DUBLIN AND MEATH fans get set for a showdown. The Leinster U21 football title is up for grabs tonight in Portlaoise and we’re following the action all the way.
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Result: Dublin 0-15 Meath 0-10
Wednesday night football hits Portlaoise tonight as Dublin and Meath face off in the 2014 Leinster U21 football championship final.
We’re just over half an hour from throw-in and there’s not a small crowd huddled in the main stand at the moment. Not the best of nights in Portlaoise with the rain drizzling down.
Team News: Right, let’s give you the starting line-up’s then.
No change on either team from their semi-final wins when Dublin defeated Longford here in Portlaoise while Meath beat Offaly in Parnell Park.
DUBLIN: Lorcan Molloy (St Anne’s); Ross McGowan (Kilmacud Crokes), David Byrne (Naomh Olaf), Robbie McDaid (Ballyboden St Enda’s); Eric Lowndes (St Peregrine’s), Johnny Small (Ballymun Kickhams), Jack McCaffrey (Clontarf); Paddy O’Higgins (Raheny), Stephen Cunningham (St Sylvester’s); Niall Scully (Templeogue Synge St), Shane Carthy (Naomh Mearnóg), Paul Mannion (Kilmacud Crokes); Conor McHugh (Na Fianna), Michael Deegan (Donaghmore Ashbourne), Cormac Costello (Whitehall Colmcille).
MEATH: Andy Colgan (Donaghmore Ashbourne); Simon Carty (Dunderry), Conor McGill (Ratoath), David McQuillan (St Patrick’s); Brian Power (Ratoath), Shane Melia (Donaghmore Ashbourne), Shane McEntee (St Peter’s Dunboyne); Conor Sheridan (Simonstown Gaels), Adam Flanagan (Clonard); Neil Shortall (Curraha), Bobby O’Brien (Ratoath), Pádraic Harnan (Moynalvey); Séamus Mattimoe (Gaeil Colmcille), Bryan McMahon (Ratoath), Joey Wallace (Ratoath).
Thoughts on this game? No doubt that it’s Dublin are the warm favorites at 1/5 while Meath are 9/2 outsiders. Dublin looking to add to their title wins in 2009, 2010 and 2012 while Meath last won out in 2001.
Bit of pre-match reading here – five talking points before tonight’s game.
Dublin currently out on the pitch warming up before this match.
Kildare’s Fergal Barry is the referee for this game.
Meath have just come out on to the pitch at O’Moore Park.
Injuries rule out some key men for this game with Meath duo Cillian O’Sullivan and Eamon Wallace both out as is Dublin’s Ciaran Kilkenny.
But there’s still a wealth of talent on show with Dublin having Jack McCaffrey, Paul Mannion, Shane Carthy and Cormac Costello while Meath’s main men to watch are Conor Sheridan, Padraic Harnan, Seamus Mattimoe and Bryan McMahon.
We’re almost set for throw-in.
Searing run through the Dublin defence by Bobby O’Brien but the Meath player screws his shot wide of goal.
There’s another wide for Meath as Conor Sheridan hoofs a shot off target.
Meath 0-1 Dublin 0-0: 2 mins – Third time of asking and Meath get off the mark with O’Brien curling over a shot.
Meath 0-1 Dublin 0-1: 4 mins – Dublin’s first attack of the night yields a point. Paul Mannion gathers a long delivery and feeds Conor McHugh who scores from close range.
Dublin 0-2 Meath 0-1: 6 mins – Mannion wins a free and Cormac Costello knocks over a point for Dublin.
Dublin 0-3 Meath 0-1: 7 mins – Eric Lowndes splits the posts with a brilliant point from distance for Dublin.
Couple of missed chances for Dublin with Costello hitting a free against the upright and then Mannion smashing a shot wide of the post.
Ironic cheers from the Meath fans as they are awarded a free. They’re not too happy with referee Fergal Barry so far.
That’s an awful miss for Meath as Seamus Mattimoe, who has sparkled so far in this campaign, misses a close-range free. Then captain Neil Shortall shoots wide from the left win.g
Dublin 0-3 Meath 0-2: 17 mins – Much better from Meath. They find a way past the Dublin packed defence with a quick and accurate long delivery to Mattimoe who makes the space and picks off a lovely point.
Dublin 0-4 Meath 0-2: 20 mins – Great interplay by Mannion and Costello – the two Dublin danger men up front – culminates with Costello knocking over a point.
Penalty for Meath.
Save by Dublin goalkeeper Lorcan Molloy!
Bobby O’Brien took the penalty for Meath but struck it at a nice height for the goalkeeper with Lorcan Molloy springing to his right and palming the ball away for a ’45 which was subsequently missed by Conor Sheridan. Big moment in the game.
Substitute: Shane Boland in for Dublin instead of Michael Deegan after 23 minutes.
Meath have now kicked seven wides tonight. They need to correct their shooting badly.
Dublin 0-4 Meath 0-3: 25 mins – Badly needed point for Meath as centre-forward Bobby O’Brien finds the range.
Dublin 0-5 Meath 0-3: 26 mins – Dublin manufacture a lovely point with Shane Carthy taking a quick free to McHugh, collecting the return pass and popping over the point.
Dublin 0-6 Meath 0-3: 28 mins – Overcarrying in the Meath defence is penalized and Carthy strokes over a lovely point off the ground from the resultant free.
Dublin 0-7 Meath 0-3: 30 mins – Costello taps over a free after Conor McHugh is fouled following a surging run.
Goal chance for Dublin but Conor McHugh’s shot rockets back off the crossbar.
Half-Time: Dublin 0-7 Meath 0-3
It’s not been the best of games so far but Dublin upped the ante before the break with those three successive points putting them in a strong position.
Both teams back out for the second-half here.
Substitute: Dublin make a change at the break with Gavin Ivory coming in for Stephen Cunningham
Dublin 0-7 Meath 0-4: 31 mins – First blood to Meath as Shane McEntee comes forward and notches a neat point.
Dublin 0-8 Meath 0-4: 32 mins – Dublin hit back with a mighty point from distance by Niall Scully.
Dublin 0-9 Meath 0-4: 33 mins – Dublin move five points clear thanks to Conor McHugh.
Dublin 0-10 Meath 0-4: 35 mins – Dublin really starting to pull clear now with Cormac Costello sweeping over a free.
Dublin 0-11 Meath 0-4: 35 mins – Costello points again but Dublin could have killed the game off there with McHugh through on goal but his shot was saved.
Another great save by Dublin goalkeeper Lorcan Molloy, this time to tip away a shot by Conor Sheridan for Meath.
Meath need a goal to get back into this game but Molloy doesn’t look like being beaten at the moment.
Dublin 0-11 Meath 0-6: 40 mins – Some hope for Meath? Points by Mattimoe from a free and Joey Wallace from play cut the gap.
Substitute: Cathal Finn is on for Meath for David McQuillan.
Dublin 0-12 Meath 0-6: 42 mins – Gavin Burke gets in on the scoring act for Dublin with the substitute swinging over a point after being fed buy Shane Boland.
Dublin 0-13 Meath 0-6: 42 mins – And like that Dublin have wiped out those brace of Meath points as Carthy adds to Burke’s previous effort.
Dublin 0-13 Meath 0-7: 44 mins – Half a goal chance for Meath as O’Brien gets clear but he smashes his shot over the bar.
Substitute: Meath bringing in Anthony Burke for Simon Carty.
Substitute: Emmet O’Conghaile is on for Dublin instead of Costello.
Dublin 0-13 Meath 0-8: 51 mins – Mattimoe converts a free but you get the sense that Dublin can protect this five-point lead entering the finale.
Dublin 0-14 Meath 0-8: 53 mins – And Gavin Burke steps up to knock over another point for Dublin.
Dublin 0-14 Meath 0-10: 56 mins – Points by O’Brien and Bryan McMahon leave Meath only four adrift now.
Substitutes: Shane Cunningham on for Patrick O’Higgins for Dublin while Barry Dardis comes in for Meath for Shane McEntee.
Dublin 0-15 Meath 0-10: 59 mins – Conor McHugh hits what should be the insurance point for Dublin from a free.
All over and Dublin are Leinster U21 football champions!
Full-Time: Dublin 0-15 Meath 0-10
Deserved five point victory for Dublin against Meath. That’s all from us, thanks for joining in.
