'I was surprised he threw it in'

Meath manager Robbie Brennan joked that the incident which led to four players being black carded within 10 seconds of his side's dramatic Allianz Football League win at Croke Park was "all Louth's fault" before expressing his surprise that the match began with the scuffle taking place.

Midfielder Jack Flynn won the topsy-turvy game for the Royals with a booming two-pointer, but this encounter will be better remembered for the latest instalment in one of Leinster football's more acrimonious rivalries.

Referee Brendan Griffin took the unprecedented decision to send four players to the line after nine seconds due to a scuffle taking place in the Meath goalmouth at the Hill 16 end of Headquarters.

All-Star Meath defender Seán Rafferty and his colleague Brian O'Halloran were black carded along with Louth stars Sam Mulroy and Ciarán Downey.

Brennan admitted he did not see the flashpoint, but did notice his side started the game without a goalkeeper, as Sean Brennan was sucked into the melee.

"I think it was all Louth's fault," joked Brennan. "I didn't actually see it, I was watching the ref. Then I saw the schmozzzle, I was surprised he actually threw it in. He could have just left it, because then it looked like we had no goalkeeper - I was worried Louth could have scored a goal straight after [the throw-in].

"I'll have to watch it back, but I have no idea how he got four black cards out of it. Maybe it was right."

Meath are top of Division 2 with three wins from three but they nearly threw this one away - leading by 11 at the break, they were reeled back in by the long-range kicking of Mulroy and the accuracy of Craig Lennon.

"That's what we're here for, yeah, we're here to amuse," said Brennan of the dramatic nature of their win, as Flynn once more rode to the rescue.

"Ah look, it was the usual game of two halves, wasn't it? We thought we looked very good in the first half. Again, missed a lot, left a lot behind us. Could have been much further ahead, I felt, at half-time," added Brennan, acknowledging the new realities in this free-scoring iteration of the game.

"And that usual 11-point lead is dangerous. And we just didn't go with that same intent."

Despite the unsavoury start, Brennan insists his side were not seeking revenge for last summer's Leinster final defeat to the Wee County.

"We didn't look at any of the previous matches. You know, you don't do kind of revenge stuff with this kind of group. They're a really good young group of footballers.

"So it's each game on its own merits. And, as I say, with the first half, we were really, really happy. But not exactly jumping out of our skin after the second-half performance now," he said.

"I really have to give massive credit to Louth, because they got a real squeeze on us. It looked like they went man-to-man. But again, we dropped off pace-wise. We probably played with more intent in the first half.

"And then if you turn it over, and another turn over, another turn over, suddenly Louth gets great energy. And they have some fantastic footballers. I thought Craig (Lennon) had done us at the end with his last one there.

"Thankfully, there was enough time in the clock for Jack to get a two-pointer."

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