Derry out of championship as Conlon kicks Meath to Celtic Park victory
All Ireland Series, Round 2B
Derry's season finished as it had started - with defeat to Meath - as The Royals progressed to Round Three of the All Ireland Series in Find Insurance Celtic Park on Saturday night.
Robbie Brennan's team dominated the first half kick-outs and while Derry improved that particular stat sheet second half, The Royal's greater efficiency in front of the posts proved the difference between the two teams with James Conlon hitting seven points from play in a superb individual display.
James Sargent was the one bight spark for Derry, the former All Ireland winning minor captain hitting 1-02 on his first start for the senior side but Derry were always playing catch-up against a Meath team wo didn't have to work as hard for their scores as the home side.
If anything, it was a Derry display that summed up the season: excellent in patches and plenty of potential but without the consistency needed to make the difference in the clutch moments that define games.
Oak Leaf boss Ciaran Meenagh will take time to digest this season, but in many ways his remit is the same as it was before a ball was kicked in 2026. Derry need a deeper panel and greater competition if they are compete at the top table.
The sides were deadlocked at half-time after first half goals from Donal Keogan and Sargent but with both sides starting the second period two men short after four black cards following a half-time melee, Meath took control.
Meenagh's response to the defeat against Armagh in the opening round was a first championship start for Sargent while Paul Cassidy and Dan Higgins also came back in at the expense of Niall Toner, Niall Loughlin and Shea Downey.
Meath meanwhile welcomed back both Jack Flynn and Mathew Costello to the 15 that started against Cork and began like a team intent on making a statement.
The Royals dominated the home kick-out first half to the extent that Derry did well to hit 1-09 with Sargent the Oak Leaf star of the show in the opening 35 minutes. But it always felt a game Derry were chasing.
That was due in part to there being only only four minutes on the clock when Meath cut through the home defence following a superb solo run from inside his own by full-back Sean Rafferty. Rafferty found Conlon who sent Keogan through and his finished in style, stepping around Shea McGuckin before firing into the net.
Sargent's '45' got Derry on the scoreboard after the same player's initial shot had forced a diving save from Meath No. 1 Sean Brennan and when Shane McGuigan doubled the home tally, it appeared Derry had settled.
However Flynn, who scored a brace of lovely two pointers when the teams met in the opening league fixture this season, illustrated his shooting prowess once once with a lovely two pointer for 1-02 to 0-2 on seven minutes.
Lachlan Murray and Eoin McEvoy, who was excellent throughout, brought it back to the minimum again before Meath's second two pointer of the half, this time from Bryan Menton, took the visitors three clear.
Conlon stretched the advantage but with Derry needing inspiration, Sargent stepped up with a superb run through the heart of the Royals' defence. Even when he lost possession in a tackle, the Lavey player had the awareness to turn and finish soccer style across Brennan and into the far corner.
When Murray followed up Conor McCluskey's shot to point, Derry were level and they then led for the first time on 24 minutes thanks to Shane McGuigan's first score of the evening.
However four unanswered Meath scores swing the pendulum back toward the visitors as Costello, Menton and two from Conlon left Meath 1-09 to 1-06 ahead.
Derry's response was to level for a third time in the half as McEvoy, Ruairi Forbes and Sargent ensured half-time parity after a breathless half of football.
A half-time skirmish involving players from both teams as they left the pitch saw both counties start the second half with 13 players as referee Sean Hurson produced black cards for Oak Leaf duo Conor Doherty and Gareth McKinless and Meath pair Ronan Ryan and Cian McBride.
The extra space saw both players pour forward and when the dust settled on the brief 13-a-side game Meath had won it five points to four, Derry indebted to Brendan Rogers' superb two pointer as the Royals led 1-14 to 1-13.
Three unanswered scores from Keogan, Jordan Morris and Jack O'Connor took Meath four clear and it was a deficit Derry never looked like closing. Two points would be as close as the home team got over the closing stages. Shane McGuigan's late two point free left Derry 1-20 to 1-23 behind with two minutes left but when McGuigan's next effort dropped short, the clock was always against Derry. Substitute Killian Smyth's point sealed the deal for Meath leaving Derry with only a summer of soul searching.
Derry scorers: James Sargent 1-2 (1 '45'), Brendan Rogers 0-2 (1tp), Shane McGuigan 0-4 (1tpf), Lachlan Murray 0-4 (1to), Eoin McEvoy 0-4, Ruairi Forbes 0-2, Gareth McKinless 0-1, Conall Higgins 0-1.
Meath scorers: Donal Keogan 1-2, Jack Flynn 0-3 (1tp), Bryan Menton 0-3 (1tp), James Conlon 0-7, Mathew Costello 0-2, Sean Brennan 0-2 (1tpf), Jordan Morris 0-2, Jack O'Connor 0-1, Eoghan Frayne 0-1 (1f), Killian Smyth 0-1.
Derry: Shea McGuckin, Padraig McGrogan, Brendan Rogers, Conor McCluskey, Conor Doherty, Gareth McKinless, Eoin McEvoy, Conor Glass, Dan Higgins, Ethan Doherty, James Sargent, Ruairi Forbes, Paul Cassidy, Shane McGuigan, Lachlan Murray. (Subs) Diarmuid Baker for C Glass, HT; Niall Loughlin for P Cassidy, HT; Niall O'Donnell for D Higgins, 55mins; Sean Young for Forbes, 57mins; Conall Higgins for D Baker, 61mins.
Meath: Sean Brennan, Seamus Lavin, Sean Rafferty, Ronan Ryan, Donal Keogan, Bryan Menton, Sean Coffey, Cian McBride, Jack Flynn, Jack O'Connor, Mathew Costello, Ciaran Caulfield, Jordan Morris, James Conlon, Eoghan Frayne. (Subs) Killian Smyth for R Ryan, 47mins; Charlie O'Connor for B Menton, 56mins; Cathal Hickey for J O'Connor, 62mins; Keith Curtis for J Conlon, 66mins;
Referee: Sean Hurson (Tyrone)