Majestic Royals dethrone Leinster Kings in sensational style

Leinster SFC SEMI-FINAL

Meath.....0-4-15 (23)

Dublin.....1-2-12 (19)

The jinx is over. 15 years of provincial pain inflicted by the all-conquering Dubs was ended in mesmerising fashion in O'Moore Park Portlaoise today as Meath claimed a rare and wonderful victory against the 14-in-a-row Leinster SFC champions.

This was simply majestic from the Royals. From start to finish they played with a passion, power and drive that has been quelled time and again over the last 15 years by a Dublin side that always seemed to have their number.

There were close calls down through the years, but an average losing margin of 14 points over the last five championship meetings meant the Royals travelled more in hope than expectation.

However, when Eoghan Frayne won the toss and elected to play with the significant breeze at his side's advantage there was a sense of renewed optimism.

What followed was one of the most perfect halves of football ever produced by a Meath team. Sure they had the wind in their favour, but their construction of play, determined defending and appetite for destruction had nothing to do with the elements. It was all about character.

The ability of these players has never been questioned, but the scars of hammerings past have haunted the older brigade and the innocence of youth was feared to be exploited by a transitional Dublin side.

Those fears were never realised. To a man the Meath players stood tall. They played magnificent football and on the rare occasions when they made a mistake they shrugged it off like a fly from their brow and got back to their game plan.

Belief was always key and once Meath raced into a 0-6 to 0-0 lead by the 10th minute they started to get it into their heads that their dreams could really come through.

Dublin looked nervous and Meath took advantage. Stephen Cluxton's first kickout was wayward and Meath punished him with Mathew Costello's first and only point.

Without reflecting on match notes it's hard to believe the Dunshaughlin man managed just one point because he was simply magnificent throughout and led by example with his driving runs and willingness to put his head on the line - like all around him.

Costello was fouled for the free which 11-point hero Eoghan Frayne converted to double Meath's lead.

Cluxton got a finger to a two-point attempt from Frayne to ensure it was just a one-point score, but after James Conlon opened his mesmeric account with a point Frayne did clip over a two-pointer after Billy Hogan's superb kickout and Costello's clever pass to open up that six-point lead.

Con O'Callaghan was Dublin's constant threat and after he opened his side's account in the 12th minute with a free he quickly followed with a fisted score. The Dubs were up and running and it looked ominous.

However, Meath didn't panic.

Keith Curtis and Conlon restored the six-point lead. Colm Basquel replied with a point, but then Meath hit another purple patch which turned a five-point advantage into a remarkable 0-16 to 0-3 lead.

Conlon got the onslaught going before Curtis kicked a two-pointer. Two Frayne frees, one from outside the two-point arc, and a two-pointer from Menton opened up that 13-point lead.

Paddy Small and Conlon, who turned David Byrne inside out, traded scores before Hogan did well to parry a Lorcan O'Dell goal chance which Seamus Lavin then cleared off the line.

O'Callaghan clipped over the last score of the half after the hooter to close the deficit to 0-5 to 0-17 at the break.

Dublin had the perfect start to the second-half with O'Callaghan kicking a two-pointer inside 12 seconds, but again Meath never panicked and kept probing the struggling Dublin rearguard.

Frayne landed a free before a brilliant block by Brian O'Halloran denied Basquel a certain point.

Small and Cormac Costello (free) closed the gap to 0-9 to 0-18, but still Meath held firm with Frayne selling a superb dummy before kicking a brilliant point and Conlon adding another to make it 0-20 to 0-9 by the 49th minute.

Every point was precious, every second off the clock lifted a little more weight off the shoulders.

Dublin kept the scoreboard ticking over, but crucially for Meath they defended superbly against two-point scores.

O'Dell and Small had points on the board, but Frayne replied with a free after the menacing Mathew Costello was fouled again.

Dublin failed to capitalise on a Meath infraction when they didn't keep three in attack as Cormac Costello brought the free outside the arc and kicked it wide.

A simple score for Small closed the gap to nine again and when Cormac Costello blasted a brilliant goal in the 57th minute there was a sense of inevitability about the Dublin comeback.

However, Meath refused to buy into that theory.

Even scores from Small, O'Callaghan and a two-pointer from Basquel never panicked Meath as Dublin gave themselves a chance, 1-16 to 0-21.

In the past Meath teams would have wilted, but not Keogan, not Menton, not Ronan Ryan who came on late, not Billy Hogan who made a brilliant save, not Ciaran Caulfield who covered every blade of grass, not Sean Coffey who was immense.

Aaron Lynch settled Royal nervous with a point that put Meath three clear and out of the two-point danger zone. Dublin needed another goal, but they never looked like getting it and when the hooter sounded as Meath were awarded a free the players and supporters were already on the pitch celebrating as Frayne knocked over the last point.

An unforgettable day.

Meath - Billy Hogan; Seamus Lavin, Sean Rafferty, Brian O'Halloran; Donal Keogan, Sean Coffey, Ciaran Caulfield; Adam O'Neill, Bryan Menton (0-2 two-pointer); Conor Duke, Ruairi Kinsella, Keith Curtis (0-3 one two-pointer); Mathew Costello (0-1), James Conlon (0-5), Eoghan Frayne (0-11 one two-pointer, one two-point free, five frees). Subs - Aaron Lynch (0-1) for Curtis 50m, Shane Walsh for Kinsella 57m, Ronan Jones for Duke 58m, Cathal Hickey for O'Neill 61m, Ronan Ryan for Rafferty 65m.

Dublin - Stephen Cluxton; David Byrne, Theo Clancy, Conor Tyrrell; Brian Howard, John Small, Tom Lahiff; Peadar Ó Cofaigh Byrne, Ciaran Kilkenny; Niall Scully, Lorcan O'Dell (0-1), Kevin Lahiff; Paddy Small (0-5), Con O'Callaghan (0-6 one two-pointer, three frees), Colm Basquel (0-3 one two-pointer). Subs - Alex Gavin for Tyrell 29m, Cormac Costello (1-1 one free) for Lahiff half-time, Killian McGinnis for Scully 45m, Ross McGarry for O'Dell 61m, Greg McEneaney for J Small 63m.

Referee - Kieran Eannetta (Tyrone).