Gaelic Games

Galway and Meath settle for share of spoils at Pearse Stadium

Meath built up a big first half lead but were pegged back by the home side late on

Meath’s Donal Keogan was shown a black card during his side’s Allianz League clash with Galway at Pearse Stadium. Photo: Inpho
Sun Mar 06 2016 - 18:52

Galway 0-15 Meath 1-12

Relief was over-riding for Meath manager Mick O’Dowd and his Galway counterpart Kevin Walsh after the two sides threw away winning hands at Pearse Stadium.

Meath, who collapsed in the second-half at home to Cavan last weekend, were hopeful of avoiding a repeat when they built up a 1-8 to 0-2 interval lead, having been backed by the slight wind.

Galway, looking for their first home win of the campaign, got their act together after the restart, with the introduction of Gary Sice and Danny Cummins proving decisive.

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They faced an uphill battle after a fisted backpass from Paul Conroy to his goalkeeper Manus Breathnach went astray and Mickey Newman pounced to tap the ball into an empty net three minutes from the break.

Meath lost captain Donal Keogan to a black card after ten minutes and Galway’s marksman Damien Comer suffered a similar fate just before the interval.

The accuracy of Shane Walsh and Thomas Flynn helped Galway reduce the deficit and they drew level with Eddie Hoare’s fourth point after 56 minutes.

Flynn edged them in front two minutes later and efforts from Sice and Conroy looked set to secure a priceless victory in their battle to make a return to the top flight after five seasons.

But Meath rallied superbly in the closing minutes with Graham Reilly and Eamon Wallace both getting their third point of the contest, before sub Cian O’Brien landed an equaliser as the game slipped into stoppage time.

Galway: M Breathnach; D Wynne, D Kyne, E Kerin; L Silke, G O'Donnell (0-1), J Heaney; T Flynn (0-2), P Conroy (0-2, 0-1f); E Tierney, E Hoare (0-4, 0-2f), E Brannigan; D Comer (0-1), A Varley (0-1), S Walsh (0-3). Subs: F Hanley for Kyne (9-11 mins), Hanley for Kerin (17 mins), G Sice (0-1, 0-1f) for Tierney (35 mins), D Cummins for Comer (35 mins, black card), S Denvir for Brannigan (71 mins), C Sweeney for Heaney (71 mins).

Meath: C McHugh; C McGill, M Burke, D Keogan; J McEntee, P Harnan, A Douglas; H Rooney, G Reilly (0-3); S Tobin (0-2, 0-2f), C O'Sullivan, D Tobin; E Wallace (0-3), M Newman (1-2), D Lenihan (0-1). Subs: N Judge for Keogan (12 mins, black card), R O Coilleann for Newman (51 mins), C O'Brien (0-1) for Judge (51 mins), C Downey for S Tobin (67 mins).

Referee: Conor Lane (Cork).