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!
Rte coverage today ….
The panel reckon the attendance has dropped at gaa matches cause Dublin are to dominant ….
No maybe the numbers of supporters going to see the gaa has dropped due to the fact that the real fans who go to all games cant get a ticket for the all Ireland finals n find it extremely hard to get tickets for seni finals due to the GAA being so money hungry when it comes to the biggest games in there calendar year they are more concerned of sponsor forgetting free tickets to give to staff that probably dont even support the GAA at all
@Ian O’Rourke: i don’t think there are 40k sponsors looking for tickets. No one has interest. Sunshine supporters or diehards.
@Ian O’Rourke: it’s because Dublin are too dominant. I used to go to all the games but haven’t been to a Leinster match in a good few years now. Club champo is far more entertaining these days, and the quality you see in the Dublin champo isn’t far below intercounty either. Breaking up the club season for the intercounty champo is annoying, but that’s at the feet of Dublin GAA. And in all my time going to club games I don’t think I’ve had to sit through a half as boring as I’ve just watched either.
@Ian O’Rourke: Ah that’s a load of crap you can get tickets. For the semi finals on tickets.ie no problem most people I know that go to the matches have season tickets.
Not unless your a FG TD/Senator demanding a ticket for the final,Yet they probably did not bother their ass going to the league matches in February.
@Winston Smith: why was cork & kerry have empty its not because Dublin are great.its because tickets are to expensive for what your watching
@Bruce van der Gutschmitzer: sponsors dont only get 1 ticket each ….
@Winston Smith: no it’s not its cause Gaa are money hungry and dont care bout genuine supports who stand on the hill in February on a freezing cold Saturday night
@Ian O’Rourke: genuine supporters are out supporting their club in September and October, and those genuine supporters have no problem getting tickets for all Irelands through their clubs. You think you deserve a ticket to an all Ireland just cos you traipse to Croker for a league match? No mate, the people who deserve the tickets for the big games are the people who train the kids for the small games. With that sense of entitlement you should look for a FG seat in the Seanad.
@Winston Smith: what n absolute fool the the point of my comment went out the window with you but sure after all with a name like Winston what would ye expect
@Ian O’Rourke: you’re a fair weather fool with a sense of entitlement. Go back to the soccer where your type belong. Real GAA fans aren’t people who think they’re great for going to a few league matches, real GAA fans are people who get up every Saturday to train kids and involve themselves in the GAA. You know why you can’t get tickets for the big games? Because you’re not wanted in the GAA, your kind exist purely to be shaken down for a few bob every now and again, and like the rest of them you’re too stupid to even realise that’s all you are. See you at the final in August mate. Oh no, I wont, you’ll be on your bar stool for it! Hahaha
Brutal match
Awful pity Kevin McStay is’nt still managing a county team! It would spare us all the pain of listening to his co-commentary on The Sunday Game!
@Joe L: Hear hear
Can’t wait to stick it to the Dubs. About time they were knocked off their perch.
@This Guy:
That might be one of those comments that looks really silly come full time.
@This Guy:
@This Guy: you will regret that comment
@This Guy: it’s football not farming
@This Guy: either pure sarcasm or pure optimism.
@This Guy: why is it about time they were knocked off their perch? They work their butts off to be where they are. Maybe your county team needs to work a bit harder.
Dublin didn’t always win. Please remember that ye green eyed monster.
Up the DUBS
@Rebecca De Stanleigh: Dublin didn’t always have the lions share of investment from gaa hq either. But they are a serious team that work their arses off. Like every county team.
@This Guy: Dublin gets everything
@This Guy: winning all Ireland after all Ireland is great, but something more simple and enjoyable in hammering meath. Does anyone like meath?
@Milk The Drones: looks stupid now
Meath need 33 mins to score
@Rebecca De Stanleigh: Excuse me, I’m actually from Dublin. I was referring to the team.
@Richard O’Brien: they earned and deserved everything Can you imagine GAA (or Ireland for that matter) with no
Dublin
@Rebecca De Stanleigh: keep up the good work and be a proud Dubliner
@Ian O’Rourke: That sounds like a threat. Reported.
@This Guy: sounds a bit sopranoesqe
@This Guy: in all fairness he means that you will regret it when you see the final score
@Milk The Drones: ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha the match was crap but ha ha ha ha ha
@This Guy: ha ha ha ha cabbage
@This Guy: how did that turn out for you
@Bruce van der Gutschmitzer: and they bring in the most income for the GAA.
Get off the high horse already!!!!!!! Sore losers
@This Guy: you’re a dreadful Dub so.
@Rebecca De Stanleigh: and the head honchos realised that and threw more dollars behind them in the hope that they’d get an all Ireland or two and in turn make the gaa a little richer. And now that has backfired to a degree.
@Bruce van der Gutschmitzer: you haven’t a clue pal. Just stop already
@Rebecca De Stanleigh: The GAA have created a monster and now they can’t control it. I’d say they are regretting putting €16 million into Dublin over the last 10 years !!
Rte calling the 1st half interesting, are they having a laugh, that was absolutely dirt
Hopefully it’s not one sided
@Steve O’Reilly: it’s always one sided, one side of boggers, and DUBLIN
@Zerolife TwentyThree: yeah the pale vs people who wanted their independence..
@Zerolife TwentyThree: someone has to feed ye gluttonous shower of sh 1tes.
@Ave it: they don’t call them union jackeens for nothing
@Ave it: bullseye!!!!
Love the rte biased commentary
@Con O’Hannrachàin: rte don’t touch the ball
@Anthony Doyle: have you listened to the commentary it’s woeful.
This is a like a basketball game
I’m watching it and it’s absolutely dire…
What an awful game
@Irish Freedom Now.: pitch is like a bloody ice rink
Great game of sideways ball
Is there nothing to be said for saying another mass!
Meath playing well in the defense! The forward line has been shocking. Big improvement needed.
Same issue here in limerick for next week’s Munster Final. Terrace tickets sold in shops before they checked on demand from clubs. Club my partner is a member of got 66 tickets with over 100 looking for them and she’s been at all the games other than one since December sitting at games with 1000 attending. Luck in the draw for the tickets tonight her only way of getting one.
@Chris Enright (Garden Fresh Veg): just get a season ticket.
I’d have rather watched Love Island..
How the hell did Meath get to a Leinster final
South meath will still feel like they are in with a chance
@Andrew Tuite: if they run into north Dublin
What a terrible game, Meath 4 points over 70+ minutes, Cavan lost by scoring 2-16 and donegal being touted as serious all Ireland contenders
Dreadful game.
Poor performance by both sides but more so from Meath. Tepid, looked like they were preparing themselves for qualifiers. Seemed like they were kicking it wide on purpose. Either really bad game management or a con (next game will tell)
Meath will be picked off by a decent team
Legends
Attendances are down because you can’t get tickets to the semi final or the final. Simple as that.
As a fan who has not to attend a game in years because of the trouble around getting tickets to come semi-final & final time.
I watched on Sunday my next door neighbours heading off in brand new Dublin kits to attend the game with 4 adults and a 7-year-old who was her first game ever and not once have I ever hear them speak about support Dublin all years.
All the local clubs who support and are Training young boys and girls to be the future players for the team struggle to get enough tickets for club members and players.
But yet Once or twice a year fans stroll into a newsagent or get given tickets for game is a very big problem with how tickets are shared out.
I would agree with Ian O’Rourke I have seen and gotten emails of tickets been offered in the workplace to people who jump on the bandwagon come final time.
As a fan who has not to attend a game in years because of the trouble around getting tickets to come semi-final & final time.
I watched on Sunday my next door neighbours heading off in brand new Dublin kits to attend the game with 4 adults and a 7-year-old who was her first game ever and not once have I ever hear them speak about support Dublin all years.
All the local clubs who support and are Training young boys and girls to be the future players for the team struggle to get enough tickets for club members and players.
But yet Once or twice a year fans stroll into a newsagent or get given tickets for game is a very big problem with how tickets are shared out.
I would agree with Ian O’Rourke I have seen and gotten emails of tickets been offered in the workplace to people who jump on the bandwagon come final time.