Paul Flynn expects a battle Royal

Thu, 23rd June 2016

Dublin senior footballers will be attempting to reach their 11th Leinster SFC final in 12 summers when they face Meath in Sunday's provincial semi-final at Croke Park (6.35).

The Royal County were the last side in the province to topple the Dubs when they scored five goals in their 5-9 to 0-13 win in the 2010 semi-final.

Dublin forward Paul Flynn, a veteran of many Dublin/Meath battles, says the current Meath team will come with "an air of freedom" to Croke Park on Sunday.

“If you think about the current team, some of them were born in the ’90s - but I grew up watching Meath beat Dublin a lot of the time," says Paul.

“It kind of ebbs and flows; it’s one of those really great rivalries.

“The last three times we’ve come out on top but, at the same time, you treat each one as a different case.

"Especially this young (Meath) team – a lot of them wouldn’t have been involved in those games so they’ll come in with an air of freedom and they’ll be really going at it. It’s still a Dublin-Meath rivalry," adds the Fingallians man.

Reflecting on the 2010 meeting Paul says it was a turning point for Dublin footballers.

“That was such a turning point … the way we set up. Went more defensive then. Got to the semi-final of the All-Ireland that year, should have beaten Cork.

“Sometimes you do need a wake-up call like that to say we need a drastic change, not just incremental change. That was an eye-opener. Certainly an eye-opener."

DUBLIN v MEATH

Dublin are bidding to reach the Leinster final for the 11th time in 12 seasons, having missed out in 2010 only when they lost to Meath in the semi-final. Since then, they have won 16 successive games in Leinster.

LAST FIVE CHAMPIONSHIP CLASHES

2014: Dublin 3-20 Meath 1-10 (Leinster final)

2013: Dublin 2-15 Meath 0-14 (Leinster final)

2012: Dublin 2-13 Meath 1-13 (Leinster final)

2010: Meath 5-9 Dublin 0-13 (Leinster semi-final)

2009: Dublin 0-14 Meath 0-12 (Leinster quarter-final)

MOST RECENT CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

Dublin 3-20 Meath 1-10 (2014 Leinster final)

Dublin led by nine points at half-time and pressed further ahead in the second-half. Bernard Brogan 1-6, Kevin McManamon 1-5 and Eoghan O’Gara were Dublin’s top scorers while Michael Newman on 1-2 was Meath’s main marksman.

HOW THEY GOT HERE

Dublin 2-21 Laois 2-10 (Leinster quarter-final)

Meath 0-20 Louth 1-13 (Leinster quarter-final)

DID YOU KNOW?

Meath have beaten Dublin only once (2010) in their last nine championship games.

THE ROAD AHEAD

The winners play Kildare or Westmeath in the Leinster final on July 17; the losers will play in a 2B qualifier.