Brian Cox out steps Stephen Bray.
Meath 2 -12
Fermanagh 0-14
Close, but in the end not close enough.
Fermanagh had journeyed to Navan in search of a single point to secure promotion to next season’s NFL second division but travelled back with the disappointment of a relatively close run thing, a four point defeat.
There couldn’t be complaint about the failure to claim the prize. After all Meath are a serious GAA county who were benefitting from playing an absolutely vital fixture on their home turf.
And that this was a crucial tie for both sides was underlined by the fact that there was a very healthy attendance present, an attendance which was to be served a very entertaining and finely balanced contest which more or less went down to the wire.
For Meath were made to sweat for their success and the end result could be reasonably claimed to have hinged on a pivotal few minutes towards the end of the third quarter.
Inside those few minutes the game took a decisive turn in favour of the Leinster side and that it did so was primarily down to two grievously self inflicted wounds for Fermanagh.
In a game which had taken on every appearance of being a taut battle to the finishing line, Fermanagh were handed an opportunity to put a major question mark to the opposition.
This came in the shape of a penalty award and if a goal was to be scored, a lead of four points would have opened up and Meath’ s credentials would have been tested to the limit.
But Meath were let off the hook as Tomás Corrigan’s tame shot was saved by keeper Paddy O’Rourke.
A major setback for Fermanagh and disastrously the Erne side almost immediately found themselves reduced to fourteen with the dismissal of wing back Declan McCusker.
The upshot was that Meath were gifted two adrenalin shots in the arm and they duly benefitted from them. But they were made to work exceptionally hard before they took the game and for them it was a nerve jangling run in to the finish.
For the big attendance this was a rousing , resolute and absorbing tussle and the home support were never in the comfort zone.
The four point insurance margin wasn’t secured until the game was in its dying moments.