Meath earned a Allianz NHL Division 2B final date with Kildare after outscoring Down at Trim on Sunday.

Meath ........ 2-21
Down ......... 0-16

Having made the running from the off Meath finished with 11 points to spare, two more than required to pip Down for a place in the divisional decider against Kildare.

Jack Regan emerged as Meath's scoring hero. Having been dismissed on receipt of two yellow cards against Armagh seven days earlier, the Kiltale man made a significant contribution here with 0-12.

Meath, Down and Armagh finished with six points each in the table, but the Royals had the superior score difference.

Meath played out the the final 25 minutes - into the breeze and sun -  with just 13 players after James Toher was sent-off on receipt of his second yellow card.

Martin Ennis' men led by 2-16 to 0-6 at this point. They were outscored by 0-10 to 0-5 thereafter but signifciantly didn't leak a goal.

That was down to the heroics of 'keeper Charlie Bird who made a number of fine saves after the change of ends to help Meath into the final.

Meath used the elements in the opening half to reach the interval leading by 12, 1-15 to 0-3. However, just the break Meath's Eoin Marsh and Down's Michael Ennis were red-carded by referee Patrick Murphy.

Down pulled back three points back through top scorer Caolan Bailie within four minutes of the resumption. Then Willie McGrath grabbed Meath's second goal with help from Michael Dunne and Alan Douglas.

With Bailie leading the way Down chipped away at the deficit but the heroics of Bird ensured the visitors didn't get the goal required to advance to the final.

Playing with the breeze and sun behind them, Meath wasted little time in getting scores on the board. Within three minutes Stephen Morris pointed and Michael Dunne goaled at the town end.

Jack Regan was Meath's star turn in the opening 35 minutes putting nine points to his name with scores from play, frees, two 65s and one sideline cut.

By the 10th minute Meath had five different scorers and 1-4 on the board. The Royals added two more points before Bailie opened Down's account.

Meath continued to avail of the elements and that 12-point interval advantage provided the foundation for victory by the required margin.

Meath - Charlie Bird; Cormac Reilly, Shane Brennan, Neil McLoughlin; Keith Keoghan, Damien Healy (C), Padraig Keogh; Eoin Marsh, James Toher (0-1); Stephen Morris (0-1), Gary Kelly (0-1), Alan Douglas (0-2); Jack Regan (0-12, 6 fs 2 65s 1sl, Michael Dunne (1-0), Willie McGrath (1-4). Subs - Darren Reilly for Keogh (60)

Down - Stephen Keith; Sean Ennis, Mark McGee, Rian Brannigan; Declan McManus, Conor Woods (0-3 2fs), Conor O'Neill; Michael McCullough, Michael Hughes; Donal Hughes, Michael Ennis, Gareth Johnson; Danny Toner (0-3); Caolan Bailie (0-7 3fs), James Coyle (0-1). Subs - Fintan Conway for Branagan (13), Jonny McCusker (0-1) for Coyle (25), Michael Turley (0-1) for D Hughes (ht), Chris Egan for McGee (49), Brett Nicholson for M Hughes (61).

Referee - Patrick Murphy (Carlow)

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