National Football League/Meath 0-19 Armagh 1-9: "The only satisfaction I could take from that match was the full-time whistle". Those were the words of disappointed Armagh manager Joe Kernan after his team's crushing defeat to Meath at a dank Páirc Tailteann in Navan yesterday.
Kernan might well have been speaking for his team's disillusioned supporters in the 7,000 crowd after the Orchard County suffered a humiliating drubbing by the rampant home side.
Aidan Mangan's final blast on the whistle may have sounded like something pleasant from a Mozart Concerto such was the dreary nature of this Armagh performance.
While Meath responded to their defeat by Down last week with the kind of performance that their manager Eamonn Barry could only dreams about, Kernan experienced a nightmare from which he wished to be awakened.
"We were a wee bit like the Irish rugby team. We gave the ball away and were duly punished. It was our own fault and we are not looking for excuses," said Kernan.
The Armagh supremo hopes that taking the squad away for a five day break will help to generate some improvement after this, their second consecutive defeat in two games.
Meath based their superiority on the crucial midfield sector where team captain Nigel Crawford and Barry Lynch overwhelmed any opposing pair Armagh had to offer.
From defence through to attack, Meath players were quite a joy to watch, running off the ball and putting it into space to the delight of their supporters.
"The pride and the passion we showed in the O'Byrne Cup final against Offaly was back," said a delighted Barry.
The Royals targeted a sprightly start and fulfilled this aim by scoring four unanswered points from Joe Sheridan, Peter Curran, Martin Doran and Tadgh Brosnan.
Armagh had to wait until the ninth minute to create their first shot at the Meath posts and Peadar Toal obliged with his side's opening score.
To Armagh's credit they got back to within the minimum margin due in the main to the McKeevers, the McEntees, attack leader Stephen Kernan who covered a great deal of ground and the opportunism of Stephen McDonnell in the corner.
Meath, however, were still able to pull away and establish a 0-9 to 0-5 lead at the interval.
The home side attained cruising speed in the third quarter stretching their advantage to seven points, 0-12 to 0-5 by the 49th minute.
Meath were so confident about the final outcome at this stage that Joe Sheridan, their top scorer, was acting per instructions from the sideline when he tapped a penalty award over the bar. Said Sheridan: "I kicked it over and it may have surprised some people but you do what you're told."
Later Oisín McConville, a first half substitute, caught the Meath defence disputing a free award with the referee and cleverly took the opportunity of sending the ball to the net with a quickly taken shot via a few bodies.
The only criticism, and it was slight considering the circumstances, from Meath manager Barry concerned his defence's decision to contest the free award which led to the goal.
"They should have moved back on their line to cover off besides disputing the decision" said Barry. The goal evoked memories of the famous incident involving Kerry's Mike Sheehy and Dublin keeper Paddy Cullen in the 1978 All-Ireland final.
MEATH: B Murphy; C King, K Reilly, N McLoughlin; J Donoghue (0-1), A Moyles, S Kenny; B Lynch, N Crawford (0-1); P Curran (0-2), J Sheridan (0-6, 3 frees, one pen and '45), T Brosnan (0-2); R Maguire (0-2), M Doran (0-4), D Whyte. Subs: R Moloney for Donoghue; P Byrne (0-1) for Brosnan; G Geraghty for Curran; T O'Connor for Kenny.
ARMAGH: C McKenney; P McCormack, F Bellew, E McNulty; JP Donnelly, K McGeeney, C McKeever; J McEntee (0-1), G Swift (0-1); C Vernon, S Kernan (0-2), T McEntee (0-1); S McDonnell (0-1), P McKeever (0-2), P Toal (0-1). Subs: P Loughran for Swift; O McConville (1-0 free), for McCormack.
Referee: A Mangan (Kerry).
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