Leinster MFC final ticket for Meath

Meath advanced to the Leinster MFC final with a hard-earned 2-10 to 1-7 victory against Laois at Pairc Tailteann today.

Offaly will provide the opposition in the decider at Dublin's Parnell Park on Sunday 3rd January.

Today's performance augurs well for the next test as Laois provided a stern examination for the Royal County and the players came through with distinction.

John McDonagh had Meath in front with a point after about 12 seconds and Ruairi Kinsella doubled the tally by the minute mark when he split the posts.

Meath then lost corner back Ben Donnelly to injury and he was replaced by Thomas Corbett after only four minutes.

Laois kicked three wides before a brace of pointed frees from Colin Dunne had them on terms after eight minutes.

The fast-paced action continued as Conor Kelly opened the Laois account from play before Alan Bowden drew the sides level again when he finished a move that started with a surging Ciaran Caulfield run.

The sides traded a further brace of points each before the waterbreak with Mark Coffey and Eoghan Frayne (free) on target for Meath while Kelly and Ross Meredith replyied for Laois to leave 0-5 each.

Meath also lost McDonagh to injury before that waterbreak and he was replaced by Liam Stafford who displayed his goal-poaching ability when play resumed.

Meath won a Laois kick-out, Frayne made the most of possession and created the opening for St Colmcille's player Stafford who finished smartly.

It got better Meath in the 27th minute when a surging run took full-back Liam Kelly from his own half in a move reminiscent of Kevin Foley's run against Dublin in 1991.

However, Kelly was impeded in the big square, but the referee wasn't impressed, the ball broke and Bowden finished the job as the net bulged.

Frayne's pointed free in added time was countered by a Dunne free for Laois at the other end, but the hosts enjoyed a 2-6 to 0-6 interval advantage after playing against a strong wind.

Meath resumed the second-half smartly with a Frayne point, but Laois were denied a goal when Meath 'keeper Billy Hogan made a smart save.

Play was brought back for a Laois free which Dunne converted, but it was only a temporary reprieve and Meath added a brace of Bowden points and one from a Frayne mark.

The Royal County was threatening to ease clear when Laois grabbed a 46th minute goal from substitite Kieran O'Donnell.

That was a fortunate score for Laois as a Meath player had been fouled in the Laois half, but it wasn't picked up by the referee.

However, Meath took a 2-10 to 1-7 margin into the second waterbreak which gave the players an opportunity to recover from the setback.

When play resumed there was some serious defending by the Meath lads and also a lengthy spell of possession football as the exertions took a toll on both teams and the pace dipped.

No further scores were registered and a frustrated Laois side lost substitute Davin McEvoy to a black card in added time.

SCORERS

Meath - Alan Bowden 1-3; Eoghan Frayne 0-4 two frees, one mark; Liam Stafford 1-0; John McDonagh 0-1; Ruairi Kinsella 0-1; Mark Coffey 0-1.

Laois - Colin Dunne 0-4 frees; Kieran O'Donnell 1-0; Conor Kelly 0-2; Ross Meredith 0-1.

TEAMS

Meath - Billy Hogan; Ben Moran, Liam Kelly, Ben Donnelly; Sean O'Donoghue, Oisin Kelly, Ciaran Caulfield; Sean Emmanuel, Conor Gray; John McDonagh, Ruairi Kinsella, Mark Coffey; Alan Bowden, Eoghan Frayne, Aaron Murphy. Subs - Thomas Corbett for Donnelly four mins; Liam Stafford for McDonagh 16m, Oisin Keogh for Murphy 40, Cian Smith for Moran 48m.

Laois - Sam Krebbs;Ben Dempsey, Josh Hogan, Ben Reddin; Darragh Slevin, David Dooley, Simon Fingleton; Conor Kelly, Conor Heffernan; Shaun Fitzpatrick, Colin Dunne, Ross Meredith; Tom Fennelly, PJ Ward, Oisin Hooney. Subs - Kieran O'Donnell for Fennelly 40 mins, Davin McEvoy for Kelly 46m, Sam Birrane for Hogan 48m, DJ White for Meredith and Stephen Lennon for Fitzpatrick both 55m.

Referee - Eamonn O'Connor (Offaly).