Mixed emotions from Derry hurling manager following last-gasp heartbreak in Meath

There were mixed emotions from Derry senior hurling manager Johnny McGarvey following his side’s last-gasp heartbreak against Meath GAA in Division 2 of the Allianz National Hurling League in Trim on Sunday afternoon.

The Royals snatched a dramatic 1-20 to 1-18 victory deep into injury time, with the Oakleafers having led from the tenth minute until the sixty-sixth, when Tom Shine levelled from a placed ball. Derry finished the contest with fourteen men after Eamonn Cassidy received a second yellow card late on.

A commanding first-half performance had seen the visitors surge into a 1-12 to 0-7 lead at the interval. However, Meath re-emerged with renewed purpose after the restart and steadily chipped away at the deficit before edging ahead in a frantic finale.

The Lavey clubman was a frustrated figure afterwards but also spoke with pride about the direction of a squad that has undergone significant change following last year’s Christy Ring Cup final heartbreak. While pleased with many aspects of his side’s display in Trim, McGarvey was critical of the officiating in the closing stages.

The Derry boss felt key decisions went against his side down the stretch. In the final minutes, Meath were awarded four crucial frees, along with a penalty that was brilliantly saved, while Cassidy was dismissed in the final minutes.

“We’re probably more annoyed than disappointed, to be honest,” McGarvey said. “I thought the officiating was very poor, and it cost us dear. I thought we played really well in the first half and maybe left a few scores behind us, but there is a lot we are really pleased with.

“I thought we defended really well and held our own for long periods of the game. Overall, in terms of performance, we’re really happy with where we’re at. Our intensity levels are good, and we were efficient. We just got caught at the finish. We’re just annoyed. Eamonn Cassidy got split with a couple of head-high tackles, and he ended up the man sent off.

“We’re very frustrated with how it ended, but we’re so proud of our lads. I thought we were probably the better team overall, but we just feel a bit hard done by.”

It has been a campaign of contrasts for McGarvey and his players. An opening-day defeat to Kerry was followed by an encouraging display against league favourites Laois, last year’s Joe McDonagh Cup finalists. A convincing victory over Mayo was backed up by Sunday’s strong showing against Meath, underlining tangible progress despite a winter of heavy turnover within the panel.

“We’re very happy performance-wise with where we’re at,” he continued. “Kerry and Laois were probably matches we were expected to lose. Mayo was one we expected to win. Yesterday was always going to be fifty-fifty. I don’t think we’re a million miles away from where we need to be.

“We’ve blooded a serious amount of new players. We’re probably lacking a wee bit physically, but given the turnover and the new lads coming in, we felt early on that might be where we were at.

“Overall, we’re quite happy with our progress. We’re not too pleased with some of the officiating we’ve had. I don’t think we got it against Meath, I don’t think we got it against Laois, and we certainly didn’t get it in last year’s Christy Ring final. That is frustrating.”

With two rounds remaining, Derry sit precariously just above the relegation zone, a single point clear of London and Mayo. Next weekend brings a pivotal clash as the Exiles travel to Celtic Park in a repeat of last year’s Christy Ring final.

With both sides facing daunting final-round fixtures against Laois and Westmeath, respectively, Saturday’s meeting has effectively become a must-win in the battle to preserve Division 2 status.

“Next week against London is pretty much a relegation battle,” McGarvey admitted. “They have Laois last, and we have Westmeath, which will be very difficult games for both teams. It’s a must-win. It would have been that even if we had beaten Meath.

“We know what they’re about. We’ve played them a few times, including last year’s Christy Ring final. They’re a good side with good players, and we’ll have to be at it to get a result.

“We’ll be well prepared. We’ve a few walking wounded and picked up a few niggles yesterday, but we’ll recover this week, get back on the training field and go all guns blazing into Saturday.”