Meath have booked their place in the All-Ireland Championship after running out 2-13 to 0-14 winners over Down in the Tailteann Cup Final in Croke Park this afternoon.

Four points by Jack Flynn and a goal and two points by substitute Jack O'Connor were pivotal figures in Colm O’Rourke’s first trophy as an intercounty manager.

This victory is the first intercounty championship the Royals have won since their Leinster final victory over Louth in 2010.

Neither side looked comfortable in the game's early stages and points by Ceilium Doherty and Matthew Costello were the only scores for the first ten minutes.

Down shifted into gear and got off to an early four-points-to-one lead thanks to Ryan Johnston, Odhran Murdock and Shealan Johnston’s three-minute burst of scores.

The Royals drew level in bizarre fashion when a long-range effort by Jack Flynn struck the upright before dropping straight down onto the knee of Ronan Jones for the game's first goal.

Meath’s mercurial marksman Jordan Morris was the next to get on the scoresheet, receiving a clever punch off a Down kick out by Conor Grey before sending the ball beautifully over the bar with the score of the first half.

Fortune again favoured Meath when Ceilium Doherty dragged Jack Flynn to the ground, receiving a black card for a professional foul and giving the men in green a man advantage for the remainder of the first half.

Rather than Meath looking dominant with the extra man, Colm O’Rourke’s men conceded their best chances of the game and could have fallen behind if not for a fantastic save by Sean Brennan with Ryan Johnston bearing down on goal.

Down got the final score of the half when Liam Kerr found himself alone in front of the Meath goal but settled for a point levelling the game before the half-time break.

Down started the second half with fourteen men as Doherty served the remaining minutes of his expulsion, with Meath scoreless for the duration of his absence.

Down keeper Niall Kane gave Down the lead early in the second half for the first time since the Meath goal with back-to-back long-range dead balls.

Cleverly crafted points by Cathal Hickey and Ronan Jones brought Meath back into the game after a poor start to the second half and began to gather some momentum.

The fresh legs of Jack O’Connor and the long-range ability of Jack Flynn were able to keep the distance between Meath and Down despite Pat Havern’s best efforts to rally his men.

Frantic defending by the Royals, and in particular Matthew Costello kept Meath’s clean sheet intact, with Down pushing for a way back into the game.

Cathal Hickey, Jack Flynn and Matthew Costello kept the scoreboard ticking over from Meath cancelling out efforts by Liam Kerr, Ryan Johnston and substitute Andrew Gilmore.

The icing on the cake for Meath was applied by Jack O’Connor who put the game to bed with a 75th-minute goal for O’Rouke’s young side.

Meath will get the headlines for their brilliant attacking play, but the game was won by a series of last-ditch defensive efforts to keep Down at arm's length.

Meath will enter the All-Ireland championship next season as a result of winning the Tailteann Cup, following on from their neighbours and last year’s winners, Westmeath.