Sensational end to serial thriller

July 8th 1991: Paddy Downeyreflects on Meath's dramatic 2-10 to 0-15 victory over Dublin in the third replay of an epic Leinster SFC series

"INCREDIBLE ," he said , stunned like the rest of 61,543 spectators when the final whistle sounded at Croke Park on Saturday. And then, pointing to the pitch, the man on the upper deck of the Hogan Stand drew breath to add, as if struck by revelation: "That's what they coined the word for."

So it seemed, and so it was - incredible. Meath, a beaten team, we thought, midway through the second half, were winners of the most amazing, enthralling, fantastic (pick any word you like) event in the whole history of Gaelic football.

Dublin, who appeared to have won the third replay of this first-round Leinster championship fixture when they led by three points as the hand of the clock moved up to the stroke of 70 minutes, left the sunlit field sicker than the sickest parrot that ever lived.

When all seemed lost, the reigning Leinster champions - who never say die - scored a goal and a point in just about 50 seconds to end a marathon which began on June 2nd and over four games has drawn an aggregate attendance of nearly 240.000.

When the referee, Tommy Howard - who deserves great praise for his unenviable role in the contest - signalled full time the emotional roar of Meath's supporters shook the stadium for fully five minutes. And for most of that time, too, Dublin's supporters stood tightly packed, unmoving, on Hill 16 as if stuck to the terrace by shock and disbelief.

At the end of a bewildering Meath movement, which began deep in their defence, Kevin Foley (how he travelled the length of the pitch only he will know) kicked the goal that levelled the scores.

It was a classic of construction and execution. At least seven Meath players were involved and not one Dublin man touched the ball on the way.

The most prominent in the move were Gerry McEntee, a half time substitute, Tommy Dowd, who made one of his powerful, probing runs, then Colm O'Rourke in the right corner, Dowd again and finally Foley, who rocketed the ball in from the edge of the square.

From goalkeeper John O'Leary's kick-out, Meath got possession again and the ball was transferred to David Beggy, who was scarcely seen in the game previously. For once, Eamonn Heery had left the right winger unmarked and Beggy made ground before shooting the winning point at the Railway end.

In the final seconds of injury time, Dublin were awarded a 60-yard free, but instead of dropping the ball into the Meath goalmouth with the hope of gaining another scorable place-kick, Jack Sheedy drove it wide.

On the way out neutral observers of the game were saying, "It was grand larceny, daylight robbery." Inconsolable Dublin held the same point of view.

They were the better team and played the better football over the greater part of the game. They were six points up - the biggest gap between the teams in any of the four games - midway through the second half. Four points with six minutes remaining . . . and still they were beaten.

The other side of the coin is that, while Dublin were superior through the field for at least 50 minutes of the game, Meath had the guts and the heart to carry it off when the crunch came. They never give in while there is half a chance to turn the tide.

They were in terrible trouble several times in the second half on Saturday but refused to give in.

They never lost their nerve or their will to win. They possessed the killer punch that Dublin lacked. They are admirable.

But so are Dublin. They left the field like broken men, but as time passes they will realise and surely feel proud that they were part of the greatest, most riveting spectacle, in four instalments, ever staged in an Irish sports arena.

The turning point of the game came when, eight minutes from the end, Dublin, who led by three points (0-14 to 1-8) at the time, were awarded a penalty kick that Keith Barr drove narrowly wide of Michael McQuillan's right post at the Canal end.

Declan Sheehan, who filled the vacant forward position, was in possession when the penalty - which Charlie Redmond, perhaps, should have taken - was awarded.

But should Barr be blamed for missing the target? Contrary to rule, a Meath defender ran up beside him as he took the kick, and Dublin are entitled to argue that the referee should have ordered the penalty be retaken.

That is one of the talking points which will persist and which validates the hopes expressed by players of both sides last week that there would be a clear-cut win for one or the other, thus leaving no room for arguments and recriminations. It was not in the nature of the great struggle for that to happen. They were destined to finish on a razor's edge.

Meath lined out without Terry Ferguson, who pulled a muscle in the dressing-room, and Seán Kelly, who failed a fitness test. They were replaced at left full back and left half forward by Pádraig Lyons and Tommy Dowd.

As predicted in this newspaper on Saturday, Dublin lined out with Paul Clarke at full forward, Paul Curran at centre forward and Jack Sheedy at midfield. Curran was a big success on the 40, and Sheedy, having taken a long time to settle down, eventually gave them a distinct advantage in the central area. Meath struggled in midfield until late in the game when PJ Gillick, who spent some time at centre forward, moved back to rejoin Liam Hayes.

With victory achieved Meath will not mind the truth being told. Most of the stars of the day were on the Dublin side. Mick Deegan and Tommy Carr were magnificent on the right flank of their defence.Carr was a huge loss when injury forced him to retire, although Ray Holland was a good substitute if somewhat erratic. Barr, Heery and Mick Kennedy were also outstanding.

Their forwards, with Curran, Redmond, Guiden and Galvin to the fore, moved better than any attack fielded in the previous games. Sheehan also played his part.

Meath were short of players of the same calibre. But full credit must go to Mick Lyons, Foley - who moved to left full when Pádraig Lyons went off injured - and Martin O'Connell in defence; to McEntee at midfield and in the attack to Brian Stafford, who scored 1-6; to Dowd, Colm Coyle, Bernard Flynn, briefly, and O'Rourke, who survived a crunching tackle in the early minutes and when he moved to his old base at right full forward played a crucial role in the making of his team's two goals.

It was a game of extraordinary, sometimes bitter, intensity. Some of the tackling was ferocious.

The quality of the football was only moderate for much of the first half, but then it opened up and at times it matched the standard of the second replay.

It must be said again that Dublin played the better and more skilful football over the 70-plus minutes, but at the finish that was as useless as the "p" in pneumonia.

Playing with the breeze into the Railway end, Meath led by a point or two for 23 minutes of the first half until Curran, with the first score from play, levelled for Dublin, who then went on to take a lead of 0-7 to 0-5 at the interval.

Flynn pointed for Meath 12 seconds after the change of ends, but then a string of five by Dublin (one by Redmond was a beauty) gave them their lead of six in the 49th minute.

Gutsy Meath struck back, however; Stafford converted a free kick and then in the 52nd minute scored their first goal when put in possession by O'Rourke.

Dublin showed their mettle by responding to regain a lead of four, but substitute Mattie McCabe pulled that back to three with 11 minutes to go. The rest of the stunning story has been told.

Now, finally, patient Wicklow enter the Leinster championship: they meet Meath in a quarter-final at Navan next Sunday.

MEATH:M McQuillan; R O'Malley, M Lyons, P Lyons; K Foley (1-0), L Harnan, M O'Connell; L Hayes (capt), PJ Gillie; D Beggy (0-1), C O'Rourke, T Dowd; C Coyle. B Stafford (1-6, five points from frees, one from a 50), B Flynn (0-2). Subs: F Murtagh for P Lyons (14 mins); G McEntee for Murtagh (30 mins); M McCabe (0-1) for Flynn (46 mins).

DUBLIN:J O'Leary; M Deegan, G Hargan. M Kennedy; T Carr (capt), K Barr, E Heery; J Sheedy, P Bealin; C Redmond (0-5, three from frees), P Curran (0-2), N Guiden (0-4); D Sheehan (0-2), P Clarke. M Galvin (0-2). Subs: R Holland for Carr (49 mins); J McNally (or Clarke (62 mins); V Murphy for Redmond (66 mins).

Referee:Tommy Howard (Kildare).