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  • Writer's pictureThe Season Ticket

Cloud Nine | Dublin ease to another Leinster title

Dublin have beaten Meath by 1-17 to 0-04 in the Leinster SFC final.

The Dubs had sixteen points to spare over the Royals at Croke Park as they claimed their ninth successive provincial title, and their 58th in total.

Con O'Callaghan's late goal capped off a relatively comfortable day at the office for the All-Ireland champions.

Jim Gavin's men led by 0-05 to 0-01 at the interval after a poor, low scoring first half, but moved up a gear as Meath tired in the second period.

Dublin were below par in the opening 35 minutes, but Andy McEntee's challengers should be commended for going toe to toe with the champions.

Donal Keogan ensured Ciaran Kilkenny had one of his quieter matches, and Conor McGill was largely excellent at full back.

However, Dublin were rarely under any pressure defensively.

Meath will be disappointed with their shooting, and didn't register their first score until Brian Menton split the posts in the 32nd minute.

The Royals kicked a total of 16 wides, six of which came in the first half, and were extremely wasteful in the final third throughout.

Dublin had to wait until the 12th minute for their opening score against an extremely well-organized Meath defence.

Kilkenny drove forward and opened the scoring into the hill, with the marauding Jack McCaffrey scoring Dublin’s second point.

McCaffrey then won a free, which Costello converted to put the Dubs three points ahead after 15 minutes.

Dublin registered the first five points of the game, and things could have been worse for Meath when Conor McGill was penalized for a foul on O'Callaghan inside the box. Paul Mannion took the resulting penalty, but his effort came back off the post.

James McCarthy hobbled off shortly afterwards, which will be a major worry for the Boys in Blue.

Menton finally got Meath on the scoreboard three minutes before the break, but things were far more difficult for the Division 2 runners-up in the second half.

Points from McCaffrey and Costello stretched the Dubs' lead to six, with Newman scoring the first of three points in the second half.

Meath tired as the half wore on, and Dublin exhausted their star-studded bench as the game wore on.

Dean Rock made a welcome return off the bench, and plundered four points after his introduction, as well as setting up O'Callaghan's well-taken goal.

Meath managed just three points in the entire second half, all from Newman's boot, with one of those coming from a free.

It was a ruthless second half display from the All-Ireland champions, and their scoring spree in the closing stages means their winning margin in Leinster this year stands at 57 points.

The Dubs have now won 14 of the last 15 Leinster titles, and entered today's final as 1/50 favourites.

Dublin will now enter the Super 8s as the drive-for-five gathers momentum.

Meath will enter the last round of the qualifiers, knowing a win will see them join the Dubs in the last eight.

Dublin: Stephen Cluxton; Michael Fitzsimons, Philly McMahon (0-01), Jack McCaffrey (0-02); David Byrne, Cian O'Sullivan, John Small; James McCarthy, Brian Fenton (0-01); Niall Scully, Ciaran Kilkenny (0-01), Brian Howard (0-01); Cormac Costello (0-03, 0-02f, 0-01 45), Paul Mannion (0-03), Con O'Callaghan (1-00).

Subs: Michael Darragh Macauley for McCarthy (32), Dean Rock (0-04, 0-01f) for Howard (52), Kevin McManamon for Costello (58), Paddy Small for Kilkenny (61), Paddy Andrews (0-01) for Paddy Small (65), Rory O'Carroll for McCaffrey (68).

Meath: Andrew Colgan; Shane Gallagher, Seamus Lavin, Conor McGill; James McEntee, Donal Keogan, Ronan Ryan; Bryan Menton (0-01), Shane McEntee; Cillian O'Sullivan, Bryan McMahon, Graham Reilly; Ben Brennan, Michael Newman (0-03, 0-01f), James Conlon.

Subs: Sean Tobin for Brennan (39), Ethan Devine for Reilly (40), Thomas O'Reilly for Conlon (54), Barry Dardis for Shane McEntee (58), Sean Curran for Gallagher (65), Thomas McGovern for McMahon (65).

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