Sorry Royals sent into a Tailspin

FAITHFUL END CHAMPIONSHIP DREAM

- PAT NOLAN

OFFALY victories over Meath have a habit of being seismic.

Albeit their Championship meetings have been few over the past couple of decades, this win bridged the gap to their last over them in 2000, the final season before the introduction of the qualifiers when Meath were the reigning All-Ireland champions, their campaign ending abruptly in the first round.

Three years before that, Offaly also beat them as Sam Maguire Cup holders to take their first Leinster title in 15 years.

And this Offaly victory means that Meath, joint fourth with Cork in the roll of honour, no longer even have the right to compete for the All-Ireland this year and instead are banished to the purgatory of the Tailteann Cup.

They started extremely poorly as Offaly went 1-4 to 0-0 in front by the 22nd minute, with the home side nine points up by half-time.