Mayo 1-15 Meath 2-15:Mayo 1-15 Meath 2-15: Meath put in surely their best performance of the season to come from behind and deny Mayo 2-15 to 1-15 in today's All-Ireland SFC quarter-final at Croke Park to set up a mouth-watering showdown with a rejuvenated Kerry side in the semi-final.
Meath may have made a lethargic start as the Connacht champions raced into a four-point lead as the Royals failed to register a single score in the opening 15 minutes. The fluency of play in John O’Mahony’s team allowed scores from all over the pitch while Eamonn O’Brien’s side struggled to get into the game.
However, the balance of play wouldn’t last and Meath responded with five points in quick succession before going into the break with a narrow one-point advantage (1-05 to 0-07).
In the latter stages Meath, without their suspended captain Stephen Bray, simply overpowered their opposition with Joe Sheridan playing a starring role to ensure a Leinster presence in the last four.
“That was great second half performance, especially as we had to power our way back from adversity in the early stages,” said O’Brien after the game.
“We were confident going into the game for there has been great team spirit all through the qualifiers. It was a great result, particularly without our captain Stephen Bray.”
Goals from David Bray and a Cian Ward penalty were the difference for Meath in an absorbing game that saw the sides go level seven times.
Mayo started best with Alan Dillon (2) and Aidan Kilcoyne exposing wing back Andy Moran to open up the early four-point lead.
Meath eventually sprung into life and responded with a goal and two points in a two minute spell. Ward opened the account with a ‘45 after 17 minutes and was quickly followed in by David Bray, who seconds later drilled passed Kenneth O'Malley in the Mayo goal after Sheridan's fine through pass.
With the sides level Mayo seized the initiative with scores from Trevor Mortimer and Kilcoyne but Meath were up to the task.
Sheridan almost got Meath’s second goal but fired over the bar then added a second moments later before Brian Farrell's score gave Meath the edge at the break.
In the second period Kilcoyne scored his third point of the day but then left the field injured as Farrell got back on the score sheet to put Meath ahead.
It was Mayo’s turn to find something when Mortimer delivered a pass into Aidan O'Shea, who punched into the net for a four points lead at 51 minutes.
It was to be a false dawn, however, as Ward blasted home a Meath penalty before Bray levelled the game for the sixth time.
Both managers made changes late in the game but it was Meath who powered their way to the final whistle as they reeled off six points in the space of seven minutes, the best of which coming from substitute Jamie Queeney.
It was vintage Meath who put on a performance of old.
Meath: P O'Rourke, C O'Connor, A Moyles, E Harrington, S Kenny, C McGuinness, C King, N Crawford (0-1), B Meade, P Byrne, J Sheridan (0-4), M Burke, D Bray (1-3), B Farrell (0-3), C Ward (1-2, 1-0 pen, 1f, 1 '45).
Subs: J Queeney (0-2) for Byrne (55), Byrne for O'Connor (66), N McKeigue for Kenny (68)
Mayo: K O'Malley, D Vaughan, G Cafferkey, K Higgins (0-1), P Gardiner, T Howley, A Moran (0-1), D Heaney, R McGarrity, P Harte, T Mortimer (0-2), A Dillon (0-3, 3f), A Kilcoyne (0-3), T Parsons, A O'Shea (1-1).
Subs: C Mortimer (0-4, 2f) for Parsons (h-t), M Ronaldson for Kilcoyne (40), L O'Malley for Vaughan (43), BJ Padden for O'Shea (63), Parsons for Heaney (66)
Referee: J McQuillan (Cavan).