Meath minors falter again at the final obstacle

Dublin 3-17, Meath 1-11 Meath received a footballing lesson from their neighbours Dublin in Sunday's Leinster MFC final where the outcome was more or less settled in the opening quarter such was the dominance and fluency of the defending champions. Make no mistake about this, Dublin were worthy winners, there can be no complaints on that front from the Meath officials, players or supporters. This was Meath's second successive defeat in the provincial decider following last year's reversal against Dublin. The pattern of Sunday's game was defined by the excellence of the starting Dublin 15 who were superior in every department for the 60 minutes that Meath's agony lasted. And to make matters marginally more unpalatable, Michael Deegan, a late substitute for the winnerrs and son of former Dublin star Mick, plays with Donaghmore/Ashbourne. There was also the presence of Eric Lowndes in the Dublin line up, a player with strong Kilmessan connections. The only consoling aspect that can be drawn from the defeat is that this is not a bad or inferior Meath team. It would be too simple to suggest that, collectively, Meath had an off day, although that has to be put forward in mitigation after a 12-point reversal. Dublin set the pace from the throw-in, dictated throughout and never gave their country cousins a look in. That's the harsh reality on this occasion, but Meath will have an opportunity to make amends in the All-Ireland MFC quarter-final against Tyrone on Saturday 4th August. Not an easy assignment, but it will certainly test the resolve of the players. Manager Andy McEntee and his selectors could be grilled over the selection of the team and the positional decisions that were made, but it wouldn't have mattered who played where as far as the Royal County was concerned on Sunday. The warning signs were there as early as the third minute when Dublin managed points from play by Gavin Burke and Cormac Costello as Meath took on an appearance similar to a fish out of water. Further points from Costello and Niall Walsh kept Dublin in the ascendancy. Walsh's effort arose after Meath goalkeeper Jack Hannigan saved well to deny Niall Scully a goal, but the loose ball favoured the Dublin wing-forward. Meath managed to make the scoreboard when Patrick Kennelly split the posts in the sixth minute after Barry Dardis and Fiachra Ward combined to make the opening, but Dublin continued to dominate and were awarded a 13th minute penalty following a foot block. Scully's saw his well-struck penalty saved by Hannigan. Meath countered, but were unable to make any inroads against a solid Dublin rearguard and fell further behind when Robert Gaughan and Conor McHugh eased the Metropolitan lads into a comfortable 0-6 to 0-1 lead at the end of the opening quarter. Stephen Coogan claimed Meath's second point in the 16th minute, but Dublin countered instantly with two in 60 seconds from Burke and McHugh before Costello got a fortunate goal off the angle of the post and crossbar. In what was a rare Meath attack, Jason Daly's goal attempt was blocked by Lorcan Molloy and Ward claimed the first of his two first-half pointed frees close to the interval. The Dublin pressure never relented and Walsh and Shane Carthy ('45') eased them into a 1-10 to 0-5 interval lead with Dardis closing Meath's account. The most notable fact to emerge from the second-half was a change of referee due to an injury to Offaly official Damien Brazil. Wicklow official Anthony Nolan took charge as Dublin continued to pile on the misery with a two-goal Costello salvo. There was a brief period of Meath dominance instigated by Cillian O'Sullivan's goal with 15 minutes remaining. That score was augmented by four Ward points and one from Daly as the deficit was reduced to nine points on a couple of occasions. That was as good as it got for Meath and Dublin just upped the tempo without too much Royal resistance. Adam Flanagan closed Meath's account in second-half injury-time, but it was only good fortune that kept the winning margin down to 12 points. If such a substantial deficit could be described in that way. Dublin - L Molloy; E Mullan, D Byrne, R McGowan; M Mac Donncha, C Mullally, E Lowndes; Stephen Cunningham, S Carthy (0-1 '45'); G Burke (0-3), N Scully, N Walsh (0-2); C McHugh (0-4 one free), C Costello (3-4 one free), R Gaughan (0-3). Subs - C Flynn for Walsh 45 mins, Shane Cunningham (0-1) for Gaughan 51m, D Campbell for McHugh 56m, M Deegan for Costello 57m, B Bentley for Carthy 59m. Meath - Jack Hannigan (Donaghmore/Ashbourne); Declan Smyth (Dunsany), Brian Power (Ratoath), Shane Gallagher (Simonstown Gaels); Patrick Kennelly (Dunderry 0-1), Padraig Harnan (Jenkinstown Gaels), Ruairi O Coileáin (Navan O'Mahonys); Adam Flanagan (Clonard 0-1), Shane McEntee (Dunboyne/Kilbride); Cillian O'Sullivan (Jenkinstown Gaels 1-0), Jason Daly (Dunboyne/Kilbride 0-1), James McEntee (St Vincent's/Curraha); Barry Dardis (Summerhill 0-1), Stephen Coogan (Dunderry 0-1), Fiachra Ward (Wolfe Tones 0-6 five frees). Subs - Conor Carton (Donaghmore/Ashbourne) for Kennelly 17 mins, James O'Malley (Navan O'Mahonys) for Smyth, Kennelly for Coogan both half-time, Harry Rooney (Skryne) for P Harnan 42m, Ciaran Gillespie (Summerhill) for O Coileáin 56m. Referee - First-half: Damien Brazil (Offaly); second-half: Anthony Nolan (Wicklow).