Minor shock as Royals stun mighty Dubs
IT is a long time since Meath recorded an 11-point championship victory over Dublin, but this Leinster MFC opening-round success was fully merited at Pairc Tailteann on Saturday.
Following a closely contested first half, with scores difficult to come by for both teams, it looked as if fine margins would decide the outcome.
The early passages of the second period followed a similar pattern as the teams swapped scores on three occasions and it was level - 0-7 apiece - after 38 minutes. However, Meath turned on the burners after that and a tally of 1-5 in a six-minute spell ended the tie as a contest.
Dublin showed plenty of early promise but were unable to convert it into scores and their challenge completely collapsed in the face of that Meath onslaught as they failed to score for the final 22 minutes.
Overall it was an excellent second-half display from the hosts who will be buoyant by this win ahead of their quarter-final home tie against Westmeath on Wednesday week.
Dublin, who had trouble with their kickouts all afternoon, lacked a cutting edge in attack, but it was a surprise that their challenge fizzled out so early in the contest.
The opening half was a nervy and error-ridden affair, with both teams finding it difficult to get into their rhythm. Dublin probably enjoyed a greater share of possession, but their finishing let them down badly and they tallied seven wides.
Eoghan Frayne opened the
scoring from a free on five minutes, in what was Meath’s first real attack. Darragh Dempsey had Dublin’s opening score, also from a free, on eight minutes and the teams were level on two further occasions in a half that never sparked to life as it finished 0-4 apiece at the break.
Luke Ward pointed Dublin ahead for the first time within 30 seconds of the restart, but Meath responded with points from Ruairi Murphy and Frayne. Skerries Harps’ Eoghan O’Connor Flanagan regained parity for the visitors and they were level again after
Luke Breathnach pointed.
Meath had upped the tempo at that stage, with St Patrick’s Sean Emmanuel and Conor Gray edging the midfield exchanges. They never looked back after the outstanding Frayne, who played a captain’s part throughout, had his third point of the half to leave them in front again on 40 minutes. Frayne hit two further points and Kinsella had another to open up a four-point advantage by the 43rd minute.
Then came the game’s only goal as keeper Hugh O’Sullivan failed to deal with John McDonagh’s delivery and Murphy pounced to poke the loose ball to the net. Midfielder Gray then added a quick point to put the game out of reach heading into the final quarter.
Frayne eventually took his tally of points to seven as Meath hit three further points to ease to a comfortable win.
MEATH: Billy Hogan; Ben Moran, Liam Kelly, Ben Donnelly; Sean O’Donoghue, Oisin Kelly, Ciaran Caulfield 0-1f; Sean Emmanuel, Conor Gray 0-1; Shane Maguire, Ruairi Kinsella 0-3, John McDonagh 0-2; Alan Bowden, Eoghan Frayne 0-7 (2f), Aaron Murphy 1-1. Subs: Liam Stafford for Maguire (55), Thomas Corbett for McDonagh (57), Cormac Sheehy for Murphy (58).
Hugh O’Sullivan; Sean O’Driscoll, Theo Clancy, Robert O’Shea; Eoghan O’Connor Flanagan 0-1, Daire O’Rourke, Greg McEneaney; Alex Gavin, Tom Brennan; Conor Dolan 0-1, Luke Breathnach 0-1, Seamus Smith; Sean Gannon 0-1, Darragh Dempsey 0-2f, Luke Ward 0-1. Subs: David Keogh for Dolan (42), Fionan Turner for Dempsey (46), Ross Keogh for Gannon (47), Eoin Wilde for Smith (47), Matthew Lynch for Brennan (58).
Alan Coyne (Westmeath)