It was difficult to pick a man of the match from yesterday's game because the centre-field area became so crowded with both Meath and Armagh players. Early in the match, Armagh forwards Diarmuid Marsden and Paddy McKeever seemed in control, but I think Darren Fay, the Meath full back, had a very positive influence in a game that was quite negative all through.

Fay picked up Oisin McConville and the fact that the Armagh full forward had little input to the game, I think was a tribute to the Meath defender's overall play.

Fay was also involved in a collision early in the match where he hit his head. That could have caused a possible concussion but he was able to go on playing and finish with a strong performance.

McConville was asked to drag Fay out wide and away from the centre of the defence, so Armagh obviously saw him as an important player in the Meath set-up. Still, Fay was able to adapt to the game admirably and at the end of the match, we saw him lording it at the edge of the square, where he competed successfully for a number of high balls coming in.

Meath midfielder John McDermott and Trevor Giles in the half-forward line were both influential in their own ways, but at the end of the day the oxygen was squeezed out of that midfield area for most of the match because of the congestion and I think Fay was the man.

In contrast to yesterday's game, last Sunday you had Cork corner forward Philip Clifford shining out as man of the match. The Meath scores were shared out, but there was no player who was outstanding in the way Clifford was, probably because of the type of game it was. The life was snuffed out of it and really I think it has to go to the Meath defender.