Cork are red-faced again tonight after falling to a 2-12 to 1-9 defeat to Meath at Pairc Ui Rinn.

A third victory from four sees the promotion-chasing Royal County move further clear at the top of the second division table with three rounds of games left, while the struggling Leesiders remain firmly rooted to the bottom still with just a solitary point to their credit.

Mchael Hurley's second point had Cork just a point adrift three minutes into the second half, 0-7 to 0-6, but the victors tellingly landed 1-4 without reply, Ethan Devine's score making it 1-11 to 0-6 at the three-quarters stage ... game over!

A crowd of 1,817 turned up and, following a tight first half, the visitors turned the screw upon the resumption, wing back Gavin McCoy – a late addition to their starting XV – and substitute Barry Dardis netting in the 51st minute and injury time respectively, sub Sean Powter plundering a consolation major in between (Ronan McCarthy's men having gone 26 minutes without registering).

The Royals led by the odd point from eleven at the break, with top scorer Michael Newman knocking over half of their first-half tally from frees. Ben Brennan’s second free of the night had nudged the visitors into a 0-6 to 0-2 lead with twelve minutes left before the break but the Rebels landed three unanswered scores before the short whistle courtesy of corner back Conor Dennehy and Luke Connolly (2).

Midfielder Bryan Menton struck Meath’s only first-half point from play inside the opening minute and Ruairi Deane replied in between frees from Brennan and Newman (3) as Meath led by five points to one after 18 minutes, Hurley registering the hosts’ second point.

Substitute Graham Reilly doubled the difference at the start of the second half and Hurley swapped points with Thomas O’Reilly before Newman notched a score from play to leave it 0-9 to 0-6 after 46 minutes. Cillian O'Sullivan added another and once McCoy palmed to the net at the end of a fantastic, flowing Meath move to leave seven in it, there was no way back for the home team.

Meath - A Colgan; S Lavin, C McGill, R Ryan; G McCoy (1-0), D Keogan, S Gallagher; B Menton (0-1), S McEntee; C O’Sullivan (0-1), B Brennan (0-2, 1f), D Campion; B McMahon, M Newman (0-4, 3f), T O’Reilly (0-1). Subs: G Reilly (0-1) for B Brennan, E Devine (0-1) for D Campion, B Dardis (1-1) for C O’Sullivan, N Kane for G McCoy.

Cork - M A Martin; S Ryan, K Flahive, C Dennehy (0-1); K Crowley, Tomas Clancy, P Walsh; I Maguire, K O’Hanlon; R O’Toole, L Connolly (0-2, 1f), M Taylor (0-1); M Hurley (0-2), R Deane (0-1), P Kerrigan. Subs: M Collins (0-2f) for L Connolly, B Hurley for P Walsh, Thomas Clancy for K Crowley, S Powter (1-0) for M Hurley, E McSweeney for R O’Toole.

Referee - F Kiely.

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