IT was fitting that the game which saved Down’s season was ultimately decided by the kind of doggedness and determination that defined it.

With 13 minutes left to play in Ballycran, victory was anyone’s as the sides stood level for the 11th time on a nervy afternoon. Yet it felt as though the Ardsmen, moreso than Meath, had everything to lose.

The Royals came to McKenna Cup with a smash and grab in their sights; a one-off game that could spare them the drop back down to Christy Ring Cup and provide some solace after a forgettable 2022 that had already seen them relegated from Division 2A.

Score difference was now irrelevant as, if Meath won, they would retain their Joe McDonagh Cup status via head to head results. Whether or not they deserved to avoid the drop mattered not one damn - this was their chance and they were determined to take it.

Up by a point at half-time, thanks largely to a Jack Regan penalty and a Chris Reilly goal, and within touching distance until the chase headed down the final straight, the Royals battled hard and gave themselves every chance of springing an upset.

All the pressure, therefore, rested on Down shoulders.

They were the ones who set a standard through the spring, pushing hard to for promotion to the top tier, and while the Ardsmen may have shown they belong in the McDonagh Cup, they still had to earn the right to remain.

Down looked edgy at times on Saturday, some poor decision-making bringing trouble to their door, while long balls into the square – particularly in the first half – caused the kind of mayhem from which Meath were able to thrive.

But, just as they had done against Carlow, Westmeath, Meath and Kerry already this year, Ronan Sheehan’s side found a way to get across the line when it mattered – two super-subs turning the tide in their favour.

With the game all square Ryan McCusker, three minutes after being sprung from the bench, lashed home a 57th minute goal when Meath ’keeper Charlie Ennis – perhaps losing the yellow sliothar beneath the sun - batted Pearse Og McCrickard’s effort straight to the Ballela man.

The experienced Conor Woods might not have hit the net himself but he had a major impact after being introduced with 61 minutes on the clock.

A fractured thumb sustained against Offaly three weeks earlier looked to have ended what could be his final campaign in county colours but, if it is to be the end for the 33-year-old, what a way to go.

Within a minute he used the breeze at his back to send over a free from just in front of the Down square – the first of four before the day was out. And he also had a hand, or a hip, in the Ardsmen’s crucial second goal as Down finally created some daylight.

This time Woods was loitering in the square as a long puck in was won by Meath full-back Sean Geraghty, only for the Ballycran man to block his path out, forcing a scramble that led to the sliothar trickling across the line via a combination of Royals backs Padraig Potterton and Brendan McKeon.

“That just summed up our year,” said Meath coach Seoirse Bulfin with a rueful smile, “we got very little breaks. Maybe we’ll get them next year.”

John McManus, Matt Conlon and Liam Savage were inspirational at times, driving Down forward, while the pace and directness of Tim Prenter proved too hot for Meath to handle all day as he finished with five points from play.

And when that own goal went in, there was only one winner – no more than the Ardsmen deserved both on the day, and for their efforts in a year when momentum was impressively maintained.

“We knew they were going to come in and give everything for it because it was a shot at nothing for them,” said Sheehan.

“We were confident enough at half-time - we’d done all the hurling, they got a couple of goals from long balls in around the square. We knew that wouldn’t be as much of an option in the second half, so we were confident if we kept going, we would get over the line.

“Once Ryan McCusker got the goal, I don’t think there was any doubt who was going to win the game. Look, if we’d lost here today and been relegated from the Joe McDonagh Cup, it would’ve been a disaster.

“Obviously you can’t say that the week before a match because it piles pressure on people, but I said to the boys during the week that this was a more important game than the 2A final [against Westmeath].

“In terms of long-term development, this is where we want to be. Next year will be our third in the McDonagh Cup, that’s fantastic, you can see the difference it’s making to players – and we just want to keep that going.”

Down: S Keith; J McManus, B Trainor, D Mallon; C Taggart (0-1), M Fisher (0-1), T Murray; L Savage (0-2), P Og McCrickard (0-2); E Sands (0-1), M Conlon (0-2), C Egan (0-2), P Sheehan (0-7, 0-6 frees); D Sands (0-1), T Prenter (0-5). Subs: R McCusker for Conlon (blood sub 1, reversed 3), C Cassidy for Fisher (41), R McCusker (1-0) for Prenter (55), M Hughes for Mallon (59), C Woods (0-4, frees) for Sheehan (61), J Doran for Egan (65)

Meath: C Ennis; B McKeon, S Geraghty, P Potterton; J Kelly (0-1), D Kelly, S Morris; M Burke (0-1), S Whitty; K Keena, J Regan (1-10, 1-0 pen, 0-3 65s, 0-7 frees), M O’Sullivan (0-4); M Cole, D Healy, C Reilly (1-1). Subs: N Potterton (0-1) for Morris (6), J Walsh (0-1) for Cole (31), E O Donnchadna for Keena (40), P O’Hanrahan for N Potterton (62), A Gannon for Reilly (68)

Yellow cards: M O’Sullivan (1), M Cole (21), K Keena (35+6)

Referee: T Gleeson (Dublin)

2022 Down GAA ACFL - Division 4A (Sponsors by O'Neills)

2022 Down GAA ACFL - Division 4B (Sponsors by O'Neills)

2022 Down GAA ACFL - Division 3 (Sponsors by O'Neills)

2022 Down GAA ACFL - Division 2 (Sponsors by O'Neills)

2022 Down GAA ACFL - Division 1 (Sponsors by O'Neills)

Down were beaten 1-22 to 1-10 by Kilkenny at Liatroim. Mary O'Connell hit 1-2 and Denise Gaule notched 0-11 for the Cats.

Niamh Mallon scored Down's opening four points - three from frees - to keep the Ulster side within a point but Kilkenny pulled clear when two Gaule frees were followed by a quickfire 1-1 from O'Connell.

That gave Kilkenny a seven-point advantage but Down got back to within three when captain Aimee McAleenan found the back of the net within three minutes of the restart.

Kilkenny, however, responded with an unanswered quartet of scores and they added a further seven to their tally to take the win.

Down face Antrim in next weekend's all-Ulster clash

In what was effectively a relegation play-off, Down defeated Meath 2-28 to 2-19 in Ballycran.

The Royals took a slender 0-16 to 2-11 lead into the break at McKenna Park but couldn't go the distance with the Mourne men and have been demoted to the third-tier after five defeats from as many outings.

Down secured their Joe McDonagh Cup status for another year thanks to a 2-28 to 2-19 win over Meath at Ballycran.

However, Down hit back with two goals in the second half as their strong finish condemned Meath to relegation to the Christy Ring Cup for 2023.

Antrim's loss to Kerry means the Saffrons will meet the Kingdom in the 4 June final at Croke Park.

With Antrim already having sealed their place in the decider after winning their first four games, Kerry ran out 0-29 to 2-21 winners at Corrigan Park to set up a rematch at headquarters as Offaly lost to Carlow.

Needing to win or draw in order to survive, Down would have fancied their chances against a Meath side who had lost all four games prior to Saturday's encounter.

However, despite having surged into a 0-12 to 0-7 lead inside the opening half-hour, Ronan Sheehan's side found themselves behind at the break as Meath ended the first half on a high thanks to Regan's penalty and Reilly's 34th-minute goal.

Down hit four of the first five scores after the resumption to edge back in front but the sides were level until Ryan McCusker goaled for Down. While Regan quickly responded with a free, a second Down goal moved them six points clear as Meath's challenge faded in the closing stages.

DOWN open their All-Ireland account with two home games against 2020 league champions Kilkenny and the Ulster derby with Antrim on May 28. Home venue is welcome at any time, but both are very difficult games.

Kilkenny travel to Liatroim a week after convincingly beating Dublin to retain the Leinster title and they looked pretty impressive in that game.

By contrast, Down’s last outing was three weeks ago when they lost their Ulster title to Antrim in a game that didn’t go well for them in the early stages.

Not only were they carved open for two goals that put Antrim in control, but they lost the leadership of the recently returned Paula O’Hagan to a hamstring injury in the ninth minute. O’Hagan’s availability for this game is still in doubt.

Management had to bring Dearbhla Magee out from full-back into attacking from deep through the middle and that was when they were most effective. However it also left them vulnerable at the back and they were punished by the third Antrim goal that killed off the come-back ten minutes from time.

Niamh Mallon provides the team were their only consistent scoring threat and there is little doubt that Kilkenny will make provision to see that she doesn’t get to run up the totals she did in her maiden season in the top flight. Kilkenny have title aspirations. Most will expect them to win and win easily. Down will do well to stay with them deep into the second half as they did when Galway visited in the league.