Meath pulled away after the break to beat Monaghan by 1-15 to 1-9 at Navan.

Seamus McEnaney's charges proved a bridge too far for his native county, though Monaghan will be kicking themselves for hitting ten second-half wides.

The sides had been level three times in the first half but the Royal County pulled away thereafter and Shane McAnarney's 63rd-minute goal sealed the deal.

After three early wides from the hosts, Neil McAdam pointed first for Monaghan but a Stephen Bray brace put the Royals in front before visiting centre back Vinny Corey pointed to level the scores.

Graham Reilly put Meath back in the ascendancy and Eoin Duffy levelled before Brian Meade restored the hosts' advantage.

James Turley then registered a Monaghan goal but Bray kept the Royal County in touch as the match ebbed and flowed.

The scores continued to fly over at both ends of Pairc Tailteann and Meath led by 0-9 to 1-5 after half an hour, with Cian Ward among the Meath scorers and Reilly notching two more.

Paddy Gilsenan took the hosts' tenth score after overs from Duffy and Monaghan captain Darren Hughes (free) had tied it up.

The sides had been hard to separate in the first half but a run of four successive Meath points had swung the tide in their favour.

A Bray free opened the second-half scoring and gave Banty's men a two-point cushion.

Paddy Gilsenan and Joe Sheridan added to Meath's tally while Monaghan hit three wides from scoreable positions, to trail by 0-13 to 1-6 after 48.

Paul Finlay finally landed Monaghan's first score of the second half after 51 minutes and Darren Hughes added another before Ward replied.

Finlay was again on target for the Ulster county but a McAnarney's goal seven minutes from the end put the match beyond the visitors, making it 1-14 to 1-9.

Gilsenan was sent off with a second yellow three minutes from the end and the impressive Bray closed the scoring.

Meath - D Gallagher; M Burke, B Menton, G O'Brien; C O'Connor, S McAnarney (1-0), C McGuinness; B Meade (0-1), M Ward; S Kenny, G Reilly (0-3), D Tobin; P Gilsenan (0-2), S Bray (0-6), C Ward (0-2). Subs - J Sheridan (0-1) for Tobin, C Lenihan for Kenny, T Walsh for M Ward, C Gillespie for Meade.

Monaghan - M Keogh; D Morgan (0-1), D Hughes (0-2), C Walshe; D Mone, V Corey (0-1), D Hughes; E Lennon, J Turley (1-0); N McAdam (0-1), E Duffy (0-2), M Downey; P Finlay (0-2), K Hughes, C McGuinness. Subs - R McNally for Walshe, D Malone for Downey, S Gollogly for D Hughes, C Hanratty for McGuinness, D Clerkin for McAdam. Tweet

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