Rejuvenated Dubs have too much firepower for under siege Royals

Home side lead all the way at Parnell Park

Dublin...1-11

Meath...0-5

This Leinster SFC clash at Parnell Park on Sunday was always likely to be a mission improbable for Meath, a side hit with injuries and hampered by some indifferent form of late.

As it turned out it was a mission impossible, the disparity between the two teams evident from very early on.

This was Dublin back to near where they were last year when they ended up as All-Ireland champions. Powerful, pacy, direct and focused on one thing and one thing only - victory. Make no mistake they are fully zoned in on retaining their Leinster title and the Brendan Martin Cup, their relegation from NFL Div 1 just a blip on their road to the big prizes. This was Dublin back to their best, or near their best.

A Meath - team shorn Australia-bound Mark Kate Lynch and Sarah Wall, and others because of injury - were further compelled to start this game without Emma Duggan even though the pre-match announcer named her in the starting 15. Carrying a knock it was decided to start the Dunboyne player on the bench.

Orlaith Mallon stepped into the fray instead and did well scoring her team's only two first-half points, a reality that indicates just how hard Meath found it to make any inroads into their opponents sturdy defensive battlements.

Another statistic that indicates how difficult Meath found it to make any headway against the home side at the sunspashed Donnycarney venue was that only two of their modest tally of five, came from play with two of their more enterprising stars, Rachel Casserly and Katie Bermingham putting the finishing touches to imaginative moves.

Rarely did Wayne Freeman's charges look like they might land a goal or two they so badly needed. Instead Dublin, not surprisingly, fashioned the only goal of the game when Caoimhe O'Connor stole in behind the Dublin defence and finished emphatically to the net on 48 minutes giving Robyn Murray no chance.

It was 0-4 to 0-2 at the interval which was something of a surprise as the physicially-imposing Dublin side were by some way the better team, often spoiling lively approach work with wayward shooting or by taking the wrong option.

They were thwarted also by some well-organised defending by Meath with every player in green working tigerishly hard to keep the blue wave at bay. It says something about the big shift Meath defenders put in when it is considered that Dublin created few clear -cut goal opportunities before they got their goal.

One of those chances was fashioned when they moved the ball at lighnting speed before releasing O'Connor who shot past Murray but could only watch as the ball cannoned off a post. Aine Sheridan also cleared a goal-bound ball off the line.

Meath used the tap- and-go from frees to positive effect but they weren't able to catch the Dublin defence napping at any stage. When players such as Meadhbh Byrne ran at the blue line she did cause considerable disruption. In fact it was from a foul on her that Meath won a free from which they garnered their opening point on 26 minutes, with Orlaith Mallon slotting over with her left foot.

A few minutes later Meath put together a fine move that ended with a foul on Marion Farrelly. Once again Mallon converted the free to leave her team trailing by just two at the interval.

With the cool easterly breeze behind them in the second-half there were sound reasons for Meath supporters to hope that they might, just might, launch a comeback in the second-half. Instead Dublin took their game to another level scoring 1-6 without reply and disappearing over the horizon. Dublin also went close to working a second goal but were denied by a sharp, alert save from Murray.

On 52 minutes Meath finally landed a score from play - and a fine, well-worked point it was too. It started off with Murray. Bermingham, Niamh Gallogly, Olivia Gore, Aine Sheridan (who made a fine goal-line clearance in the first-half) Orla Smith, Ali Sherlock were involved. The move ended with Casserly winning the ball close to the sideline yet still managing to direct the ball between the posts for a super score.

Shortly afterwards Bermingham powered forward and directed the ball between the posts once more as Meath staged something of a late surge. The last score of the game came about when Casserly was fouled and Duggan converted the free. By that stage Meath were without Farrelly who had to leave the fray after sustaining a nasty-looking injury.

Just before the end the Royals put another fine moved together. It finished with the indomitable Gallogly passing to Byrne but her shot was spectacularly blocked by a Dublin back.

A goal then would, of course, have put a better gloss on the scoreboard but there was never any question about who were the better team - or who would win.

Dublin - Abby Shiels; Niamh Crowley, Leah Caffrey, Hannah Leahy; Sophie McIntyre (0-1), Rachel Hartnett, Hannah McGinnis; Niamh Hetherton (0-2), Orlaigh Nolan (0-1); Annabelle Timothy, Carla Rowe, Kate Donaghy; Caoimhe O'Connor (1-2), Lauren Magee, Jodi Egan (0-4 two frees). Subs - Elsa Kearney for for Rowe half-time; Caitlin Coffey (0-1) for Magee 43m, Aoife Curran for McIntyre 52m, Orla Keighran for O'Connor 56m, Niamh Byrne for Shiels 61m, Clodagh Fox for McGinnis 67m.

Meath - Robyn Murray; Karla Kealy, Aine Sheridan, Amy Gaffney; Orlaith Sheehy, Olivia Gore, Katie Bermingham (0-1); Sinead Murphy, Niamh Gallogly; Marion Farrelly, Orlaith Mallon (0-2 frees), Megan Thynne; Meadhbh Byrne, Lauren Woods, Rachel Casserly (0-1). Subs - Orla Smith for Murphy 38m, Orla Finnegan for Mallon 41m, Ali Sherlock for Thynne, Emma Duggan (0-1 free) for Woods both 44m, Alanna Reilly for Farrelly 49m.

Referee - Kevin Phelan (Laois).