Royals end Dublin's stranglehold on Leinster

Irish Independent

28-04-2025

Leinster Senior Football Championship Semi-final Meath 0-23 Dublin 1-16
Meath players including Ruairí Kinsella, 11, celebrate as the final whistle is blown at the end of the Leinster Senior Football Championship semi-final at Laois Hire O'Moore Park in Portlaoise, on Sunday evening. Photo by Ray McManus/Sportsfile
However, the Royal County made have achieved an even greater feat by administrating the kiss of life to an ailing provincial championship that has been in sharp decline by the predictability of it all. Dublin's dominance had become as monotonous as Willie Mullins winners at the Cheltenham Festival in recent years.
That was borne out by the attendance at Sunday's match where just 10,126 witnessed the shock of the championship season so far, probably the smallest attendance for a clash between these great rivals of the modern era.
It was difficult to know which was the more satisfying, Meath finally dethroning Dublin or the prospect of a Leinster final clash with neighbours Louth. No doubt 2010 will be revisited many times in the build up to the final but this pairing will breathe new life into the final and should create quite a buzz in the north east over the next week or two. It will also set the turnstiles' ticking again, something that hasn't happened in the province for quite a while.
Dublin had knocked their near neighbours out of contention on nine different occasions since Meath last recorded a victory when putting five goals past Stephen Cluxton in the 2010 semi-final. When the counties clashed at the quarter final stage 12 months ago Dublin had 16 points to spare at the final whistle.
And with so many regulars having departed the scene since then it was expected that Meath would at least be competitive this time around with Dublin out of Croke Park and at their most vulnerable for quite a while. The attendance figure was some indication that few saw this shock coming down the tracks.
However, from the very early stages an upset was very much on the cards as Meath were winning the majority of the battles all over the pitch. The recalled Stephen Cluxton was forced to kick long and Meath swarmed all over their opponents in the middle third with Mathew Costello, Bryan Menton, Donal Keogan, Ciaran Caulfield and Sean Coffey all immense.
It ensured a monopoly of possession and with the advantage of the stiff breeze they set about dismantling a surprisingly subdued Dublin in clinical fashion. Meath sparkled throughout that opening 35 minutes kicking some great scores in the process as they built up a 0-17 to 0-5 lead.
It was vintage stuff at times as they raced into a 0-6 to 0-0 lead inside 10 minutes following a two-pointer from Eoghan Frayne. Dublin didn't quite know what had hit them. The Meath captain had accounted for two earlier scores while James Conlon was beginning to look pretty elusive in attack.
The St Colmcille's man ended the half with four points while Keith Curtis found the range with an early point and then added a brilliant two-pointer, a score that left Meath leading 0-11 to 0-3.
Dublin had to wait until the 12th minute for Con O'Callaghan to open their account and he fisted a second point a minute later. However Frayne was unerring from frees and added a two-pointer that left it 0-14 to 0-3 after 26 minutes. Then just when it was needed Bryan Menton hit another monster of a score, a two-pointer, and Conlon added to that, leaving Meath 13 clear.
Lorcan O'Dell went close to finding the net for Dublin before half-time but his effort was parried by Billy Hogan and Seamus Lavin collected it on the goal line. Dublin had to settle for a point from an O'Callaghan free on the stroke of half-time.
Dublin introduced the experienced Cormac Costello at the start of the second half and within 18 seconds they had picked off a two-pointer courtesy of O'Callaghan. That score should have galvanised the Dubs but by that stage Meath were dug into the trenches and weren't about to relent without a mighty battle.
Costello added potency to the Dublin attack throughout the half and the holders were especially threatening on the counter attack. Three points from Frayne (two frees) and another from Conlon proved crucial in that third quarter for Meath to remain a safe distance ahead.
However when Costello struck for a goal following fine work from O'Callaghan it left it 0-21 to 1-12 on 54 minutes. Paddy Small added his fifth point before O'Callaghan was again the instigator setting up Costello for another goal chance but this time keeper Billy Hogan advanced to make a crucial block.
A fisted point from O'Callaghan and a two-pointer from Colm Basquel reduced the deficit to just two points and one wondered if Meath's earlier exertions were beginning to catch up with them. Basquel then drove a two-point effort wide and Meath responded at the other end with a point from sub Aaron Lynch.
Wild scenes of celebration were already in motion along the sideline and among the supporters by the time captain Frayne drove a free between the posts after the hooter had sounded.
Meath: Billy Hogan; Seamus Lavin, Sean Rafferty, Brian O'Halloran; Donal Keogan, Sean Coffey, Ciaran Caulfield; Mathew Costello 0-1, Bryan Menton 0-2 ( 1 2p); Conor Duke, Ruairi Kinsella, Adam O'Neill; Keith Curtis 0-3 (1 2pt); James Conlon 0-5, Eoghan Frayne 0-11 (5f, 1 2ptf, 1 2pt). Subs: Aaron Lynch 0-1 for Curtis (50), Shane Walsh for Kinsella (53), Ronan Jones for Duke (55), Cathal Hickey for O'Neill (58), Ronan Ryan for Rafferty (61).
Dublin: Stephen Cluxton; David Byrne, Theo Clancy, Conor Tyrell; Brian Howard, John Small, Tom Lahiff; Peadar O Cofaigh Byrne, Ciaran Kilkenny; Niall Scully, Lorcan O'Dell 0-1, Kevin Lahiff; Paddy Small 0-5, Con O'Callaghan 0-6 (2f, 1 2pt), Colm Basquel 0-3 (1 2pt). Subs: Alex Gavin for Tyrell (29), Cormac Costello 1-1 (1f) for K Lahiff (h-t), Killian McGinnis for Scully (45), Ross McGarry for O'Dell (58), Greg McEneaney for J Small (59).
Referee: Kieran Eannetta (Tyrone)