Meath arrive unbeaten but cracks remain for Cork to exploit
Jack Flynn of Meath celebrates after kicking the winning point during the Allianz Football League Division 2 match between Meath and Louth at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile
Páirc Uí Rinn hosts a top table collision on Sunday. Both Cork and Meath enter Round 4 unbeaten.
Robbie Brennan's side arrive with plenty of confidence. Three wins from three, including nerve-shredding finishes against Cavan and Louth, where Jack Flynn's long-range bombs rescued them on both occasions.
They stunned Dublin and Kerry last summer before Donegal dismantled them in the All-Ireland semi-final. The core talent remains, but Meath have also shown fragility.
They coughed up an 11-point lead against Louth and let Cavan roar back from five down. If Cork can exploit those cracks on Sunday, promotion hopes become very, very real.
Brennan took over last year after a stellar club stint with Kilmacud Crokes. Aaron Kernan – the Armagh man who worked with Sligo’s Division 3 footballers last season – joined the Meath backroom for 2026.
Any illusion that Meath aren’t at the level their Division 2 record suggests can be dispelled based on last season’s results. They brought down Dublin in last year's Leinster semi-final, nailing four two-pointers in the first half to lead 0-17 to 0-5.
Against eventual champions Kerry in the group stages, they won by nine with another four orange flags. When they took on Galway in the quarter-final, the Royal machine pulled off another stunning victory to march on to the semis.
But, then came Donegal, where everything fell apart. Meath missed six two-point attempts in the first half alone and were overrun by pace and power in a 20-point hammering.
Flynn is the headline act. He has been immense this spring, scoring 0-12 so far including three two-pointers from play. Two of Flynn’s four orange flags brought down Louth and Cavan late on.
Meath have totalled 10 orange flags so far this season, more than any other team in Division 2. Flynn only accounts for four of those.
Jordan Morris kicked 1-4 against Cavan – including a penalty – and has been Meath's most top scorer this season.
Ruairí Kinsella hit 1-3 in the Louth smash and grab, including a two-pointer. But the injury Matthew Costello picked up against Louth could have a huge part to play on Leeside. Brennan said after the win at Croke Park that he was a big doubt. The star forward suffered a leg injury making a last-ditch tackle on Sam Mulroy before half-time against Louth and is unlikely to feature.
John Cleary’s Cork will be up against a tough task on Sunday. They cannot afford Meath any opportunities outside the arc, and they need to get Páirc Uí Rinn behind them. But, if Meath are leading at any stage, there’s one thing that Cork will have going for them.
Meath have struggled to close out leads. They were five up against Derry before letting them back to a point. Against Cavan, a five-point first-half advantage evaporated; they ended up trailing with a minute left before Flynn's heroics.
Against Louth, an 11-point half-time cushion was wiped out entirely – they actually trailed at the death before Flynn struck again.
They may be flying it on the results front, but, like Cork, they’ve not been perfect. That is something that the Rebels need to take advantage of.
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