MEATH 0-19 – 2-14 TYRONE
Tyrone were on the verge of being dumped out of the Senior Football Championship in the first round of the Qualifiers before Cathal McShane saved their skin.
Trailing by a point with 10 seconds to go in injury time, referee Paddy Neilan awarded Tyrone a free and McShane held his nerve to send the tie to extra time. Once there, the Division 1 side put the boot down and out-gunned their hosts at Páirc Tailteann.
Had Tyrone not fought back, it would have been the first time in 18 years that they failed to win even a single championship game. They did, however, and they go into the draw for the second round on Monday morning. The result was not without a huge dollop of controversy and Meath have every right to be livid.
Mickey Harte’s men kept the Royal County at arm’s length for most of the game but the tide turned in the final 15 minutes.
With the scores level, on 62 minutes, Cillian Sullivan broke through on goal and was shaping to shoot when he was unceremoniously brought down.
It looked, for all money, that Sullivan had earned his side a penalty but Neilan awarded a free only.
The decision was roundly derided as Meath were denied a chance to go three points clear with seven minutes to go.
That was a close one pic.twitter.com/lfkPCgV3b0
— Niall McIntyre (@NiallMcintyre) June 9, 2018
Ben Brennan put Meath 0-13 to 0-12 ahead after 63 minutes, from the resulting free, but then struck a post with a simple free that could have put his team two clear with five to go.
On the game raged but Neilan and his assistants were upsetting some viewers, and former inter-county stars.
Meath very hard done by. Referee played over the 5 minutes added on and looked like we should have had a blatant penalty. Extra time won’t be fun on a day like this.
— Eoin (@caffers3) June 9, 2018
https://twitter.com/Jamwall7/status/1005509057069936642
https://twitter.com/ThePauer27/status/1005501017465737216
It looked bleak for Tyrone when Tiernan McCann was then red-carded but poor discipline saw Connor McAliskey draw the sides level for the sixth time.
Meath did not let up, nor lose believe, and when McAliskey pulled a free of his own wide, they sprung up-field.
Andy McEntee’s side were then awarded a soft free, four minutes into injury time, and Brennan made no mistake. Brennan was sent off moments later and it was left to Cathal McShane to step up and bring the contest into injury-time.
"Ice in his veins!" ❄️@CathalMcshane levels it at the death to send us into extra-time!
Watch live on Sky Sports Arena or follow it here: https://t.co/uys00d6sS2 pic.twitter.com/vnp1NYhiqB
— Sky Sports GAA (@SkySportsGAA) June 9, 2018
That looked to have taken the will, and legs, from Meath and it certainly looked the case in extra time.
Harry Loughrane, on debut for Tyrone, effectively got the winner when he fisted home after a nice run from Ronan O’Neill. Meath ended the game with 13 men when Adam Flanagan was sent off for a late foul.
Tyrone march on but Meath’s summer is done.
