NFL Div II - Meath 2-8 Armagh 0-13
NFL Div II - Meath 2-8 Armagh 0-13
07/02/2010
Armagh were beaten by a point in their first NFL game of the year against Meath, despite a strong second half comeback
By Niall McDonald
Despite a rousing second half comeback Armagh were unable to claw back a two goal deficit, losing by one point to Meath in their first National Football League game in Navan.
A goal in the first couple of minutes of each half meant that Paddy O'Rourke's men were always playing catch up, and although they rattled off six points without reply in the second half they fell one point short of getting anything out of the game.
Gareth Swift was named at Full Forward in place of Ronan Clarke, a calf injury meaning that the Pearse Ógs man couldn't line out.
Armagh started well and had two early chances, but Swift and Joe Feeney couldn't convert either. Meath got a stranglehold out the field and were given an early boost when a low cross was deflected by Paul Hearty into the arms of the on rushing Stephen Bray who smashed the ball to the back of the net.
A point from Ryan Henderson almost a minute later got Armagh off the mark but their shooting was poor, and they couldn't add to their tally.
Meath were attacking with purpose and added to their lead with two more points, a fisted effort from David Bray and another from unmarked Half Back Graham Reilly.
With Steven McDonnell well shackled in the full forward line, Armagh's long ball tactic clearly wasn't paying dividends. They changed their style of play, however, and Half Forwards Charlie Vernon and Malachy Mackin, along with Kieran Toner drove forward at the Meath defence. An Aaron Kernan free followed this sustained pressure, but Meath responded with two of their own.
Armagh were keeping up the pressure however, and two good scores from Vernon and McDonnell kept them within touching distance. The sides traded scores again, with Meath's final score coming from Chris O'Connor, leaving the Royals a goal to the good at half time.
Both teams were fired up for second half, but it was once again the Royals who had the greater start. A long ball broke to Jamie Queeney, who fired the ball past Paul Hearty in the Armagh goal.
Many teams would have folded, but Armagh showed a new found passion and fight, scoring six unanswered points.
Three points from Steven McDonnell, and fine efforts from Joe Feeney, Gareth Swift and Finnian Moriarty turned the game on its head, as Armagh went from down and out to being on the brink of victory.
Meath failed to score for the first 23 minutes of the second half, but they were given a plethora of chances to kill of the Armagh challenge from frees. They managed to score two of these, leaving Armagh needing a goal. A point from Charlie Vernon wasn't enough as Meath ran out winners by a point.
Despite the disappointment of losing, Armagh manager Paddy O'Rourke was proud of his teams display. “You can never be too disappointed when you make that level of an effort, when everybody goes out on the field and gives it their best and that's what we did tonight. The result didn't go our way, but the results will go our way if we keep showing that level of effort that we have here.”
Armagh scorers: Steven McDonnell 0-5, A Kernan 0-2, C Vernon 0-2, F Moriarty 0-1, R Henderson 0-1, J Feeney 0-1, G Swift 0-1
Armagh: P Hearty, A Mallon, B Donaghy, P Duffy, A Kernan, C McKeever, F Moriarty, J Lavery, K Toner, J Feeney, C Vernon, M Mackin, R Henderson, G Swift, S McDonnell
Subs: P Kernan for G Swift, T Kernan for R Henderson, M McNamee for M Mackin
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