Meath 0-20
Louth 1-13
Leinster SFC quarter-final
MICKEY NEWMAN’S SEVEN-point haul at Parnell Park proved crucial as Meath held off Louth’s challenge to set up a Leinster semi-final glamour date with old rivals and All-Ireland title favourites Dublin.
Experienced Newman and speedy colleague Eamon Wallace contributed 0-11 between them as Mick O’Dowd’s side delivered as expected in front of a capacity crowd of 8,500.
But they lived a little dangerously late on as Jim McEneaney pinched a 64th-minute Louth goal to leave just four points between the sides.
That was as close as Louth would come though and their long wait for a championship win over Meath goes on having not beaten the Royal County since 1975.
Meath head on to face the Dubs in a repeat of the 2012, 2013 and 2014 Leinster finals though Louth must somehow pick themselves up for a trip to Derry in the qualifiers next weekend.
Colin Kelly’s side came to the Donneycarney venue with momentum after capturing the Division 4 league title and they beat Carlow by 10 points in the first-round of Leinster.
But they were playing catchup for virtually all of the game and trailed by 0-11 to 0-6 at half-time.
Meath weren’t at their very best but still played with enough craft and power to keep Louth comfortably in their slipstream.
Wallace kicked all four of his points in the first-half and tortured Louth’s defence at times with his pace.
Cillian O’Sullivan had a strong first-half on his debut also, firing two points from the half-forward line and, in truth, Meath should have led by more at the interval.
Louth restarted with three points including two from midfielder James Califf to get the margin down to two points.
But they never got any closer and Meath would open up a 0-18 to 0-11 lead as they picked off points at their ease throughout the second-half.
The only down side for Meath was the lower leg injury which forced experienced Donnacha Tobin off.
Scorers for Meath: M Newman 0-7 (0-6f, 1 45), E Wallace 0-4
A Tormey 0-3, G Reilly 0-3, C O’Sullivan 0-2, C O’Brien 0-1
Scorers for Louth: J Califf 0-4 (0-3f), R Burns 0-4 (0-3f), J McEneaney 1-0, A Williams 0-2, D Byrne 0-2, B Duffy 0-1
MEATH: P O’Rourke; D Keogan, M Burke, D Tobin; P Harnan, D Smyth, A Douglas; H Rooney, C O’Brien; E Wallace, C O’Sullivan, G Reilly; A Tormey, D McDonagh, M Newman.
Subs: C Finn for Tobin (50), B McMahon for McDonagh (56), D Lenihan for Tormey (63), S Tobin for Reilly (67).
LOUTH: C Lynch; P Rath, P Reilly, K Toner; A Williams, D McMahon, D Maguire; J Stewart, J Califf; D Byrne, J McEneaney, B Duffy; C McKeever, C Grimes, R Burns.
Subs: R Moore for Duffy (BC, 35), E Lafferty for McMahon (45), A Reid for McKeever (53), J Bingham for Toner (58), G McSorley for Byrne (69).
Referee: P Hughes (Armagh).
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