ROBBIE BRENNAN hailed a gamble that paid off as Meath shocked Roscommon with a big win in Navan.
The Royals used the wind advantage after the break to outscore the visitors by 2-10 to 0-5 in that period.
Sean Coffey and Ronan Jones struck two goals in a 60-second period early in the second-half.
And three two-pointers in a row between the 55th and 58th minutes put paid to Roscommon’s hopes of preserving their perfect record.
Meath won the toss initially and chose to play against the wind, allowing Roscommon to run up a four-point half-time lead – but backed themselves to do even better with it.
Meath’s third win from four has left them level at the top of Division 2 with Roscommon and Monaghan and eyeing a return to Division 1.
Boss Brennan said: “We were lucky. It’s what we were hoping for and we told Eoghan Frayne to go against the wind if we won the toss.
“That was just really on the basis that Roscommon had finished so strong in their last couple of games when they had the breeze.
“We figured they’d be bringing on the likes of Conor Cox and brilliant two-point shooters so we felt that if they were bringing on those guys against the wind, they mightn’t have that ability to kick two-pointers.”
That’s pretty much how it panned out as Roscommon hit the interval with a 0-12 to 0-8 lead.
They were fortunate to be even that far ahead as Dylan Ruane’s two-pointer late in the half stretched the gap.
The Rossies were six clear early in the second-half but those two Meath goals tied it up – and Meath kicked on for a landmark win after that.
Sigerson Cup winning captain Ciaran Caulfield, Conor Duke and midfielders Bryan Fenton and Jack Flynn were all excellent.
Jones limped off with a hamstring injury but boss Brennan said they should have Mathew Costello and Eoin Harkin back for next weekend’s trip to Westmeath.
Meath 2-18 (2-3-12)
Roscommon 0-17 (0-3-11)
Meath: B Hogan 0-2, 2 45; S Lavin, S Rafferty, D Keogan; A O’Neill, S Coffey 1-0, C Caulfield 0-1; J Flynn, B Menton; C Duke 0-5, 2 tp, J Kinlough, R Jones 1-0; E Frayne 0-6, 1 tpf, 2f, J Morris 0-2, 1f, S Walsh 0-1.
Subs: B O’Halloran for O’Neill 44, A Lynch 0-1 for Walsh 51, D McGowan for Jones 55, M Murphy for Caulfield 67.
Roscommon: C Carroll 0-2, tp; N Higgins, J McManus, P Frost; S Cunnane, D Ruane 0-3, 1 tp, R Fallon; K Doyle 0-2, U Harney; R Daly, C Murtagh 0-3, 1 tp, 1f, E Smith 0-3; D Murtagh, D Smith, C McKeon 0-2.
Subs: S Killoran for D Smith 28, C Hand 0-1 for Daly 44, D Murray for Fallon 44, B O’Carroll for Harney 51, C Cox 0-1, 1f for C Murtagh 58.
Ref: J McQuillan (Cavan).
