Meath 1-20
Armagh 2-17

Stephen Clynch's pointed free in the sixth minute of injury time earned Meath a draw with unfancied visitors Armagh at Pairc Tailteann on Sunday.

Boosted by a win over London in their league opener seven days earlier, Meath were expected to see off the Orchard County who were making their first start in the competition as their opening fixture against Mayo was postponed due to adverse weather conditions.

Looking that bit sharper Armagh seemed to have secured the spoils when Cathal Carvill sent over his fourth point from play of the game. But Meath's blushes were spared when a foul on Joey Keena presented Clynch with the levelling chance.

The finale was overshadowed by an ankle injury to Meath substitute Alan Nester - following an awkward fall - that resulted in him having to be stretchered off.

Scores were tied on ten times over the 70 minutes. Meath led three times in the opening 32 minutes but Armagh were never headed again after Ger Enright rifled in their second goal and the visitors went on to lead by 2-10 to 1-10 at the break.

Nearly ten second-half minutes elapsed before Meath's James Boyle got the next score but that was quickly countered by a Carvill point.

By the midpoint of the second period the teams were level for the seventh time (1-14 to 2-2-11) when Neil Hackett pointed a long distance free.

Armagh hit back to go two points clear courtesy of John Corvan and Fiachra Bradley. The Ulster side maintained that lead until Clynch - who registered Meath's last three scores of the game - landed a '65' and it was all-square again at 1-18 to 2-15.

When the game resumed after Nestor's injury, Barney McCann restored the Armagh lead only for Clynch to point from play. Then came the aforementioned late exhange of scores with the Meath camp relieved to salvage something from this fixture.

Meath led twice in the opening seven minutes with a Clynch point from play being the highlight of the early exchanges.

Points from Carvill and Enright put Armagh in front for the first time. The pendulum swung Meath's way via scores from Boyle and Nicky Horan.

Then in the 10th minute Kieran McKernan got in for Armagh's first goal at the town end after his initial effort was parried by Meath 'keeper Stephen Quinn and the board read 1-3 to 0-4.

Armagh remained on the front foot until Peter Durnin fired in Meath's goal in the 27th minute to leave it 1-7 apiece.

However, T. J. Reilly's men never managed to regain the lead due in part to some sloppy play and some tenacious Armagh defending with centre-half-back Paul McCormack prominent for the visitors.

Meath - S. Quinn; B. Coughlan, E. Fitzgerald, M. Foley; M. Horan, P. Fagan, M. Lynch; S. Clynch (0-6, 1 f, 1 65), J. Boyle (0-2); P. Durnin (1-2), N. Hackett (0-7, 6 fs), P. Garvey; J. Keena (0-1), N. Horan (0-2), M. Mullally. Subs - K. Keena for Garvey (22), D. Donoghue for Lynch (62), A. Nestor for Hackett (66), D. Muldoon for Nestor (70).

Armagh - J. Burke; B. Mallon, P. McArdle, F. McMullan; N. Curry, P. McCormack, B. Breen; B. McCann (0-2), C. Carvill (0-4); G. Enright (1-3, 0-1 f), J. Corvan (0-1), R. Gaffney; K. McKernan (1-1), P. Breen (0-2, fs), F. Bradley (0-4). Subs - C. McCann for Gaffney (38), M. Lennon for P. Breen (51).

Referee - C. Groome (Offaly). Tweet

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