Kevin O'Brien reports from Croke Park

Meath 5-9

Kildare 0-15

KILDARE WATCHED A six-point half-time lead crumble to dust as they shipped five second-half goals to lose by nine to Meath in the Leinster SFC semi-final.

Even for Kildare, this was a spectacular collapse. 

Jack O’Connor’s side looked dominant under the kick-outs and would have led by more than six at the break had they not shot seven wides and dropped another short. 

But whatever Andy McEntee said to rally his troops at half-time worked a treat.

Staring down the barrel of a gun, they turned on the style in the second-half, scoring goals through Matthew Costello, Jordan Morris, Cillian O’Sullivan, Joey Wallace and Jason Scully.

That’s 12 goals Meath have scored in two games, following the 7-14 they put past Wicklow a week earlier. Morris, in particular, looks like of of the most natural forwards to emerge in the county in recent seasons. His 1-1 today leaves him at 4-5 in two championship outings, which isn’t bad going for a rookie.

Andy McEntee’s side displayed their depth with 2-4 from substitutes and it’s clear they’re now Leinster’s second-best team.  

Even Jimmy Hyland, who looked a menace in the opening period with a four-point haul, was swallowed up by the much-improved Meath defence after the break. 

It took Meath 12 minutes to trouble the posts, by which time Kildare had three points on the board. Hyland got himself into the game with a couple of early frees and grew in confidence as the half wore on. 

In Hyland and Darragh Kirwan, Kildare have a couple of finishers whose instinct everytime is to take a shot on themselves. As the half wore on they started to dominate the midfield exchanges and they owned the ball for long spells. 

Shane Walsh and Thomas O’Reilly popped up with a stunning score each to leave Meath level by the 26th minute. Kildare finished the half in devastating fashion, scoring six-in-a-row to move 0-10 to 0-4 clear by the break. 

Meath couldn’t live with Hyland’s movement inside and he added a mark and one from play, while Kirwan kicked a brace of his own. Kevin Flynn might have added a goal after blasting off the crossbar and over when he was slipped through one-on-one with goalie Mark Brennan by Hyland.

Meath needed a spark from somewhere and it was provided by Morris. Fresh from scoring 3-4 aginst Wicklow, he sent Matthew Costello through for Meath’s opening goal in the 37th minute.

Less than a minute later, Morris was celebrating a goal of his own with a lovely finish into the bottom corner. Meath were motoring now. Shortly before the second-half water break, a simple handpass in front of Cillian O’Sullivan split open the Kildare defence. A player of his calibre doesn’t miss those sort of chances.

So after shipping three goals in the third quarter, what response could Kildare muster?

Substitute Daniel Flynn and David Hyland kicked a point a piece, but Meath’s fourth goal arrived shortly thereafter. Joey Wallace wasn’t on the field much more than a minute when he helped turnover Kildare in the danger zone. Ronan Jones dived to palm the ball in front of the Ratoath speedster and he slotted home from close range. 

Cathal Hickey and Shane McEntee pushed them six ahead with a score apiece. O’Connor tried to shake things up, springing Paul Cribbin and Neil Flynn off the bench, but the momentum was firmly behind the Royals now. 

Conway sent over his second point, Kildare’s first score in 16 minutes. They lost Shea Ryan after his high challenge on O’Sullivan that forced the wing-forward to leave the play. Jason Scully completed the route in stoppage-time with a breakaway goal.

Meath roll on to the Leinster final where they’ll most likely face a Dublin side they ran close in the league back in October.

Scorers for Meath: Matthew Costello, Jordan Morris (0-1f) and Cillian O’Sullivan 1-1 each, Joey Wallace and Jason Scully 1-0 each, Thomas O’Reilly 0-2, Shane McEntee, Cathal Hickey, Shane Walsh and James Conlon 0-1 each.

Scorers for Kildare: Jimmy Hyland 0-5 (0-3f, 0-1m), Paddy Brophy and Darragh Kirwan 0-2 each, Kevin Flynn, David Hyland, Ben McCormack, Daniel Flynn, Fergal Conway and Mattie Byrne 0-1 each.

Meath

1. Mark Brennan (O Mahonys)

2. Seamus Lavin (St Peter’s Dunboyne)
3. Conor McGill (Ratoath)
4. David Toner (Curraha)

5. Donal Keogan (Rathkenny) 
12. Ronan Ryan (Summerhill)
7. Matthew Costello (Dunshaughlin)

8. Bryan Menton (Donaghmore Ashbourne)
9. Ronan Jones (St Peter’s Dunboyne)

10. Cillian O’Sullivan (Moynalvey)
11. Bryan McMahon (Ratoath)
6. Shane McEntee (St Peter’s Dunboyne)

15. Thomas O’Reilly (Wolfe Tones)
13. Jordan Morris (An Obair)
14. Shane Walsh (Na Fianna)

Subs

18. Cathal Hickey (Ratoath) for Ryan (54)
22. Joey Wallace (Ratoath) for O’Reilly (54)
23. Jason Scully (Ratoath) for McMahon (54)
24. James Conlon (St Colmcilles) for Walsh (67) 

Kildare 

1. Mark Donnellan (Maynooth)

24. Mick O’Grady (Celbridge)
21. Eoin Doyle (Naas)
2. Mark Dempsey (Moorefield)

5. David Hyland (Athy)
6. Con Kavanagh (Sarsfields)
7. Kevin Flynn (Celbridge)

8. Kevin Feely (Athy)
3. Shea Ryan (Sarsfields)

10. Matty Byrne (Sarsfields)
20. Fergal Conway (Celbridge)
12. Paddy Brophy (Celbridge) 

11. Ben McCormack (Sarsfields)
14. Darragh Kirwan (Naas)
15. Jimmy Hyland (Ballyteague)

Subs

13. Daniel Flynn (Johnstownbridge) for McCormack (47)
18. Paul Cribbin (Johnstownbridge) for Byrne (50)
9. Aaron Masterson (Moorefield) for Kavanagh (56)
26. Liam Power (Raheens) for Conway (58)
17. Neil Flynn (Maynooth) for Kirwan (60)

Referee: Conor Lane (Cork)