Meath humbled in Tullamore
It's the hope that kills you as Meath made a tame exit from the Leinster SFC with a 0-13 to 2-16 semi-final loss to Kildare at Tullamore this evening.
It had all started so promisningly for Meath when Bryan Menton won the throw-in and fed James Toher for the opening score after 10 seconds, but then it went downhill quickly.
Two points from Cathal McNally edged Kildare into the lead and filled them with confidence despite Shane McEntee pulling one back for Meath with a close-range fisted effort.
Daniel Flynn restored Kildare's lead before McNally capitalised on Donnacha Tobin's untimely slip to fire a shot to the net and extend Kildare's advantage to four points.
Meath persisted to try to create goal chances from their rare forays forward and as Tobin continued to struggle with McNally Kevin Feely converted a free before McNally lofted over from a difficult angle to make it 1-5 to 0-2.
Padraic Harnan was denied a goal chance by a crunching tackle from Mick O'Grady, but Meath hinted there might be signs of life when Donal Lenihan pointed.
Paddy Brophy responded for the Lillies, but Meath continued to mis-fire with Cillian O'Sullivan dropping a poor point attempt short.
Feely and Lenihan traded scores before Kildare finished the half with a burst from Daniel Flynn, Feeley (free) and Brophy to extend their lead to 1-10 to 0-4 at the break.
After the resumption Meath threatened a recovery. The introduction of Ruairi O Coileain had a positive impact and after Lenihan kicked two points in the first three minutes the Navan O'Mahonys man weighted in with a brace of his own to close the gap to 0-8 to 1-10.
However Kildare refused to panic and their cause was helped by more careless Meath defending as Bryan McMahon needlessly fouled David Slattery and Feely converted.
Two minutes later O'Sullivan's lapse of concentration from a Paddy O'Rourke kickout allowed Kildare steal possession and Flynn took advantage to make it 1-12 to 0-8.
Two massive points from Menton set up a potential tense final quarter as he closed the gap to five, but Meath only managed three points in that closing spell as Kildare kicked on and added 1-4.
Another silly foul by Menton on McNally gifted Keely a tap over free and after Tomas O'Reilly kicked a decent chance wide it seemed the signal the end of the Royal's challenge.
Another turnover in attack saw Kildare ccounter with another Flynn score and Eamonn Callaghan chipped in to make it 1-15 to 0-10.
An O Coileain point only temporarily stuttered Kildare, but with three minutes remaining Flynn added the killer touch when he flicked Slattery's centre over the out-rushing O'Rourke's head.
Meath closed with two of the last three points from Lenihan (free) and Mickey Burke as Kildare emptied their bench with substitute Neil Flynn closing their account from a free as Kildare march on and Meath are left to bang on the back door.
Meath - Paddy O’Rourke; Mickey Burke (0-1), Conor McGill, Donnacha Tobin; Padraic Harnan, Donal Keogan, Shane McEntee (0-1); Bryan Menton (0-2), Ronan Jones; James Toher (0-1), Cillian O’Sullivan, Eamon Wallace; Graham Reilly, Bryan McMahon, Donal Lenihan (0-5 two frees). Subs - James McEntee for Toher 28 mins, Ruairi O Coileain (0-3) for Wallace half-time, Brían Conlon for Jones 46m, Tomas O'Reilly for McMahon 50m, Sean Tobin for Reilly 56m, Alan Douglas for O'Sullivan 68m.
Kildare - Mark Donnellan; David Hyland, Mick O'Grady, Ollie Lyons; Johnny Byrne, Eoin Doyle, Keith Cribbin; Kevin Feely (0-5 four frees), Tommy Moolick; Fergal Conway, Niall Kelly, David Slattery; Cathal McNally (1-3), Daniel Flynn (1-4), Paddy Brophy (0-2). Subs - Eamonn Callaghan (0-1) for Brophy 49 mins, Fionn Dowling for Moolick 58m, Chris Healy for McNally 61m, Peter Kelly for Hyland 64m, Neil Flynn (0-1 free) for Byrne, Emmet Bolton for Doyle both 69m.
Referee - Joe McQuillan (Cavan).