's blank off the board in the sixth minute. It was quickly follow by a Gannon score which levelled matters for the first time.

Scores were tied on two more occasions in opening 20 minutes. During this time Meath hit the front for the first time with an excellent Mark O'Sullivan point.

It was quickly countered by impressive Armagh wing-back Kieran McKiernan to leave it 0-4 each after 20 minutes.

Then Armagh winners enjoyed their best spell of the half highlighted by Conor Corvan's 28th minute goal. The Orchard County's number 13 outpaced Damien Healy before netting.

It was followed by a pointed free from goalkeeper Joseph Burke, 30 metres from his own goal. Armagh moved five points clear on two occasions before Gannon closed the first-half scoring with the visitors leading by 1-7 to 0-6.

Meath - Shane McGann; Davy Donoghue, Damien Healy, Cormac Reilly; James Kelly, James Toher, Sean Heavey (0-1); Stephen Morris (0-1), Mark O'Sullivan (0-4); Paddy Conneely, Stephen Clynch (0-6, 2 65s, 2fs), Eoin Marsh (0-1); Barry Slevin (1-1), Peter Durnin (0-1), Adam Gannon (0-5). Subs - Tom McGrath for Durnin (ht), Stephen Donoghue for Morris (67), Ray Hatton for Davy Donoghue (69), John Meyler for Marsh (70), Bart Hanley for Gannon (70).

Armagh - Joseph Burke (0-1f); Conor Devlin, Ciaran Clifford, Barry Breen; Kieran McKernan (0-1), Nathan Curry, Tiernan Donnelly; John Corvan, Fiachra Bradley; David Carville, Declan Coulter (0-5, 4fs), Ruairi Fullerton; Conor Corvan (1-1), Ciaran Reid (1-0), Cathal Carville (0-2). Subs - Shea Gaffney for Reid (52), Matthew Lennon for Fullerton (58), Padraig Hughes for Donnelly (58), Michael Garvey for Cathal Carville (66).

Referee - Christopher Browne (Galway). Tweet

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