Donie Smith's last-gasp penalty goal earned Roscommon a dramatic 2-12 apiece draw with Meath in a Hyde Park cracker.

Thee hosts played into the stiff breeze in the first half and turned around leading by 1-6 to 1-5, with wing back Sean Mullooly lobbing a delicious three-pointer into the town-end goal.

Cillian O'Sullivan had boosted the Royals with a terrific solo goal and the visitors closed out the opening period with late points from Thomas O'Reilly and Joey Wallace.

With the Murtagh brothers Diarmuid (0-5) and Ciarain prominent, the Rossies pushed into a commanding five-point lead by the three-quarters stage, 1-11 to 1-6. But Andy McEntee's men then took control with a run of six successive points before substitute Eamon Wallace netted three minutes from the end - 2-12 to 1-11.

Wallace's fellow subs Sean Tobin and Padraig McKeever shared five points, while the former also provided the assist for the away side's second major.

Adrift by four going into added time, the Connacht champions looked like a beaten docket but Finbar Cregg floated over a free before winning the last-ditch penalty, which substitute Smith duly despatched for a sensational finish to an entertaining match.

Roscommon - C Lavin; D Murray (0-1), J McManus, N McInerney; S Mullooly (1-0), F Lennon, C Devaney; T O'Rourke, I Kilbride; N Daly, N Kilroy (0-1), E Smith (0-1); D Murtagh (0-5, 2f), C Lennon (0-1), C Murtagh (0-2, 1f). Subs: F Cregg (0-1f) for I Kilbride, C Daly for D Murtagh, C Cregg for N Kilroy, P Domican for D Murray (BC), D Smith (1-0pen) for C Murtagh.

Meath - A Colgan; S Lavin (0-1), C McGill, M Burke; D Keogan, B Power, S McEntee; B Menton (0-1), A Flanagan; J McEntee (0-1), B Brennan (0-2f), G Reilly; J Wallace (0-1), C O'Sullivan (1-0), T O'Reilly (0-1f). Subs: B Conlon for M Burke, P McKeever (0-3, 1f) for T O'Reilly, E Wallace (1-0) for B Brennan, S Tobin (0-2, 1f) for G Reilly, D O'Neill for C O'Sullivan, A Douglas for B Power (BC), E Wallace (BC), J Wallace (BC).

Referee - B Cassidy.

Tweet

Most Read Stories