Senior footballers cruise into Leinster SFC final

DUBLIN 0-21 MEATH 0-11

Dublin strode into another Leinster final, where they will face Westmeath, following Sunday evening's comfortable provincial semi-final win over Meath at Croke Park.

Like in the quarter-final victory over Laois the accuracy of Dean Rock and Diarmuid Connolly was central to Dublin's victory against a defensive-minded Royal County.

Meath started the better and led 0-3 to 0-1 inside ten minutes they also had an early goal-scoring opportunity but first Stephen Cluxton and then David Byrne denied Dalton McDonagh.

Goal-scoring chances were few and far between as Meath deployed Pádraic Harnan in front of their own full-back line to cut out the shortest route to goal.

It was a tactic that was successful in denying the Dubs of a goal for the game but Meath failed up front to really cause Dublin too many problems after their early scoring flurry - they only scored three points in the second half with the last of these coming from sub Ronan Jones deep in injury-time.

After their slow start two Dean Rock frees in the 12th and 14th minute had Dublin level before great interplay culminated in a fine Brian Fenton point to put Dublin ahead.

Dublin continued to hold the upperhand but at times were struggling to show their usual accuracy into a difficult wind.

Points from Paul Flynn, following good work by Connolly and Kevin McManamon, and Bernard Brogan nosed Dublin 0-7 to 0-4 clear by the 23rd minute.

By the interval Dublin led 0-11 to 0-8 and looked comfortable enough with wind advantage to come.

Dublin restarted well with two Rock points, one a free, and before the midpoint of the half further scores from Brogan and two more from Rock, the second a free following a foul on Paul Flynn had Jim Gavin's men 0-16 to 0-9 clear by the 50th minute.

Before the finish Dublin were able to call the likes of Bernard Brogan and Kevin McManamon ashore as Meath never looked set to carry and significant threat as Dublin progressed to their 11th provincial final in 12 summers.

SCORERS - Dublin: D Rock 0-10 (0-9f), D Connolly 0-4, B Brogan 0-3, P Flynn 0-2, P Mannion, B Fenton 0-1 each. Meath: M Newman 0-4 (0-3f), G Reilly 0-3, C O'Sullivan 0-2 (0-1f), E Wallace, R Jones 0-1 each.

DUBLIN: S Cluxton; P McMahon, J Cooper, D Byrne; J McCarthy, C O'Sullivan, J Small; B Fenton, D Bastick; P Flynn, K McManamon, C Kilkenny; D Rock, D Connolly, B Brogan. Subs: MD Macauley for Bastick (ht), P Mannion for Brogan (53), P Andrews for McManamon (58), E Lowndes for Small (60), M Fitzsimons for O'Sullivan (63), C O'Callaghan for Flynn (67).

MEATH: P O'Rourke; D Tobin, D Keogan, M Burke; D Smyth, P Harnan, A Douglas; H Rooney, C O'Brien, G Reilly, C O'Sullivan, E Wallace; D McDonagh, A Tormey, M Newman. Subs: R Jones  for Tormey (53), S Lavin  for E Wallace (54),S Tobin  for McDonagh (60), J Wallace for Reilly (63), C Finn for Douglas (67), B McMahon for O'Sullivan (67).

REF: R Hickey (Clare).