Minor footballers exit Leinster Championship

MEATH 1-18 DUBLIN 2-5

Dublin minor footballers' championship dream was extinguished in clinical fashion by Meath in Saturday's Electric Ireland Leinster MFC quarter-final in Páirc Tailteann, Navan.

The sides met in this year's Leinster MFL semi-final with the Dubs winning by six points in Parnell Park but Saturday's clash was a far different encounter.

The Royals settled immediately and had Dublin on the back foot with points from Darragh Campion, Frank O'Reilly and Seán Reilly to move 0-3 to 0-0 up inside four minutes.

A well taken Kevin Callaghan goal in the seventh minute following good work by Dan O'Brien brought the sides level.

Dublin failed to build momentum with Meath replying with scores from the impressive James Conlon and Eanna O'Kelly Lynch.

Dublin battled back with points from the hard-working Tom Keane and Cormac Howley, whose goal attempt flew over the crossbar, after a penetrating run by Conor Hynes to bring the sides level, 1-2 to 0-5, after 17 minutes.

But unfortunately from Dublin's perspective from then to the half-time interval Meath dominated.

Meath hit seven unanswered points to put themselves firmly in the driving seat by the break when leading 0-12 to 1-2.

Dublin threatened a comeback on the restart with Seán Bugler beginning to inspire his side.

Conor Hynes converted a 35-metre free following a foul on Bugler and then Bugler himself fired over in the 34th minute.

However, the sending off of Cormac Howley in the 36th minute, on a second yellow card offence, made an uphill task even more steep.

Meath then got back on top with James Conlon to the fore as the St Colmcille's man slotted three points as Meath again hit a purple patch to score 1-5 with out reply, their goal coming from Jason Scully.

In the last minute of normal time Kevin Callaghan brilliantly flicked a ball to the Meath net and a in injury-time had a goal attempt cleared off the line by a Meath defender.

SCORERS - Meath: J Scully 1-3 (0-3f), J Conlon 0-5, D Campion 0-3, E Devine 0-2, F O'Reilly, S Reilly, E O'Kelly Lynch, E Smith, J Cassidy 0-1 each. Dublin: K Callaghan 2-0, C Hynes 0-2 (0-2f), T Keane, C Howley, S Bugler 0-1 each.

MEATH: A McDermott; R Clarke, C Harnan, B O’Reilly; J Cassidy, E O’Kelly Lynch, Sean Reilly; D Campion, E Devine; N Murphy, C O’Reilly, E Smith; J Conlon, F O’Reilly, J Scully. Subs: E Mooney for F O’Reilly (47), C O’Byrne for Devine (53), A Murphy for C O’Reilly (57), N Durkan for Smith (57), M Callaghan for Reilly (57), C Cullen for Clarke (60).

DUBLIN: E Comerford; R Shaw, N Doran, CJ Smith; C Lennon, J Holland, M Tighe; A Kelly, M Donnelly; D O’Brien, S Bugler, T Keane; C Hynes, K Callaghan, C Howley. Subs: E Fitzpatrick forKelly (ht), A Bradshaw for Lennon (ht), N Nolan for Tighe (ht), R McGarry for Hynes (42), G McNamara for Shaw (46), P Flaherty for Donnelly (59).

REF: S Mulhare (Laois).