Good afternoon and welcome to our live coverage of the 132nd Leinster Senior Football Championship final, as old rivals Dublin and Meath clash at Croke Park.
I say old rivals and, well, the operative word is ‘old’ because it hasn’t been much of a rivalry of late. Dublin v Meath is now one of the flagship fixture in the argument against provincial championships in football: the Dubs will today go looking for their 14th Leinster title in 15 years, and they’ve won the last five deciders with a combined 71 points to spare. Against Meath alone, the Dubs have won their last three encounters by 34 points on aggregate.
However, the only team to derail them in Leinster over the last 15 years was Meath themselves — albeit it was nine years ago when the Royals fired five goals past Stephen Cluxton in an 11-point win at the provincial semi-final stage, and only two Meath players — Graham Reilly and Bryan Menton — survive from the panel which emerged victorious that day.
This year, Meath have seen off Offaly, Carlow and Laois while the Dubs have cruised to the final with wins over Louth and Kildare.
Throw-in is at 4pm, and we’ll have team news shortly.
The teams are in the building…
Three changes to tell you about — two for Meath and one for the Dubs.
For Dublin, Philly McMahon is in for Michael Darragh McCauley, so it now looks like James McCarthy will partner Brian Fenton in midfield.
For Meath, Graham Reilly is in for Gavin McCoy and Shane McEntee replaces Adam Flanagan.
Dublin
Stephen Cluxton (Parnells)
David Byrne (Naomh Olaf)
Michael Fitzsimons (Cuala)
Jack McCaffrey (Clontarf)
Philly McMahon (Ballymun Kickhams)
Cian O’Sullivan (Kilmacud Crokes)
John Small (Ballymun Kickhams)
Brian Fenton (Raheny)
James McCarthy (Ballymun Kickhams)
Niall Scully (Templeogue Synge Street)
Cormac Costello (Whitehall Colmcille)
Brian Howard (Raheny)
Ciarán Kilkenny (Castleknock)
Paul Mannion (Kilmacud Crokes)
Con O’Callaghan (Cuala)
Meath
Andrew Colgan (Donaghmore Ashbourne)
Seamus Lavin (St Peter’s, Dunboyne)
Conor McGill (Ratoath)
Shane Gallagher (Simonstown Gaels)
Donal Keogan (Rathkenny)
Ronan Ryan (Drum Shamhraidh)
Graham Reilly (St Colmcille’s)
Bryan Menton (Donaghmore Ashbourne)
Shane McEntee (Dunboyne)
Ben Brennan (St Colmcilles)
Bryan McMahon (Ratoath)
James McEntee (Curraha)
Cillian O’Sullivan (Moynalvey)
Michael Newman (Kilmainham)
James Conlon (St Colmcilles)
Only a few minutes remaining until throw-in.
Is anyone — even those of you from Meath — backing Meath to do it today? Dare ye dream?
Who’ve you got?
Poll Results:
Dublin 0-0 Meath 0-0: We’re underway!
Dublin 0-0 Meath 0-0: Meath have a good opportunity to open their account but Ben Brennan’s free from the left comes down off the post. Michael Newman reacts quickest but the ball winds up drifting well wide on the right. Still scoreless.
Dublin 0-0 Meath 0-0: Superb block down on James McCarthy — I think it was by Ben Brennan — and Meath break down the other end. The ball is fired in towards the Royals’ full-forward line but Dublin scramble it clear amid mild protestations by Meath players.
Dublin 0-0 Meath 0-0: Meath coming out on top in their own full-back line thus far. Impressive start by them defensively but not much happening up the other end yet.
Dublin 0-0 Meath 0-0: Still scoreless after 10 minutes. Meath ever so calm at the back and forcing Dublin errors, but once Meath themselves gain possession they’re panicky and wasteful.
Cormac Costello fires the Dubs’ first wide down the other end.
Dublin 0-1 Meath 0-0: Ciaran Kilkenny captalises on a bad kick-out by Andre Colgan and draws a lovely shot back inside the right-hand post. The champions lead — and finally we have a score!
Dublin 0-2 Meath 0-0: McAffrey doubles his side’s lead with a tap-over after charging free of his marker.
Dublin 0-3 Meath 0-0: Cracks beginning to appear in the Meath defence now as McCaffrey again waltzes through but is eventually smothered as he loses control of the ball. Costello converts the resulting 45′.
Dublin 0-3 Meath 0-0: James McEntee is in the book after hastily trying to drag Paul Mannion to his feet — this after another McEntee, Shane, handed Mannion off to the face as he attempted to come out with the ball to take a free. Shane McEntee escapes punishment where he probably deserved a yellow himself.
Meath have hit the post since, while John Small has fired one just wide for the Dubs.
Dublin look comfortable, in truth.
Dublin 0-4 Meath 0-0: Paul Mannion kicks a beauty from the right-hand side. A long way out, he cuts back in on his left and launches a missile between the sticks. Four points to no score after 21 minutes.
Dublin 0-5 Meath 0-0: Beautifully worked move by the champions results in Brian Howard fisting over from the right-hand side. Meath need a score, here. They’ve hit the post twice but really haven’t fashioned a guilt-edged opportunity even for a point yet.
Dublin 0-5 Meath 0-0: Con O’Callaghan gets in behind the Meath rearguard and he’s hauled down as he shoots for goal. Penalty!
Dublin 0-5 Meath 0-0: Paul Mannion drills his penalty low to Colgan’s left-hand side but it rattles the post and Meath come away with it! A huge let-off for the Royals.
Can it spur them into action up the other end?
Dublin 0-5 Meath 0-0: A superb intervention by Conor McGill keeps Meath in it as Dublin attempt to pretty much walk it into the net. McGill fists clear as the ball is passed across the face of Colgan’s goal towards Niall Scully.
Dublin 0-5 Meath 0-1: Bryan Menton, one of two survivors from the last Meath team to beat Dublin in Leinster, nails their first score — a superb strike from 40-odd metres after a jinking burst through Dublin’s half-back line. Meath’s first score comes on 32 minutes and 30 seconds, but there are only four between them.
Game on, Ger?
Dublin 0-5 Meath 0-1: Michael Darragh McCauley is on in midfield for James McCarthy, who was down with what looked like a knee injury.
Dublin 0-5 Meath 0-1: Three minutes of added time, of which one has already elapsed. Meath ball inside the Dublin half.
Dublin 0-5 Meath 0-1: Meath’s shooting has really let them down. Mickey Newman fires wide with a free from 48 metres just before half-time — their fifth wide. Dublin haven’t scored in 11 minutes but still lead by four.
What a weird game.
Dublin 0-5 Meath 0-1: With the last kick of the first half, Brennan hooks a fairly easy free wide-right. That would have made a massive psychological difference to Meath at the break, one has to imagine. They go in four down but they’ll be kicking themselves that it’s not even closer.
All to play for in the second half, but Meath will need to start converting if they’re going to make a proper game of this. As it stands, Dublin could probably put 15 men behind the ball and see this out to the full-time whistle — that’s how low-scoring and void of genuine opportunities it’s been.
Meath had 11 scoring chances in the first half and scored one. A 9% conversion rate. Surely they can’t be as wasteful again?
Dublin 0-5 Meath 0-1: We’re back in action in Croker!
Dublin 0-5 Meath 0-1: Graham Reilly kicks another wide — I think that’s his fourth in total. He snatched at that one from range, probably not the right option which has been the case for at least half of Meath’s wides.
Dublin 0-5 Meath 0-1: Brennan kicks literally the exact same wide from a dead ball as he did on the stroke of half-time. Oh dear.
Dublin 0-6 Meath 0-1: McCaffrey explodes through the left-hand side of Meath’s defence and bears down on goal from an angle but fists the ball over. Dublin respond to two poor Meath wides with a point out of nothing.
Dublin 0-6 Meath 0-1: Meath build patiently, slowly, knocking the ball around in midfield before putting together a nice move which sets Neman free. He shoots from the 45! He sends it wide.
These wides are just sucking the soul out of this Meath effort.
Dublin 0-7 Meath 0-1: Shane Gallagher is booked for a high challenge and Costello nonchalantly lands one from 50-or-so yards from the resulting free — splits the sticks.
Dublin 0-7 Meath 0-2: Brian Fenton clips Ronan Ryan just as the Meath man is about to pull the trigger toward goal! Free-in, not a penalty. Meath narrow the gap.
Dublin 0-7 Meath 0-2: Meath have created 16 scoring chances to Dublin’s 14, but the Royals have kicked a God-awful 11 wides. Menton with another there.
Dublin 0-9 Meath 0-2: Michael Darragh McCauley tees up Philly McMahon who lashes one over from 50-plus yards. Great score. The gap is seven.
Dublin 0-9 Meath 0-3: A superb solo run by Newman, complete with what looked like a lovely dummied hand-pass at first glance, results in him blasting towards Cluxton’s goal but safely over the bar. Nice injection of pace by the Meath forward.
Dublin 0-10 Meath 0-3: Mannion does what Mannion does, cutting onto his left and instantaneously firing over a spectacular point from range. What a score by the Kilmacud man!
Dublin 0-11 Meath 0-3: Dublin in full flow turn the ball over near halfway and break at pace, with Fenton firing over at the tail-end of it.
Dublin 0-12 Meath 0-3: Thomas O’Reilly hits Meath’s 12th wide. Should have scored. Dublin go up the other end and point immediately as MDMA feeds Paul Mannion. Fans — most of them from Meath — beginning to stream out of Croker now.
Dublin 0-13 Meath 0-3: Dean Rock, on for Brian Howard, converts a free to stretch the Dubs’ lead to 10.
Dublin 0-15 Meath 0-3: Rock laying down a marker to Jim Gavin now as he converts beautiful scores from play in a matter of seconds. First, he drifts one over from centre-left, then the same thing from centre-right. Three in a row for Rock.
Dublin 0-16 Meath 0-3: Paddy Andrews gathers a breaking ball after Niall Scully pumps it in long, and the replacement lobs one over from 25 yards.
GOAL! Dublin 1-16 Meath 0-3: Oh, what a smashing goal for Dublin! Dean Rock times the hand-pass perfectly and feeds the marauding Con O’Callaghan who lashes the ball low past Colgan into his right-hand corner. Superb move and finish.
Cherry on top.
Dublin 1-17 Meath 0-3: Dean Rock chips another one over from the left. Tough on Meath, this. They gave it a good go for the first 55 minutes or so, but the scoreline won’t do them any favours.
Dublin 1-17 Meath 0-4: Newman registers a consolation score for Meath to ironic cheers from The Hill. Newman has kicked all three of Meath’s scores in the second half.
Dublin 1-17 Meath 0-4: Dublin carve Meath open again deep into stoppage time but Dean Rock, with the goal at his mercy, shanks it wide left.
A very comprehensive victory for Dublin in the end. They really just broke Meath’s spirit — or maybe Meath did it to themselves with all of those wides — and the last 15 minutes or so weren’t especially reflective of the pattern of the game to that point.
But calling a spade a spade, Dublin were just a far superior team as we expected.
Nine in a row. 27 Leinster championship wins on the spin. Utterly dominant.
Thanks for joining us, folks. Keep an eye on The42 for Kevin O’Brien’s match report and more reaction from Croke Park!
Breaking news / Pep Guardiola is having a medical at Manchester City today after paying £50 million for John Stones
Pot . . . . . Kettle . . . . . Black . . . . Im done!
If Pep is having one then when is Jose’s?
Breaking news, Man Utd Accountants having medicals, Crazy money for an player in his twilight, again, crazy money for a player who had one year left on contract, and world record fee for a player let go for next to month a few years ago….. You see, when you point a finger, three pointing back….
Keep up the good work Man Utd, I like seeing the non Utd fans taking the bait ;)
Breaking news ….. Wolves is a bigger club then Liverpool
Oh, so, you believe it, but not when you see every player linked to Man Utd???? With your logic, Liverpool are a bigger club than Man Utd, seeing as Sadio Mane said no fcking way when that lot came in for him…. Typical of some of you Man U fans, move the goalposts non stop……
Was there an offer for Sadio ? Did the clubs talk no ! So do one
U should not drank much coffee hoff
Oooh Jose, mmm, that’s right, ooooh yeah, Pogba, hrmmph, Mkhitaryan, yeah yeah oooooooh!!
Ah Johnny cried…. seriously man, cannot take it?
I see so presumably you have seen me carrying out this apparent act which would make your a ‘peeper’ …. sick or what !
Are you guys related?
We were kind of this morning till I drop him down a big white bowl
A big white bowl with WiFi
How do you know their wasn’t, have you inside info. Supposedly there was an offer last season
Williams and kone in with 18m left over is some business for Everton
Why was Johnny Evans and Arsenal in the same sentence.
Why did they not announce the signing of Stones immediately, what had they to gain by not announcing it? Seems like a lot of embarrassment could’ve been avoided.
City get pants pulled down again in signing another English player
If stones is valued at £47.5m then Pogba for £100m+ doesn’t look too bad after all
The whole transfer market circus makes for some very repetitive commenting.
See United fans are saying stones is too expensive, this is a club who bought eric bailly and Unknown defender for £30 million and martial for even more who at the time was unknown. Not saying if they are right or wrong just its a bit funny the situation
Eric Bailly was known to many in La Liga in a team that came 4th last season so that’s good enough for me. He’s just not English or played in the premier league to be well “known”.
From what I’ve been reading is that he is good but massively overrated and relies to much on his physicality. And still. £30 million for a relatively unknown player is a lot. United can’t take the piss out of anyone else’s signings financially wise
Have a look a cost of transfers v the money earned (not handed over by sugar daddy owner) and Uniteds books are in far better shape than most if not all the Premier League clubs!
Trying to justify the prices is hilarious. It’s being the league who cares
“Good but overrated”…whatever that means. Probably best to give him a chance, no?
Good but overrated, example martial good player but the way people were getting on last season you would think it was ronaldo or Henry in their prime.
I never said he wouldn’t be good, just saying United fans in particular can take the piss out of other teams transfers especially stones when their own manager wanted him
Actually they probably can. They’ll make all the money back in Pogba shirt sales, merchandize etc before the end of the year. As much as I hate to say it, their corporate and marketing partnerships could ensure they boss the financial side of things for years to come. As for Stones, €50m they can have him. We’ll use that money to strengthen the squad with decent players. Koeman seems to have an eye for promising talent.
They will never make the pogba money back on shirt sales clubs get like Max 10 to 15% of revenue on shirt sales sure Real Madrid didn’t even make the beckham money back in shirts
Do you honestly believe that any club that’s spends money on players whether it be 500,000 or 100,000,000 do so without having a plan in place to try and recoup as much of the money as possible . He will be Mr Manchester Utd by the time the season is over if not before , nothing will happen without his picture or name being involved in some shape if form
Oh they will recoup some money back but no where near the amount of the transfer this happens with all the big clubs they never regain the money unless they sell, that’s why all the big clubs except Munich I think are in debt
And liverpool fans talking about Utd and other clubs transfers cause they have nothing to talk about regarding their own club
Think United fans had a lot to say about Liverpool transfers so what does that mean then?
Lads it’s embarrassing, give it a rest. It used to be good banter on here but that’s starting to fade. Ye are starting to sound like school kids.
Spot on Nollaig. You’re right, it’s not banter, it’s the same repetitive comments about the fee for Pogba and now Stones today. It’s not going to drastically effect the lives of anybody on the 42 so get over yourselves for Christ sake.
Meanwhile Flopp demands to know what’s happening with players at Southampton
Booya Carino! you won marketing! That’ll make the pain go away for winning nothing.
He’s not even back a day and the promotion wheels are turning already
https://www.facebook.com/adidasfootball/videos/10153739567103531/
http://bit.ly/2b40fca
That’s exactly what I’m talking about Mark .. PogBoom !
Mark, all that is fine, good business, but at end of the day, you will take the medals over that.