Gaelic Games

Meath Clynch Christy Ring title after dramatic Croke Park replay

Antrim let strong position slip for a second time as Royal County head for MacCarthy Cup

Meath players and officials celebrate their Christy Ring Cup victory at Croke Park on Saturday. Photograph: Tommy Dickson/Inpho
Meath players and officials celebrate their Christy Ring Cup victory at Croke Park on Saturday. Photograph: Tommy Dickson/Inpho
Paul Keane at Croke Park
Sat Jun 25 2016 - 22:19

Meath 4-21 Antrim 5-17 (after extra-time)

In the end, James Toher didn't quite know what to say when the microphone was thrust his way after becoming the first Meath captain to lift the Christy Ring Cup.

Distilling down 160 minutes of pure theatre, 12 goals – nine of which came in this remarkable replay – and some ropey officiating was never going to be a simple task.

Steven Clynch’s 93rd-minute point from a free ultimately separated the sides though either team could really have walked away with the spoils and felt they deserved it.

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“I really am lost for words, to be honest,” Toher began. “I actually don’t know what to say.”

He wasn’t the only one and, afterwards, both managers puffed out their cheeks and agreed that it has been a rare few weeks, and not all for the good.

The sense of deja vu was strong as Toher previously lifted the cup three weeks earlier, thinking Meath had won by a point when, in fact, the referee had miscalculated and it was actually a draw.

Clearly, this episode hasn’t covered the GAA in glory though Meath, at least, get to enjoy two victory parties for the same win.

As for Antrim, they've lost the cup twice and have nobody to blame but themselves. They led Meath by 1-7 to 0-1 after 19 minutes of the drawn game and were 2-8 to 0-6 up at half-time in their rematch, Ciaran Clarke and Conor Johnston nailing the goals.

But they slipped off the radar for the next 25 minutes or so as Meath surged back into the game, scoring two goals from Neil Heffernan to move four ahead themselves.

Meath retained a three-point lead deep into injury-time but were suckered by an equalising Antrim goal from substitute Darren Hamill, forcing extra-time on a 4-12 to 3-15 scoreline.

Goals continued to be swapped in extra-time but Meath reeled off the last three points to win by the slimmest of margins and could there have been a more appropriate name to seal victory, and their place in the 2017 MacCarthy Cup, than Clynch.

MEATH: S McCann; S Geraghty, R Sherlock, D Donoghue; S Brennan, K Keoghan, S Whitty; S Heavey, S Morris (0-1); J Keena (0-1), D Healy, A Gannon (0-2); G McGowan (1-0), J Toher (0-12, 11 frees), N Heffernan (2-0).

Subs: S Clynch (1-3, two frees) for Brennan (h/t), S Quigley (0-2) for Heavey (46 mins), K Keena for Heffernan (65 mins), M O'Grady for J Keena (73 mins), J Keena for O'Grady (83 mins).

ANTRIM: E Gillan; P Burke, T McCloskey, S McCrory; O McFadden, N McAuley, F Donnelly; E Campbell (0-1), E McCloskey; N McKenna (1-5), C Johnston (1-2), S McAfee (0-1); N Elliott (0-1), B McCarry, C Clarke (1-5, two frees , one 65).

Subs: PJ O'Connell for Elliott (40 mins), D McKernan (0-2) for McCarry (50 mins), J Connolly (1-0) for T McCloskey (56 mins), D Hamill (1-0) for McKenna (70 mins). McKenna for Johnston (h/t in e/t), J Dillon for O'Connell (92 mins).

Referee: C McAllister (Cork).