Tailteann Cup semi-final
Meath 2-16 Antrim 2-14

THE great escape for Antrim just fell short at Croke Park on Sunday as Meath held on to advance into the Tailteann Cup final.

A nightmare third quarter seemed to have the Royals out of sight, but Andy McEntee's charges roared back and indeed, will have some regrets about how they perhaps lost a bit of composure with their deliveries towards the end when they had some chances.

There was no sign this game would go this way as Antrim had a good first half and led by one at the break, but fell away for a 20-minute spell after the resumption and found themselves eight back, yet to their  credit, they stuck with it.

Although disappointed, they will take a lot from this game and campaign as they built momentum, but just came up short in the penultimate hurdle.

"I think there were chances missed at both ends, but we certainly had momentum with us heading into the last five or six minutes," said McEntee.

"Maybe a lack of composure and some bad decisions cost us dearly.

"There were a couple of key incidents at the start of the second half three or four decisions we seemed to be on the wrong end of and Meath maybe got 1-2 out of it. Instead of scores at one end, there were scores at the other, although I maybe have a slightly jaundiced view of it.

"They showed a lot of character throughout the year so I wasn't surprised they kept coming."

Antrim would have hoped to get off to a good start and they did just that as a good move from the back resulted in Adam Loughran thumping over within the opening minute and Dominic McEnhill got off and running with a pointed free soon after.

It was an encouraging start for the Saffrons who had settled well and although Aaron Lynch got Meath on the board after four minutes, Antrim remained on top with goalkeeper Michael Byrne and Paddy McBride adding to another for Loughran as they led 0-5 to 0-2 after 11 minutes.

Declan Lynch had to make a vital intercept in this time, but Meath were clinical with their next chance as the ball was given away to Jack O'Connor who spotted Lynch free inside and this finish to the net was excellent to level.

Tellingly, Antrim got the next score through a McEnhill free and although points from Jordan Morris and Mathew Costelloe edged Meath ahead, Antrim grabbed the initiative back immediately in 23 minutes.

Aghagallon's Ruairi McCann got on the end of a long ball and although Seán Brennan smothered his shot, corner back Harry O'Higgins needlessly trailed down McCann after and gave referee Barry Judge no option but to award a penalty that was cooly ticked away by McEnhill.

Meath did get level and got have got more had Byrne not saved well from Costello, but a pointed 45 on the stroke of half-time but the Antrim goalkeeper gave his side a deserved 1-7 to 1-6 lead at the break.

Dominic McEnhill gets his shot away
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Dominic McEnhill gets his shot away

When McCann pushed out the gap from a mark straight after the resumption, it seemed Antrim were in a good place, but Meath proved a much different prospect in the third quarter as they were much more direct, rattling off three points on the spin through Conor Gray, Jack Flynn and Costello before they hit their second goal as the ball squirted out in front of Jordan Morris who rounded Byrne and slotted home.

The scores kept flowing and Meath looked out of sight when 2-13 to 1-8 ahead, but after a barren 20 minutes,  a Loughran points sparked Antrim to life again and they began to eat into the gap and the goal their challenge needed came on 63 minutes as a shot from substitute Conhuir Johnston came down off the post with McEnhill gathering and squaring to McBride to palm home and narrow the gap to two.

They could have had another as Loughran was in but coughed up the ball, although a Dermott McAleese point left the minimum between the teams.

Tellingly, Meath just about managed to keep their noses in front with a kick-out infringement seeing a hop ball with Costello pointing off it and after McAleese scored another, he and Flynn pointed to leave three in it in stoppage time with Antrim chasing a goal.

Jordan Morris scores Meath's second goal
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Jordan Morris scores Meath's second goal

They just didn't have the execution with a couple of long deliveries but did get one last chance with the ball breaking to Odhran Eastwood who swung a boot, but the ball soup up and over a Meath survived to reach the final.

"It was sort of relief at the end the way the game transpired," said Meath manager Colm O'Rourke. 

"We got into a great position and then seemed to take our foot off the pedal and in the end, we were looking for the whistle. Antrim came back at us strong and will think they could have got something out of it.

"The other thing was, we had a lot of other good chances and should have got at least one more goal, but the tide turned and it's always the way when a team comes back at you, it can take lads a long time (to adjust) but Matt Costello and Jordan Morris sniped over some very valuable points in the last five minutes."

MEATH: S Brennan; A O'Neill, R Ryan, H O'Higgins; D Keogan, P Harnan, S Coffey; J Flynn (0-2), C Gray (0-1); C Hickey (0-1), J McEntee (0-1), J O'Connor (0-1); J Morris (1-4), M Costello (0-4, 1 free), A Lynch (1-2, 0-1 M).
Subs: C Caufield for H O'Higgins (HT), D Lenihan for J McEntee (51), C O'Sullivan for A Lynch (53), D McGowan for J O'Connor (55), R Jones for C Hickey (65)

ANTRIM: M Byrne (0-2, 1 45); P McCormick, P Healy, E McCabe; D McAleese (0-2), D Lynch, M Jordan; J Finnegan, C Hynds; P McBride (1-1), A Loughran (0-3), R McCann (Creggan, 0-1); R Boyle, R McCann (Aghagallon, 0-1 M), D McEnhill (1-3, 1-0 pen, 0-3 frees).
Subs: G Walsh for P Healy (17), E Quinn for J Finnegan (52), C Johnston for R McCann (Creggan, 62), C McLarnon for P McBride (63), O Eastwood (0-1) for A Loughran (70+2)

REFEREE: Barry Judge (Sligo)